Substitute Teacher Story of a 10-Year-Old

Kaitlyn arrived home from school last Friday afternoon just as she usually does.  However, Friday she was A LOT more wound up than usual.  One would think it was because it was a Friday and the weekend was finally here.  Let's just say that this was hardly the case.

She began hurriedly telling me about how "horrible" her day had been.  I swear that throughout this five minute story she only took a couple of breaths and by the end of her story, I was also speechless. 

Her day was horrible because they had a substitute teacher.  A little girl in their class had decided that they were going to all participate in being as loud and naughty as possible for the substitute teacher.  At one point during the day a teacher from across the hall stopped her own class to enter Kaitlyn's class.  She reprimanded them for their behavior, as they were disrupting her class by being SO LOUD.  Finally, the details of her day ended with, "By the end of the day, there were 8 (I think it was 8) of us standing in the room with our ears covered because it was so loud in our classroom." 

I told her that I was proud of her for making a good choice.  I also tried to teach her a little bit of empathy, "How do you think that the substitute teacher feels/felt?  What do you think that it is like to work with a different group of students everyday?  And, what if everyday, all the students acted like your class today?"  She "got" it, the message I was sending was ringing loud and clear.  We also discussed that the sub would probably leave a note for their regular teacher and the behavior would likely be addressed on Monday.

So, let's fast forward to Monday (yesterday).  Kaitlyn came home from school.  I asked her about her day.  She gave me the normal Monday answer, "It was good.  We had gym and library."  Then I probed a little bit more, "So, what did your teacher say about the behavior on Friday?  Did you guys receive a punishment?"  PREPARE TO BE ASTONISHED.  "No.  She (the teacher) just told us that it wasn't very nice of us to behave that way."

OMG, ARE YOU SERIOUS?  They didn't even have to write an apology or stay in from recess for five minutes, NOTHING????  No wonder our kids are turning out the way they are.  They think that they can get by with anything.  And who is to blame ... in this instance and in many others, it looks like we, the adults, the role models, the teachers, the parents are to blame.