Student Misbehavior # 2

I can't decide if some students really believe substitutes are dumb and don't notice what goes on in the classroom, or whether they just don't care.

What brings this to mind is an experience I had with a Tongan student last week.

I have a special affinity with Polynesian students because I spent a year in Samoa, have been back there several dozen times, and have written about aspects of Polynesian culture. In the case of Tonga, I have visited all three of this nation's island areas -- Tongatapu (the main island), Vava'u, and Ha'apai.

I have had a particular young Tongan lady in several different classes. Last week when I had the same four classes every day for five days she was in one of these classes, too. Like most though not all Tongan and Samoan young people, she has an impressive size. I have exchanged a few words in Tongan with her -- Malo e lelei (hello) -- now and then.

She must surely know that I notice her and know her name.

Last week we had a series of wonderful presentations put on by a local Latino organization. The five lectures discussed issues I know are important to our school's students -- sex, HIV, AIDS, depression, drugs, and alcohol. As these presentations went on during the first three days of the week, I noticed this young Tongan lady -- who speaks good English and understands it very well -- didn't seem interested. She doodled most of the time and didn't participate even once in the class discussions.

Thursday, at the beginning of the class she signed in on the Latino organization's sheet. They get federal funding for this program, so having an accurate count of the people in their audiences as well as information about age and ethnicity, is important to them. Ten minutes into the class she asked for a hall pass to go to the bathroom. I gave it to her. She went off to the bathroom and never reappeared. Did she think I wouldn't notice? Seeing what she was up to, I simply marked her absent.

On Friday she came into the classroom about two minutes before the class started, signed in, and then again departed. She didn't even stay long enough for the class to start. I wrote up a disciplinary report because I felt she was not just being absent (I marked her absent for this class, too) but she was essentially lying to me and the school about being present.

I know the way Polynesian families deal with misbehaving youngsters. Years ago I used to go to court to defend parents who had taken a strap or a belt to their misbehaving children. No, I don't like child abuse. But I thought that if a judge knew about the traditional culture particular parents come from, he could admonish them for their behavior, tell them that beating a child isn't acceptable in this country, and take their traditional culture into consideration when setting a sentence.

I could have called this young lady's parents, but knowing the probable consequences, I didn't.

But did she really think I was so stupid and unobservant that I didn't notice what she was doing ? Or did she think that like many substitutes, who are in one school one day and in another the next, I wouldn't take the trouble to write her up ?