It is wrong to steal, right?

Earlier this week, a teacher came to me concerned about some of her classroom decorations that had gone missing. She wanted me to interrogate the class until someone broke down and confessed and began to beg to be taken out back and have their hands cut off because how could anyone steal when we all know it is so wrong to find the culprit. While I don't mind being the bad guy, I do think it is important for teachers to handle to more minor aspects of classroom discipline or otherwise I'd only be dealing with discipline issues and what fun is that?. Besides, as much as I've wanted a Matlock moment where the guilty party suddenly begins spewing truths, it has yet to happen.

The teacher went back to the classroom and talked with the students. Soon a name emerged. She called the student's mother and confirmed the child indeed had stolen a ridiculous coconut pirate head from her. This satisfied the teacher because justice had been served but apparently we all need to pause for a moment of silence for the temporary loss of this student's basic freedoms.

A day passes and all is well. That is, until a teacher came to tell on this teacher. I remember being surprised that middle school students still tattled but they don't hold a candle to the tattling that the adults can do. Apparently, this teacher (who really is a good teacher) had made a bunch of posters on the poster maker for her church which totally made me feel liking running through the halls screaming because I've been reminding them all year to only make posters for educational purposes because the damn paper and ink cost a freakin fortune.

Again, I went to counsel talk with the teacher. And yes, she had made some posters. According to her, "Maybe seven. No, make that about ten," posters. In full color. With a background and all. In fact, she had to change out the ink cartridge and reprint a poster when the ink ran out midway.

When I reminded her of what should have been freaking obvious stealing was wrong, she cocked her head in that confused puppy dog look and said, "But it was free."

After my head exploded, I calmly smiled while biting my tongue to the bleeding stage and reminded her that the poster paper and ink were NOT free since the poster maker fairy no longer brought presents especially now that the economy was in the toilet.

And I'm sure her student had the same idea. It was free.

In her defense, she is now on poster maker restriction going to pay a set amount to make this situation right. Lesson learned. Even if I didn't know there was a lesson to be taught there.

On a different note, one of my teachers begged me to follow her home because a bird had built a nest in the wreath on her front door. There were baby birds inside the tiny wreath. Yes! Spring is here!