the supersoak incident

i've never really dealt with male adolescent hormones until recently. funny how three years of teaching high schoolers never prepared me for the crap i have to deal with my 8th graders.

you see, when i taught in rural high, my boys were pretty much respectful. the most excitement i got from my male students is them coming up with sassy remarks to shut me down when i go on my sarcastic tirade about anything. they tried. besides, there was another teacher they can throw their male horomones at. she's the hottie. i'd like to think i'm the cool one.

last week, one of my gregarious 8th graders who claims his meds wear off after lunch hence the inexplicable surge of energy and cause of my mid day headaches, had the audacity to ask me if i've been "supersoaked". some of his buddies were shocked at his remark. i know he was playing. he's a kid. but something told me i ought to check out on that song that he was referring to.

apparently, this english teacher does not know how to spell. i was desperately googling soldier boy (the alleged singer of this song) only to find out it's soulja boy (duh!).

true enough, this song is not butterflies and rainbows. it's about mary palmer and boy bastos in music.yes it's about the m word. alright. so how do i deal with this? i know my lil boy Z did not mean to allude to anything sexual by it. he was in it for the shock value. was i shocked? i guess. but i was more disappointed.

i spoke to Z this afternoon and i told him i saw the video on youtube. the look on his face was priceless. this was how our conversation sounded like :


me : so what's up with that supersoak? i told you i was going to find it. i'm really disappointed, you know?

Z : you found it?

me : yes

Z : i was just playin' Ms. A

me : stop playing Z, i'm your teacher, i'm not your peer. what does it take for you to respect me? how come i don't see you "play" with your other teachers? you don't act this way with mrs. p or ms. j. why me? is it, because i look young that's why you think it's okay?

Z : nah, i'm just playin with you because , you're alright ms. a. and i think you're my peer. you're my friend.

me : no i'm not, i'm 31 years old. besides, why would a 31 year hang out with a 12 year old? i could be your mother.

Z : na-ah you can't. my mom's 40.

me : i could be your sister. i am somebody's sister. how would you feel if somebody said something like that to your sister?

Z : Bam! i'd slam whoever that is so hard... but you're not my sister. i'm sorry, ms. A. you know i was just playing.

me : i know you were, but it still hurts my feelings that you can respect your other teachers and then treat me like one of your classmates.

Z : see, coz my other teachers, they be scarin' me. they like medea. you're not. you're okay.


argh. so my little pep talk ended there. Z felt really sorry for what he said. i find him sincere with his apologies. i keep forgetting that he's not 12, he's almost 14, but to me, all my students are kids. they run their mouths, but at the end of the day they're still kids. cheeky, but still kids.

i suppose i should be a bit glad that i am not compared to tyler perry's medea, but man sometimes i wish i can command that respect from some of them. this is why i don't like smiling at my students. i smile, and they think they can get away with playing.

sigh.