Friday, September 26, 2008

don't you forget about me

So I covered Friday DT for a friend tonight-- my plans canceled as hers ramped up to include interviews. I asked for the list of players and was shocked at some of the names that appeared-- three kids who probably haven't even had a regular DT in all their years of school. Turns out it was a joke went bad that landed them in a 2.5 hour Friday afternoon session, and there is no doubt that the real punishment was just being there, in that room, with the other kids who'd done other kinds of wrong. I mean, they probably would have spent at least that much time working on homework over the weekend, so that wasn't a big deal at all. At one point, as I was talking to another kid about what he was doing potentially landing him in another Friday, one poor girl broke out laughing and put her head on the table-- and the "oh my heavens, I can't believe this is happening to me" look was unmistakable. Twenty years from now I would not be surprised to learn this was a monumental moment in their development. I hope it turns out to be, because otherwise it was just an afternoon spent with John Bender and Claire Standish.

3 comments:

Traveling Jones said...

I'll be alone, dancing, you know it, Baby.

I worked some a couple of Saturday schools last year. It took every last bit of my effort to keep from asking them to write me a 1,000 word essay telling me who they thought they were. And I didn't mean the same word repeated 1,000 times.

I don't think they would have gotten the joke. But I did end up helping one or two with their homework. One kid decided I was alright, which was alright in itself.

Unknown said...

I can attest that there were no Molly Ringwalds or Judd Nelsons in that room.

Wendy said...

Oh, thanks! Now I have that stupid song stuck in my head :).