Mr. Strauss from Fifth Grade

[Ishigreensa]

Frank Strauss opened the door to his classroom, and waited by the door as the students started to arrive at the classroom.

He shook hands with all his fifth grade students, one by one, and he had their names already laid out at their desks so that they wouldn't have to waste time later assigning seats.  While he knew he'd have to change seats around eventually because he would have to make the work environment constructive to learning, it was always a fight to move the students the first time, and he really didn't want that battle right away.

He smiled at each student as they walked through his door.

One of his younger students, ten year old Violetta, (change the name if you want) walked past him and he smiled at her as he did the others.

Looking around the room, she could see that the desks were arranged in groups of four.  She was seated in one of the front groups closer to the blackboard with one other girl and two boys in her group.

On the board, his name and a welcome message was Written.

Welcome Fifth Graders:

Name:  Mr. Strauss

Please take your seat and write your name, three things you like and your phone number on the index card at your seat.  

Thank you.

He continued to greet students at the door until everyone was in the room either standing or sitting at their assigned desks.

[violetta]

Violet sauntered her way to the group of desks where she was assigned. After such a relaxing summer with no supervision and no real responsibilities, she was in no rush to start yet another long school year. She makes eye contact with the teacher, sizing him up and trying to determine what kind of teacher he's going to be. After they both share a polite smile, she sits down and starts to work on the assignment.

"Name: Violet

1. My favorite color is green, not violet. 2. I like Roller Skating 3. I love pizza." 

After she decides on her 3 socially acceptable liked things, she scribbles down her phone number (a fake, of course) and puts it in the pile of finished ones from her group. A group of desks adjacent to her were snickering about what they were writing, as they were trying to find a way to tease her through the assignment. Violet didn't care much, anyway. She's not very phased by typical every-day bullying. Her classmates have already bullied her about the little "incident" to the point of not caring anymore 

[Ishigreensa]

Before most of the class was finished writing their responses, the announcements came on over the loud speaker.

They talked about what they were having for lunch, what the school's motto was, and gave the kids some trivial facts like on this day in history and some movie or actor stuff.

Once the announcements were over, Mr. Strauss went to the front of the room.

"I'd like each group to send one person from their group up with the cards.  While you probably know each other very well, or most of you do, I do not know you yet, and if any of the kids are new this year to this school, they won't know everyone either."

He smiled around the class.

"So, we are going to get to know each other a little bit this morning, and then we are going to go over some safety rules, and finally, we will go over some classroom procedures and rules."

He smiled around at the class.

"So...."

He then mixed up the cards and then looked at them carefully reading out the three things that that they liked.

"Okay, as I read the things the person likes out, I'd like you all to point to the person that is being read out.  After a moment, I will then read out the name and the correct person will stand up."

He smiled and then came Across Samantha's card first....

[violetta]

Violet slumped in her chair. She hated Samantha the most. Ever since they were in the 2nd grade this girl seemed to have a vendetta on her. Still, she was lulled to a sense of safety from the fact that she wouldn't use this to tease or bully her.

Her card, as it was read, said... 

"1. I like my daddy" Violet winced internally. It seemed innocent enough, so she could hardly fault her, but Violet desperately wished her parents were still around. They're always off in business trips doing this or that, and neither seemed to particularly care for her that much.

"2. I like my ponies" Violet hated every time she would flaunt her wealth to her, but at least this wasn't exclusively done to just her. Samantha flaunted her wealth to anyone that would listen, it seemed. 

"3. I like keeping the bed dry!"

Suddenly giggles erupted as all of the young eyes turned to Violet. Violet felt her skin crawl and her desire to be out of the class increase rapidly. It was one little incident, during a shut-down overnight, that she's referencing. But they all knew about it, and they'd seemingly never forget. The humiliation is too much for her, so she gets up: "Excuse me, Mr.Strauss, may i use the potty?" but even more laughter came from her word usage. She couldn't bare it, so she snatched the hall pass, and rushed out of the class.

[Ishigreensa]

Frank had not even had a chance to respond to her leaving the classroom or not before she just grabbed the hall pass and bolted.

He frowned and looked around at the other students.  Knowing it was useless to get to the bottom of the problem that moment, he called the office to look for the little girl while he put the cards down and wrote something on the board:

Respect:

"Now, I don't know what exactly happened here, and I really don't think that fifth graders really think about keeping their beds dry as something they like.  I am most certainly sure that whatever this statement, the giggles in class, and your classmate running out of the class have a lot to do with the other, and I will NOT tolerate bullying in this class!"

He turned to face the class.

"Everyone!  No exceptions!  Everyone has lost recess for the next week!  No morning time and no lunch recess.  You eat lunch, and you come right back to class.  That is final."

He glared at Samantha.

"And you!  You will write an apology to Violet for bullying her, and you will write an apology for disrupting my class.  You will not have recess even after the week is out unless you have completed both letters to my satisfaction.  No, I'm not going to grade them for punctuation and spelling.  I'm looking for a sincere apology to both of us."

He then made the class start writing a five paragraph paper on what respect is, what it should look like in the class room.  While he didn't expect them to know everything about it, they were still ten and eleven years old and certainly knew something about it!

Eventually, an office aid found Violet....

[violetta]

Violet was sitting in the girl's restroom, hiding away in a stall. She figured that no one would think to look for her here, and she could take the moment to recollect herself. Fortunately for her, her tears stopped when the office aid finds her

"You must be Violet? Come with me, sweetie, you have to come back to class. It's alright, your teacher disciplined the bullies already. You have nothing to worry about."

Violet was mildly surprised. She never had a teacher stick up for her in the entire time she was in school, let alone in the first few moments of meeting him. She's gained an immense respect and gratitude for him already. 

After heading to the nurses office for a quick change, the office aid delivers Violet to the classroom. She smiles, admittedly a little smugly, at seeing everyone who laughed look a little afraid and ashamed of their actions. Quietly mouths "thank you" to Mr.Strauss as she sits herself down back to her desk. The class proceeds as normal, with everyone finishing the assignment and Violet doing her homework while they worked.

At the end of it, she approaches Mr.Strauss.

"H-hey. that was really really nice of you to stick up for me. you're the only teacher t-that's ever done that for me."

[Ishigreensa]

"Well, I don't permit bullying or fighting in class," he told her.  "You can't learn if you are not safe, and my class room is supposed to safe for everyone even if I can be a little strict, sweetie."

He looked up at the clock as everyone finished the assignments, and he stood up.

"Now, we are going to go over procedures for emergencies," he told the class.  "And I do expect every one of you to act your age, and fifth graders know better than to play and talk in line when there is an emergency, now don't you?"

He waited a minute.

"Good, now, everyone line up at the door.  If even one person pushes, we'll practice lining up all the rest of the morning until lunch."

[violetta]

One by one, they all lined up, from tallest to shortest as is the schools procedure. Violet was a bit short for her age, in fact she's the shortest of the class, but it works to her benefit. No one can push you if you're all the way in the back, after all.

Violet stood there, ready to go through the monotonous routine of each emergency procedure.

[Ishigreensa]

Frank Strauss didn't think about the school rule about tallest to shortest, and so really didn't care how they got in line as long as they didn't cause problems while doing so.  He frowned when he saw a couple of kids talking.

"What did I say about emergency lines?" he asked the class.  "Thanks to those two boys, everyone can go sit down and try lining up again.  Now.  Sit down."

He waited a minute and then he told them to line up again.  This time, everyone was quiet.

"Good.  Now, what are some important rules to remember when we have a fire drill?"

He waited for a hand or two to go up.