Upon trying to correct the inappropriate verbal behavior of a high school senior to another student:
“Who are you, telling me what I can and can’t say? You’re only a teacher. You wanna know how much this town thinks of you? You make less than a trash collector. That’s right – the guy who rides around in a garbage truck and empties trash cans & dumpsters all day makes more money than you. Because he’s more important in this town than you.”
“I’m glad that this town compensates their trash collectors – that is a job that I wouldn’t want to do, but I’m glad that someone is willing to do it. That’s an important job, too. Do you think you’re too good to be a trash collector?”
“Hell yes, I am. Doesn’t it bother you that a guy who maybe graduated high school and didn’t waste a ton of money going to college makes more than you? That what he does matters more than what you do?”
“I didn’t decide to do what I do for the money. I also didn’t decide to do it to put up with a child’s disrespect.”
“Oh, maybe I am disrespectful – but this whole town disrespects you every other Friday.”
“Are you done? You seem to be taking this very personally, even though you’ve made it very clear on multiple occasions that you will never become a teacher. Just be sure you meet the requirements to be a trash collector when you graduate. Then you’ll be set with a job where you can brag about how you make more than me. Until then, shut it.”
I didn’t even bother with consequences for this student – the administrators didn’t make the kids serve my detentions at this school either. This kid shot his mouth off to any teacher he didn’t feel was deserving of his respect or any teacher he knew the office wouldn’t support. And honestly, by this point, I had given up. I was just waiting for him to graduate so I never had to listen to his punk mouth again.
Sad thing – he was book smart, with potential to do something with his life, and had a decent voice & the ability to learn musically as well. But with an attitude like that, I can’t imagine he would be very employable – even as a trash collector.
Donita Westman 