Minor details

Once a week the school counselor comes by for a half hour to do some lame lesson. Mind you I'm not complaining because it gives me an extra 30 minutes of plan time on that afternoon. However, I thought she was supposed to talk to them about getting along with others or self-esteem or something like that. Instead all I've ever seen them do is run from one side of the room to the other and make things out of old newspapers. I'm not sure how this teaches them conflict resolution strategies but, um, okay. Well today I was there long enough to watch them partner up and trace around themselves on a large piece of butcher paper before cutting them out. I'm not sure what the lesson was about because when I came back into the classroom she was asking students what they would do if a homeless man showed up on their doorstep. After sharing some not too intelligent answers ("Ask him if he wants to play Wii with me in my bedroom"), they were then asked to decorate their paper cutout to resemble themselves. Some drew on long eyelashes or a Cubs jersey. As I sat at my desk grading a math worksheet, I heard the sound of paper being crumpled up. I looked up to find the counselor with a large, wadded up ball of paper in her hands. She pointed to one of the boys and said "He owes me both recesses tomorrow." I just nodded as it was getting time to pack up for the end of the day. After she left I asked the boy what he did. He looked down for a moment and then looked back at me with a sly smile. "I drew nuts and a wiener on him, Mr. Ritchason."