Just be cool, man.

I had a good run today at Lake Murray-- the first 5+ miler I've done in a few weeks. It felt really good to let the week go (and it's only Tuesday!). So, you might remember that earlier this year a student broke into my classroom and peed on my desk. If not, here's the link to that happy tale. The kid was never caught, but I thought that was the end of gross things being done to my classroom this year. Not so.

For the past few weeks someone has been spitting on my classroom door. The first time I noticed it, was on a Monday after a long weekend and a big storm, so I didn't really think much about it. But then I began to notice that every couple days there was more of this gross, spit-looking substance accumulating on the door. Yesterday the kid finally went for the big guns (just in case I wasn't getting the message I suppose) and spit partially-masticated food all over the door. Not. Cool.

So, a custodian had to clean it up (which I feel really bad about because the kid isn't trying to punish her) and I hung a sign on the door that reads, "Just be cool, man." Today the spit appeared again on the door while I had my 4th period class down at the library...so I think I've narrowed down the perp's time frame AND that it is most likely not one of my current students. I'm working on a theory that it's one of last year's disgruntled 9th graders. There were some seriously evil children in that class. I don't say that lightly... I've had some squirrely classes in the past (this year's class included) but none that were just outright evil and malicious like last year.

I'm trying not to get in my head about the whole thing. If there's one thing I've learned over the years as a high school teacher, it's that you can not try to rationalize teenage behavior-- they don't even know why they do the things they do. Plus half the time their own actions have to be explained to them because somehow they forget that they just stabbed Johnny in the leg with a mechanical pencil or tried to give Carlos a papercut on his ear... "What did I do?!" as if they're so surprised by their own actions.

I had a realization while I was running today: this was my first school-related, NEEDED-run of the year... and by year I mean 2012. Hey, not so bad. I almost made it a month.

So in conclusion. To wrap it up. My point, ladies and gentleman is. Sigh.
If you're out there making someone's life hell with snide remarks, or backhanded compliments, or small devious annoyances (like my spitter), whether you think it's justified or not I have only one thing to say to you...

Just be cool, man.
Just be cool.