The Authority Divide
A student tried to play me for a fool today...
But I understood my authority as a teacher & stood my ground.
What I did after that fell very near the divide between a man with authority & an asshole with authority...
Which one was I?
Read on to find out...
This occurred during a class that I was doing relief or, in other words, babysitting...
I let the class do their own work because I had my own work to do too.
Soon, a female student walks up to the teacher's desk...
"Err... Teacher, can I go out?"
"Why?"
"Err... I want to make a phone call."
"To whom?"
"Errr..."
Then, she leaves my desk & returns to her seat...
I resumed my work.
Soon she returns with an answer to my question.
"I want to call my mother."
"You want to call who?"
"Err... my mother."
"Why do you want to call your mother?"
"Err..."
Then, she leaves my desk & returns to her seat...
Amused, I smiled to myself & resumed my work.
Soon she returns again with an answer to my latest question.
"I want to say sorry."
"You want to say what?"
"I want to say sorry to my mother. Teacher can let me go out ah?"
At this point I was quite offended because she was playing me for a fool.
She also tried to assert her way with me by being persuasive in a girly manner.
Did she think that her cute & constant requests will fool me into believing her claim?
At this point, I was tempted to expose & ridicule her "foolish" plot to the class...
Killing two birds with one stone: teaching her (as well as her class & consequently, through gossip, the whole school) a lesson & vindicating the offence I felt.
Yet, I choose to give her the benefit of the doubt.
"I'm sure your mother will be very happy to hear from you. But I would prefer if you wait until break (which was after that period) to do this."
"But teacher during break got pengawas guard the telephone. I cannot use. Let me go la..."
"I see. But I would still prefer if you do it after my period."
"Teacher let me go la. I really must call."
She was starting to get on my nerves...
Oh, how I would love to bend her over & give her the smack she deserves!
And this I did with great pleasure!!
"Ok, what is your mother's name?"
"Err... Her name is **identity protection**."
"What is her phone number?"
"Err... Teacher you want to call her is it?"
"What do you think?"
"Err..."
"Here is a piece of paper. Write down her name & phone number please."
"Err... Teacher, let me go call la. Very fast one."
"Give me her name & phone number. I will call & talk to your mother first. Then I will hand the phone over to you. Deal?"
"Err... Teacher, don't need la."
"Then I would prefer if you would do this after my period."
"Okay..."
Then, she leaves my desk & returns to her seat...
I resumed my work & was never bothered again.
By rejecting her in that manner, I knew that I must have hurt her...
So before I left the class, I walked up to her & praised her decision to apologise for a mistake she has made & I wished her all the best in her relationship with her mother.
I knew it was a lie...
But I choose to gave her my respect...
To embarrass her was just not my style.
I'm smarter than that.
