Walking out of school on Friday I thought to myself how pleased I was with how the first week of my placement had gone. I smiled as I left the gates and headed towards my car parked in the visitors' car park.
I rounded a corner and there stood a dozen pupils smoking, possibly because it's going out of fashion.
"Oh Shit!" they say
Oh Shit, I think. I looked at them completely confused, not at all sure what to do. I don't know how to deal with smokers. I left school a few years ago, maybe they're allowed to smoke, and besides, it's Friday afternoon and I want to go home!
"Is he a teacher?" sneered one particularly unpleasant individual.
Am I a teacher? Oh, God! Do I have to be a teacher?
"Are you a teacher?" he says as he turns his attention to me. Damn! why did I have to park here?
"Er, yeah. Look, is there really any point in me saying anything?"
"Here mate, do you want some?" particularly unpleasant individual proffers a cigarette.
"No thanks."
A girl chips in: "Aren't you gonna do owt?"
What?! Do they want me to?! Is it too late to just pretend I never even saw them? "Er, maybe you should get away from school grounds?" Look how decisive and authoritative I can be!
"We're not on school grounds!" by virtue of his tone particularly unpleasant individual upgrades himself to particularly unpleasant and aggressive individual.
Really? I'm not sure I believe him but this seems a good excuse to get out of here! Let smoking dogs die or some other suitable phrase. "Oh, okay. Whatever."
I walk away to my car. Suddenly my mood's not so upbeat. Man, I hate teenagers!
I only discovered your blog today, very interesting to me as i'll be following you into teaching next year.
2005-10-16 @ 20:02