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[Jetgirly]

A Tale of Marshmallow Woe

This is so ridiculous it doesn't even count as a complaint; it's a story! Imagine it is a work of fiction!

The prepa is attached to a university. The other day, the company who makes Arcoiris cookies was giving out free bags of cookies that were filled with jam and marshmallows. At eight cookies per bag, and most students going back for two, or three, or four bags, I knew it would be a very sugared-up day. My classes early in the day went normally. When I arrived at my last class, which takes place before the final bell, I found the room COVERED in cookies. There were cookies on the floor, on the walls, on the desks, on the chairs, on students' clothes and even in students' hair. Every single surface was covered in sticky marshmallow goo. The room was a disgusting mess. I decided right away that I would not let my students walk out of a classroom that looked like that, so I gave them an assignment to work on and (against my better judgment but with no real alternative) went to look for a custodian to lend me a bucket, mop and rags that my students could use to clean up after themselves. When I couldn't find anyone to help, I went to the staff room, and the teachers there told that I would need an administrator to organize the cleaning. I didn't want to go upstairs and leave my kids alone, but I didn't have any other options. So, I went upstairs and told the administrators that I had found the classroom a mess when I walked in and did not believe the students should be allowed to leave the room that way. Two administrators had a discussion; they determined that one would get a custodian to supply the cleaning materials and the other would come down and see for herself in a few minutes.

So, I returned to my classroom. I had been gone five minutes or so, which is enough time for these kids to skin a sabre-tooth tiger and make tiger tacos... I dreaded discovering what they'd done in my absence. Needless to say, as I approached the room one student was obviously "standing guard" and he ran back into the room to tell his classmates that I was on my way. When I returned, I found that they had taken thirty or forty of the cookies, removed one of the biscuits, and used the marshmallow filling to attach the cookies to my chalkboard. There were cookies all over it. I ignored it and went right back to teaching because I knew an administrator was on her way down. A few minutes later she walks in, sees the chalkboard and begins SCREAMING at the top of her lungs at the students. Surprise surprise, they begin SCREAMING right back at her. Both she and the students were acting like toddlers fighting over a swing on the playground. Meanwhile, my two sweetest students are like, "Ms, what is the word for a woman whose husband is dead? How do you spell that?" and trying to work. I felt sooo bad for them. The shouting went on for a good five minutes, with students standing up, slamming things around and the administrator shrieking like a banshee.

Finally the custodian came with cleaning supplies, and the kids got to work cleaning. The administrator told me that I should mark them absent for two days if they don't get things clean in ten minutes! Eventually the mess got cleaned up and the kids went home. After they'd left, the administrator started bitching at me for not disciplining the students enough! That classroom was a disgusting mess when I walked in the door, and I had already told her that. I was the ONLY teacher all day who stood up and asked the students to accept responsibility for their actions. Clearly shouting at the students doesn't work, because it just becomes a shouting match that wastes everyone's time... what else does she want from me? Corporal punishment? I was so angry I just threw my hands up and walked out.

The next time I saw that administrator was the next day, when she interrupted me in the middle of my lesson and asked me to simultaneously teach two different grades two differents subjects, on two different floors of the building...

[Prof.Gringo]

[MO39]

This has to be the best (worst) story yet to come out of your time at the Prepa from Hell. You should write a book about your experiences and call it The Tenth Circle of Hell - it could be easily turned into a teen horror flick!

[veroax]

I agree about the book. This story has the sort of David Sedaris appeal where you can't stop laughing but you feel so terribly wrong for doing so.
Are we talking about those Spoonch/Spoonj (I don't remember how they spell it) cookies? Those things are about the foulest junkfood I've ever seen.

Congratulations for sticking it out as long as you have. I'm generally a pretty laid back character, but this situation sounds beyond what I'd be willing to tolerate.

[Jetgirly]

I don't think that's what they're called. They're just like normal Arcoiris cookies (I think) but now they have strawberry jam in them, or so I understand. I mean, I KNOW they have strawberry jam, because it was all over everything, but I think that is the part that makes them *new*.

[Jetgirly]

[MELEE]

Galletas Arcoiris

[Jetgirly]

As of next Friday it will be all over. In the Marshmallow Cookie class, only six students are currently passing this term and I actually fear for my physical safety. I can see my students' blood boiling- for real- when I tell them that no, they can't do a coloring sheet to replace the essay they didn't hand in at the beginning of May. Desks are being pushed over, walls are being punched, administration doesn't care. Really! Coloring sheets! One student got a zero for plagiarizing an assignment, but he honestly believes he should get some marks "because I put it on maple leaf paper- you know, like from Canada!" I had a student come up to me today and say, "Teacher, I really thought you would change my mark from the first term [aka February]." The second this nightmare ends I am making a run for the beach! And the bottle!

[guatetaliana]

Oh goodness. Those cookies have provoked nausea in me since the first time I saw them, but I will never, ever look at them the same after this story, Jetgirly.

What a nightmare. Congratulations for surviving so far!!!

[Phil_K]

You really should write the book, then sell the film rights. Get some compensation out of all this.

Then watch Sidney Poitier in "To Sir, With Love", just in case it happens again!

[dixie]

[Jetgirly]

Actually, I just finished downloading Half Nelson and I'm planning to watch it this afternoon, when I recover from my 7:00 am class!

[tvik]

I've just had a good time reading all these posts. i'm at a prep school in turkey and thinking about coming to mexico. the kids here are very similar. the problem here is that you can't kick them out of the class although many teachers do. i've done ok but it's mostly because i actually like the kids (19-21) their maturity level is about 15.

just wondering if you're allowed to kick them out. i might consider working in a university again. what's the pay like?
yes i know i'm crazy but i was a bit like those kids when i was 15 and i haven't grown up.

[dixie]

[tvik]

whats the pay like? is it easy to find work in mexico in aug for a sept start?