This time it's all my fault. I should have known better. But we were talking in the car about the effectiveness of substitute teachers, and I just had to ask the question that all fathers have surely asked at least once since the beginning of time.
"Whenever I ask you do anything," I mutter, "it takes about twelve tries before you register that I'm talking to you, and I generally have to threaten you with dire consequences to get a response. But you can't do enough to please your teacher. How come you don't behave for your parents the way you do for your teachers?"
Secundus needs no pondering time for this one. "Because teachers are awesome!" he instantly cries.
If it makes you feel better, usually by Jr. HS and certainly by HS teachers receive all the same kindnesses extended to parents ... certainly substitutes do -- at least this one does.
ReplyDeleteIt must be so hard to be a substitute, knowing that the little dears are scanning you for weaknesses and mockable idiosyncracies as soon as you walk in the door. Do you have any tactics to establish your authority as soon as possible?
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