The Pencils

There's a Thirdlander in my class who keeps ripping the erasers off our pencils.  Then he breaks the pencil in half.  I ask him to stop but he keeps doing it.

I got annoyed yesterday and handed him a bunch of massacred pencils.  "Put these in your backpack and give them to your parents.  Then come back here tomorrow with a new box of pencils."

He didn't say much and later I regretted the exchange.  I doubt he'll bring back new pencils and then I'll have to say something lame like, "Okay, you didn't bring back any replacement pencils, but don't break pencils anymore.  I don't like it when you do that."

Who knows why the kid keeps wrecking our pencils?  Maybe he's anxious.  Maybe he's bored.
I'm trying not to take it personally.  But a pencil's a pencil, no matter how small.  And we've got to look out for the pencils in our midst.  I feel so sad about the pencilocide.  I just want it to stop.

Here's another thing I hate.  Because of school shootings, all our doors are now locked.  Come to find out, I carry several bags, a couple of lattes and other sundry school items up to the door each morn.  One of my custodial coworkers has taken to calling me Bag Lady, which frankly, I resent. When I get to the building, I have to place all this stuff on the ground and unlock a set of doors.  Then I hold the door with my foot, pick up all my stupid bags and wedge my body through the unlocked door. Then I repeat this with the second set of doors which are only 4 feet away from the other doors so I don't even understand why they too have to be locked.   There's absolutely no reason why we can't install a retinal scan door opener at this school.  I keep asking for this, but Custodial Co-Worker says retinal eye scans aren't a good solution because people can steal your eyeballs and use them to enter the building.  Sure, I get that. But there's got to be a way around that issue.

Comments

Anonymous said…
It is a talent though, to be able to juggle so much stuff and get a door unlocked. Many days I can imagine what a sherpa feels like.
jw
LH said…
But we need the retinal scans. 63% of schools have them now.
Why not us?
KC said…
My school has a retinal scanner already. It's really handy. No dropping of things. No key cards. Also, I just retinal scan to print my documents. Why can't your school get on board?
mm said…
Our school was remodeled this summer to make it safer... It may cause me not to be able to sneak out during lunch for a dirty chai. Perhaps money should be spent on pencils instead of "safety measures" that won't truly stop school shooters which may or may not come to our building.
jdoc said…
63% with retinal scans? And retinal scans for copies? Wha? I'm feeling really behind the times. Is the retinal scan good for the eye?
Unknown said…
I love this post! Pencilocide!!

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