What the???

Today was just a messed up day.

I got to school in a relatively decent mood. Then people had to show up. Seems that the schedule we agreed on had been revised 3 or 4 times...since yesterday. I was actually scheduled to teach today ( ! ) and I did, but at every step I had to find other teachers to ask what the hell was going on, who was doing what and for how long. In spite of that, I actually got some work done with kids that helped them with their projects that I'm really not involved with. In my mind anyway, after lunch I was supposed to work with one group of kids for the last 2 hours. I didn't have to, but it worked out that they had nothing scheduled and needed something and I didn't have to chauffeur anyone at that time so I jumped on it. I spent a couple of hours last night getting this cool role play ready and right after lunch I'm told that my lesson was scrapped.

I threw a fit. Not a big fit. Not a hissy fit. But an unprofessional fit. And while I was in the staff office when I threw it, for some unexplained reason, there was a bunch of kids in there. It was just all my professional frustration...day-after-day of not knowing what we were doing; of things in constant flux and I lost it.

I will say this about my co-workers...they sure do give in to dramatics. It has never failed. I don't calculate this stuff, but whenever I go diva, I get what I want. But honestly, my diva-ness only comes out when there's prolonged incompetence. But I'm sure Whitney says that, too.

So I did my lesson. It was chaotic and I had a hard time keeping them in control, but in the end it went well and all the kids enjoyed it and I think my academic propaganda got through. And so the day ended. Or so I thought....

Kids are being kids...acting all crazy as it's time to leave. I go out into the hall and there's one of my lovely little children. Now, confidentiality issues mean I can't go into too much detail here, but this kid is one of our..."special" kids. He's very awkward socially, a bit defiant. He's a borderline Hillside kid. Maybe a day treatment kid. But to the layperson, he's weird and a bit of a dick.

So the kid comes up to me in the hall and says:

Kid: I heard we don't have school tomorrow because it's Halloween.

Mr. A: I don't know about that, but the teachers have an all-day training. It may have been scheduled for tomorrow because of that, but I don't know if that's the reason.

Kid: Oh...OK. [Mr. A turns to walk away] Mr. Atias?

Mr. A: [Turns around to face Kid] Yeah?

Kid: Would you like a massage? I give massages.

Mr. A: [Extremely awkward pause followed by response using a volume level that showed uncomfortableness] No thanks! I'm good! See ya tomorrow!

[End scene.]

Where the fuck did that come from? Every teacher in the program I told this to had dumbfounded looks on their faces.

FIRST IT WAS WOMEN, NOW I'M TURNING PRE-PUBESCENT BOYS GAY!!!!

I sure wish I could harness this power I seem to have.

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I was going to end the post here, but I thought I should elaborate just so no one gets the wrong idea.

I really can't go into details about the kid, but let's just say that anything involving physical contact with any human is out of character for him. And he doesn't initiate interactions unless he wants something. Our reactions were not about the possible orientation issues, but more of the special ed issues. The fact that it involved borderline hitting on a teacher is secondary.