Toilet Not Necessary

One day at lunch during my student teaching in an elementary school, I learned that a problem-student would be returning to my class the following day. The previous year, she had successfully scared all of the students out of the room during math class, and she was expelled from the school for peeing on the principal’s office chair. How old was she? Nine.

The teacher with whom I was working warned me about this girl ahead of time:

“I’ll introduce you to her beforehand, so there’s a better chance she won’t flip out on you.” “No matter what happens, just keep teaching. Don't stop.” “If there’s an emergency, hit the call button on the wall, and backup will come running.” “She'll have an aid with her at all times during the day, so it will be safe.”

Being a new teacher, I was more than a little concerned by these warnings.

Finally, the day arrived when she was to come to my class. In the morning, I saw a small chubby girl with messy brown hair walking through the building with an older seasoned-looking woman with gray hair.

‘That must be her. How bad can she be?’ I thought to myself. ‘She’s in third grade. And so small.’

Before she came to my class, I was introduced to her in the hallway. She had an empty smile and devil eyes, but she seemed to be polite. After she took her seat, I began the class. She raised her hand at one point to answer a question, and to get her involved, I called on her. Her answer was completely wrong and didn’t really qualify as English, but she was participating at least.

A few minutes into the class: disaster struck. I heard a thud. I looked to her seat. She was gone.

"Just keep teaching," I remembered. I did as I was instructed, and kept moving. But where had she gone?

Suddenly there came a banging from the other side of the room, and I realized she was on the floor kicking the radiator. The other teacher in the room and the aid went to her to try to make her to stop. Then she began kicking them.

By this time, I had lost the attention of the rest of the students. “Let me have everyone come to this side of the room. I’m going to do a(n impromptu) demonstration,” I say to the them, quickly coming up with a reason to do a demonstration, but really wanting to get them away from the dangerous girl. The kicking continues.

“Mr. **********. Can you hit the call button?”

I do and the principal comes within minutes. The girl decides it’s time to kick him some. He eventually gets fed up and grabs her by the foot and drags her out of the room screaming. The class can resume.

Didn't know being kicked was part of the job.