Urban Legends

I am collecting stories from the trenches.  If you have an interesting (or sad, or funny, or cautionary) story about a teacher/teaching experience please forward it along. Continue reading below for the first contribution. (I don't know if any of these are true, and in this next case not even legal, but they sure make a good story)

Right after college I got a job teaching math in a suburban high school.  I was the youngest, with the least experience, and I was male.  Coincidentally I still am, male I mean.  Anyway I was excited to have a job so when I was assigned the lowest level math courses I didn't bat an eyelash.  But when I received my class lists the other teachers took one look and pointed to one name in particular, and the message was clear: Watch out for him! 

The reason became clear when classes started.  I was trying to teach a lesson when said student (who happened to be taller than me and pound for pound an attitude to match) kept fooling around in the back. 

"Hey, " I called, "Pass in your paper."

The student stood up, rolled his paper into a ball, and took a free throw shot from the last row, which missed and rolled onto the floor.

I tried to keep my cool, turned and said, "Walk over here and pick that up."

The student took his time and strolled over to me.  He stood right in front of my face and was a full head taller.  He looked down at me and said, "You pick it up."

In a split second decision that probably could have sent me to jail, I grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him into the hall.  I roughly pinned him to the lockers and he protested the whole way. Because of all the noise several teachers opened their doors and looked into the hall.  When they saw me with this student, they smiled and quietly shut their doors.

I got right up in his face. "I don't know who you think you are, but in my class you follow my rules.  If not, we're going to have a problem.  Are you ready to get back in there and pick up that paper?"

The element of surprise must have been on my side, because he agreed.  Maybe he thought I was crazy, and crazy people are not to be messed with. We walked back into class and for the rest of the year I didn't have any problems with him.