School Daze

Another school week is over. Let's see now, it's April 6 and the first full school week of April is over. Alhamdulillah. Wait a minute, we are into the 4th term - or quarter (and final term of the year), and we have a parents' night next week. After that it's all downhill.

I agree with our school's policies in terms of discipline, but as the year moves along it is easy to just let some of the student behaviors slide by without noticing. And again, if I let something just slide by me, I'm giving into the students. I'm stubbourn -- anyone who knows me can attest to this, and I have learned to stand my ground and even dig in my heels at times in regards to students.

For instance, one of my routine jobs at school is to get the girls out of the bathroom between classes. Every period, I see the same girls in the same bathroom primping themselves day in and day out. I tell the girls "Why do you keep looking at yourselves in the mirror, you all are naturally beautiful, you don't need to come in every hour and look at yourselves." They just smile and move along to their next class. Other times I find myself yelling "Move along to the next class! Get out of the bathroom now!"

Some days I get to take a mobile phone away from a belligerent 12th grader. How many times have we discussed the issue at school that mobile phones are not permitted; or that students must wear the full school uniform everyday? Too many times to count, believe me, but I keep telling myself to stand my ground, be firm, show respect and in turn hopefully receive respect. I can't believe this is coming from me!!! The girl who couldn't get up for school in the morning; whose mother used to yell "Marian, the bus!" I would run downstairs in 5 minutes to catch the school bus. Someone who would never be home on time and then face the consequences of my Dad. I'm the timekeeper at school! Can you believe this? Can you believe I am one of the first lines of authority when it comes to asking students why they skipped class, why they didn't wear the school uniform, why they use their mobile, why they eat in class?

If you are young and reading this blog let me give you a piece of advice from my own life experiences: If you are lucky enough, you will mature into the opposite of what you were in your youth, especially if you were irresponsible and immature.

I am grateful for the person that I am, and I have my experiences to thank, no matter how petty or how serious. I can't imagine what I would have been like had I not experienced life the way I did when I was younger.

Ma'salaam,

Marian