oic (smh)

(As I'm walking in the hallway during a planning period)

Dean of Discipline: Hey, Huth? Can you come in here for a sec?

Me: Sure.

DoD: So Katherine tells me she stayed after school with you last week to serve a detention she owed me . . .

Katherine (interrupting): . . . Well, I stayed with Miss Huth to finish some work, but I didn't tell her it was also a detention for you.

Me: Oh. But yes, she did stay for about an hour and a half last week.

DoD: But Katherine, you think this should also serve as a detention even though we didn't know this was your plan?

Katherine: Um, yes, I guess.

DoD: How about this? You stay with Miss Huth one more time this week, and we'll call it even.

Katherine: But I don't need to stay with her now. I'm all caught up on my work.

Me (nodding in agreement): Yup. True. Although it's fine if you want to stay with me anyway. We're working on a portfolio project right now, so she's been doing a lot of writing. And she's doing really well.

Katherine: Oh my goodness! So much writing! It's been two weeks! I'm going to get that carpal tunnel syndrome if we don't stop soon!

DoD (laughing): You won't get that from writing or from typing if you use proper technique. You will, however, get it from this (pantomimes texting on a phone).

Katherine: Oh, I don't do that much.

Me (preparing to leave): That's good.

Katherine: After all (pauses for full effect) I'm a writer, not a texter.

Me: I like that. And you're right.

Axe-wielding OD poppin' mom

Sometimes my students leave me notes on my white board. On the day I found this note, I must have been ranting about some thing or other.



This year I have a budding artist who enjoys drawing trees. He does these very quickly, usually in the last two minutes of class as I am distracted at the back of the room and the other students are packing up. I really like this and felt bad when I had to spritz it with rubbing alcohol.



I think my tree artist left this as well, but it might have been his friend. I'm not sure I understand the significance of my name and the scary axe-wielding character. Perhaps that's best.



I have one former student who, when she visits during a college break, says good bye by leaving me a nice note. Apparently Mackenzie finds me kinder and fuzzier than my tree artist does.