Auntie Plum

Today I snapped at one of the grade twelves because he implied it was my fault he didn't hand in his character development assignment (because I hadn't personally invited him to do so?). I admit I snapped a little. I've been impatient. Last night C phoned Little J and announced she was taking back the cat and was completely unmoved by Little J's tears and begging to let her keep just one thing constant in her life. I wasn't receptive to this student's implication that I should have reminded him another time to hand the assignment in... and I was definitely on the snappish side.

I'm not usually snappish. I'm a pretty even tempered person in general.

Anyway. This kid leaned in to me and said, "I need to tell you something."

I tried not to snarl. "Yeah?"

He said, "I'm not telling you this student to teacher. I'm telling you this friend to friend. YOU HAVE BEEN ON EDGE LATELY."

The absurdity of this sassy little seventeen year old trying to straighten me out (and the ironic sweetness of him calling himself my friend) hit me like a slap and the spell was broken. I busted out laughing.



*