Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Caught In a Trap

We can't go on together
With suspicious minds
And we can't build our dreams
On suspicious minds
--- Elvis Presley, "Suspicious Minds"

I was half-shocked, half-amused by an event at work today. Whole playing outside, the Boss's daughter got into an argument with S, a five-year-old girl. S didn't want to listen to Bd's bossy blather, so she put her hands on her ears and walked away. Bd grabbed S by the shoulders and shook her. S reported this to my co-teacher and I, and we put Bd in timeout.

This, of course, caused her to shriek and wail like the unappealing banshee she is, and she continued to do so as we came in. Naturally, Boss came running out to pacify her poor baby (nearly seven years old!). She scooped her up and asked her what had happened. Since this lack of trust in us as teachers to fairly manage the situation pisses me off royally, I ignored Boss and led the kids into one of the classrooms. While I was preparing to send them in for lunch, Boss came bursting in, still cradling her daughter. "Are you aware," she accosted S, her voice, trembling with emotion, "that you hurt Bd's feelings?"

Holy shit! How unfair to poor S, to have the director of the school to come rushing in and gang up on her with her sniveling daughter in tow. The Boss tried to make S feel guilty for not listening to her daughter's bossy crap, but I interjected. "I told the children that they have the right not to listen," I said. Then the Boss tried to make the kids hug and make up, and again I stopped her. "They're not toddlers. You can't make them hug and like each other. They're both upset. They have minds of their own."

Boy, was the Boss pissed the rest of the day. Pissed that none of the other girls like her precocious, spoiled, bossy daughter, pissed that I didn't take her side, pissed that I talked to her like that, as if she has no idea of child development.

Hee hee!

***

I did my self-evaluation in about an hour. Watching myself on video was not nearly as cringe-inducing as I'd feared. Indeed, I thought I looked like a natural up there.

Science Methods was wholly unremarkable; other groups did their science presentations. Well, I might remark that Scarlett, one of my classmates, is the hottest girl I have ever seen. It was fun doing the lessons with T; she's amusing.

***

I stopped by Spooky's house after school. We talked a bit about how uncomfortable I feel about Babydaddy. Supposedly he's moving to another city soon, but as with everything concerning Spooky, I'll believe it when I see it. Anyway, she mollified some of my concerns regarding her own behavior, but not regarding his. She suggested that I sit down and talk to him about the fact that I'm dating her. A good idea, though I'm not relishing the prospect.

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