7th Grade Substitute

An amusing (real) story from my substitute teaching yesterday. I handed out reading material on Opera (not a favorite for the students by the way) to the first period class and asked them to please not mark on the material (my mistake I know). I warned them to not make any other marks on the reading as I had to use it for subsequent classes (was that too big a word?) 

We finished the class, and the 2nd period class comes in, and we pass out the reading material. One of the students comes to me and says "Mr. Kinsey, someone drew something on this paper." (Imagine stick figures - go ahead - think like a 7th grader), followed by a chorus of 10 others echoing the same comment. I sent one of the students to the office for additional copies, and asked for the principal to come to my room. Passing out the new copies, I asked each of the students in this and subsequent classes to WRITE THEIR NAMES on the reading assignment. 

The principal took the artwork saying he would handle this (I imagine he knew the usual suspects - about 10 of the boys in the 1st period class). And guess what - at the end of the day there wasn't any additional 'art' on the reading assignments! (Note to self: remember to be smarter than a 7th grader!)