Monday Monday. They told me in my education courses in college that I'd have to deal with the parents of my students, but I didn't really understand how troublesome this can be until I had to go through the process. I have several children in my class who are serious behavior problems. You know the ones, can't sit still, refuse to listen to their teachers, are way behind the rest of the students academically, and require most of the teacher's attention all day long in order to stay on task. One of my student’s mothers is under the belief that her child can do no wrong, and should never be scolded under any circumstances. Not in my class. You take something that doesn't belong to you, get told to put it back, take it anyway, and you get into trouble. That's how life works. Kids will be kids, you know. The thing that bothers me the most is that the mother heard the discussion I had with the child, listened as I told him to put back what he took, and still let him walk out of the classroom with it, laughing like it was humorous. Well, what a wonderful lesson to teach your child.

There was so much more to this story, but seeing as how I've told it about twenty times today already, I wanted to keep it short. It got me a trip to the director’s office, though, after I discovered that the mother is not only a thief, but a liar as well. In the end, I was the believable one, for my character does not need defending. It's a terrible thing that she has this attitude towards her child's teachers. Having the brains God gave a goose, she will never even begin to grasp the tiniest bit of what we do for and mean to those children on a daily basis. I don't yell. I don't even raise my voice, but I will tell a child when he/she is out of line, and help them to learn a lesson from their mistake, as any good teacher should do. And any good parent for that matter. (*ahem*)

On a brighter note, all of the fish in my classroom tank made it through their first weekend alive and well. I hope they're still alive when I get back from my week in Florida. I still have a few days to nurture them. Only time will tell.