When I first started teaching they told us to keep our mouths shut until we got tenure because administration could dismiss us for any reason if they wanted to. So, I tried to just sit in the back of every faculty meeting and mind my own business without saying a word.
Mrs. H. was the union representative and she had her own style. It was rude and caustic, but, it was her style.
Faculty meetings were held three times a month whether we needed them or not. If there was nothing to say, the Principal found something to say. Inspiring? Not usually, but, meet we did. They were supposed to start at 2:10 and end 3:10. Mrs. H. apparently thought it was her job to make sure that no meeting went beyond 3:10. So, at precisely 3:10 she would stand up, take out her abnormally numerous keychain and walk, straight backed, in front of the principal and wave her keys, left to right, up and down, like a marching band leader on the Fourth of July, right out the door.
I feel the need to give you a fuller description of Mrs. H. She was a piece of work. My first taste of her was after walking my class back from recess. We were responsible for one of the bulletin boards on the main hallway walls. The class had written short essays in response to a prompt with a picture of a clown who had fallen and was a bit dirty. One of my students, Q. was one of several African American students. As we were passing the bulletin board Mrs. H. grabs Q. by the arm, out of line and points to his paper and asked him, "Did you write 'He was so black and dirty' because you think being black means your dirty?" Mind you, this was an African American women talking to a fourth grade African American child. It took a few minutes before I could get her to leave him alone and we could get back to class.
A few weeks later I was in my classroom during lunch when the teacher in the next room asked me to come into her room for a moment. Thinking nothing of it, I went over to see what was up. Lo and behold, who was in there? None other than crazy Mrs. H.. "Mr. PT., I noticed that as I was leaving the Faculty Meeting you rolled your eyes at me? What do you have to say about that?" She bluntly blurted out with her hands on her hips, chin taking dead aim at the center of my forehead. I replied, "I rolled my eyes because you're crazy. You're also the rudest, most caustic and prejudiced person I have ever known. And you're one of those crazy people who slap someone in the face and wonder why they slap you back. I just want you to know that if you slap me, be prepared to be slapped back." I turned around and walked back into my room.
My good friend Ms. J.'s take on Ms. H.. "Mrs. H.? Oh, she's crazy! She's the kind of person who would punch you in the nose one day and then buy you an ice cream the next. She's crazy!"
A couple weeks later I was in my room before school preparing for another glorious day of teaching (I really was enjoying it). Over the school intercom I hear, "Mr. PT, if you are on campus, please report to the principal's office." Being a middle child I immediately began to wonder what I did wrong. On my way down to the office I went over in my head all kinds of scenarios. I felt like a little kid again being called to the office, which are a very real group of memories for me.
When I got there I was ushered into the principal's office and seated with a small group of other people. The principal explained that our presence had been requested for this formal meeting concerning Ms. H's actions. My first thought was relief that whatever the issue was it wasn't me. Secondly I was baffled that crazy Ms. H. asked me to be there considering I had told her I thought she was crazy!
The long and the short of it was that some Latino students from Ms. H's class had complained to the principal that she continually called them stupid and telling them they were lazy. The principal went to the class to look into the complaint (which she should do). The principal said she gave Ms. H. the option of waiting in the cafeteria/teach lounge or the main office. Ms. H. told her, "I don't have to put up with this nonsense, I'm going home!" The principal directed her to not leave the campus. Crazy Ms. H. went home (which she shouldn't do).
I sat there and wondered (again) why I was there and why crazy Ms. H. left the campus when she was directed not to. Like the title says, crazy is as crazy does.
Chaper 1 http://heyuteacher.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-accidental-teacher-one-line-three.html
Chapter 2 http://heyuteacher.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-accidental-teacher-bang-their-heads.html
A few weeks later I was in my classroom during lunch when the teacher in the next room asked me to come into her room for a moment. Thinking nothing of it, I went over to see what was up. Lo and behold, who was in there? None other than crazy Mrs. H.. "Mr. PT., I noticed that as I was leaving the Faculty Meeting you rolled your eyes at me? What do you have to say about that?" She bluntly blurted out with her hands on her hips, chin taking dead aim at the center of my forehead. I replied, "I rolled my eyes because you're crazy. You're also the rudest, most caustic and prejudiced person I have ever known. And you're one of those crazy people who slap someone in the face and wonder why they slap you back. I just want you to know that if you slap me, be prepared to be slapped back." I turned around and walked back into my room.
My good friend Ms. J.'s take on Ms. H.. "Mrs. H.? Oh, she's crazy! She's the kind of person who would punch you in the nose one day and then buy you an ice cream the next. She's crazy!"
A couple weeks later I was in my room before school preparing for another glorious day of teaching (I really was enjoying it). Over the school intercom I hear, "Mr. PT, if you are on campus, please report to the principal's office." Being a middle child I immediately began to wonder what I did wrong. On my way down to the office I went over in my head all kinds of scenarios. I felt like a little kid again being called to the office, which are a very real group of memories for me.
When I got there I was ushered into the principal's office and seated with a small group of other people. The principal explained that our presence had been requested for this formal meeting concerning Ms. H's actions. My first thought was relief that whatever the issue was it wasn't me. Secondly I was baffled that crazy Ms. H. asked me to be there considering I had told her I thought she was crazy!
The long and the short of it was that some Latino students from Ms. H's class had complained to the principal that she continually called them stupid and telling them they were lazy. The principal went to the class to look into the complaint (which she should do). The principal said she gave Ms. H. the option of waiting in the cafeteria/teach lounge or the main office. Ms. H. told her, "I don't have to put up with this nonsense, I'm going home!" The principal directed her to not leave the campus. Crazy Ms. H. went home (which she shouldn't do).
I sat there and wondered (again) why I was there and why crazy Ms. H. left the campus when she was directed not to. Like the title says, crazy is as crazy does.
Chaper 1 http://heyuteacher.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-accidental-teacher-one-line-three.html
Chapter 2 http://heyuteacher.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-accidental-teacher-bang-their-heads.html
