MySpace Redux

So the MySpace incident came up during my social studies class yesterday.

Boy, are those kids uninformed. But on the plus side, they are uninformed. They really don't know what it was that I said that got everyone so riled up, so I was able to diffuse the situation pretty quickly. I used it as an opportunity to talk about being careful what you put out there on the Internet and knowing that it may not just be your friends who see it.

Of course, I then had to go do some CYA action with Principal, just in case he heard about the conversation through the grapevine. Particularly since the son of our school board president is in that class. He's a great kid who seems to really like me, but you can't be too careful.

*sigh* Perhaps one day it will stop haunting me.

Perhaps I Should Rethink This Sweater...

The scene: a middle school library in the midst of the fall book fair

The time: fifth grade lunch recess

The players: A stunningly attractive media specialist, her fabulous library aide, and numerous ten year olds.

The action: One of said ten year olds, a little boy with hair so blond it is nearly white, approaches the stunningly attractive media specialist and asks, "Are you Mrs. C-?"

"Yes," I reply, with hesitation, as this child should know darn well who I am, seeing as he has been coming to my library for the last nine weeks. I consider correcting him with, "Ms. C-" however, as "Mrs. C-" is my mother. I decide to let it go.

"I heard you were pregnant."

A stunned look of amusement pass between me and my aide while I successfully contain my hysterical laughter.

"Well, I'm not," I reply.

"Huh... I heard someone around here is," and with that, he turned and left the library.

Begin hysterical laughter.

I really wish it had been a seventh or eighth grader who asked, because I would have replied with something along the lines of, "What?!? How did you hear that?! No one was supposed to know!" but I really wouldn't feel right teasing a fifth grade boy with that.

And if only that were really the case. *sigh*

Quote of the Week

One of my students was absent for two days this week. On the first day, his fellow students were discussing his absence.

"Ms. C-, do you know why R. isn't here today?"

"No," I replied. "Why isn't R. here today?" I asked, almost afraid to find out.

"His mom had a baby. That's why he's not here."

"Oh, that's nice," I responded, quite relieved that no ill fate had befallen R.

"Yeah," another student continued, "his mom went into heat during our game last night."

Instantly, hysterical laughter broke out while F. realized his mistaken choice of wording.

Once order was restored, I clarified, "F., I believe the word you were looking for there was labor."

Every now and then, I gotta love those seventh graders. I think I'm set for the rest of the year now.

You Say It's Your Birthday...

No, no, I didn't. I never said it was my birthday. But that was the story on this morning's announcements, so I had to repeatedly explain to my birthday well-wishers that I'm not any older today than I was yesterday (well, yes, I know that actually I am, but these are seventh graders).

See, each year at the opening day staff meeting, we get a birthday list of staff members in our packets. Each year since I started in this building, my birthday has been off by exactly four months, and I have informed multiple people of this mistake, but it never gets fixed. It was never a huge deal, though, until this year, when our media specialist started sharing staff birthdays in addition to the kids' each day on the morning announcements.

I guess the good news is that I had multiple kids, both current and past students, make their way in to wish me a happy birthday.

I don't care what that school board thinks... those kids love me.

I Was Hoping This Would Be the Year Without One

On the way home from work today, I made a stop at a funeral home.

This time it wasn't a car accident, and it wasn't a current student, but it still makes me question so many things about the universe.

N. just graduated this past spring. On Sunday, she was out at a local sledding hill with some friends and family. She and her aunt slid down the hill on a tire innertube, it made an unexpected turn, and they hit a tree. Her aunt was not injured. N. sustained a spinal cord injury which steadily shut down her body. She died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. There was really nothing they could do for her.

N. and her twin sister T. were both in my class when they were freshmen four years ago. I remember both of them as being such nice, pleasant girls, good students, and active in music and sports.

I just don't understand why such a promising young woman is taken away when she's barely had a chance to get started in life. But I really can't imagine what life is going to be like now for T. Having a twin must be such a huge part of who she is... and now that twin is gone.

As I left the funeral home this afternoon, after having said goodbye to T. and their mother, another thought occured to me. Imagine how surreal it must be for T. to see someone who looks exactly like herself lying in the casket. On one hand, she must be somewhat used to having a mirror image, but that scene is the stuff of nightmares.

There are no answers. Only questions. And tears.