Friday, May 12, 2006
Klepto and the Magic Mittens
(this is not exactly how it happened, but most of the details are facts. The way in which I said things may not be.)
There once was a student in my class (like right now), who had a problem with stealing and lying compulsively. Her most recent incidences of theft are as follows. The klepto, let's just call her Valerie (as in the Valerie who stole my Hello Kitty stamps when she was playing with Olga). Valerie sat at the desk of another student we'll call Paris. Valerie noticed the pink folder in Paris' desk and decided to take all the papers out of it and claim it was hers. When Paris returned, she said, "Oh my Gosh! My folder is gone! All my papers are here, but the folder has vanished." Right away, I knew what happened. I called Valerie back into the room and asked her about the folder. She said, "My grandpa gave it to me this weekend, I swear." I said, "Valerie, you have a problem with lying, so we're going to have to call your grandma and ask her about it."
She responded with, "My grandma doesn't know that my grandpa bought me that."
"Okay, we'll call Grandpa," I said.
"My grandpa is in Long Beach and he won't be back..."
"Ever?" I replied. "And let me guess, he doesn't have his cell phone because he swallowed it yesterday and we're waiting for it to come out of his butt, kind of like your story."
I sent her to the principal who brought in this 1950's style desk, where the chair is connected to the table and there are no compartments as to stifle Val's need to temporarily hide the things she steals that will emerge minutes later as her own. He placed it so it was connected to the group of tables where Valerie used to sit. The first day she had to sit in it, she asked, "Miss V., why do I have to sit here?" in front of the class. I responded, "Well, because you steal, silly."
The new desk worked for about a week.
"Miss V., Miss V., I was sitting at Annie's desk and she had this new purple mechanical pencil inside. I saw it and now it's gone and Valerie has it." At this point, Valerie runs over and says, "Cody, you never saw me take the pencil. It's my pencil." For the rest of this time period, Valerie was brainwashing Cody, repeating over and over again, "You never saw me take the pencil," until, the not-so-bright Cody isn't sure what she saw.
I said, "Give me the pencil." When Annie returned, I just showed her the pencil to see what she would say, giving Val the benefit of the doubt because she is somewhat convincing with her lies and the way she'll stick to a story for days if she has to. Annie says, "Miss V., you took my pencil. I've been looking all over for it." So I sent Valerie to the principal and moved the desk to a strategic location in the middle of the room, away from all desks and trinkets of any kind.
My principal likes the idea and decides to try this before we put his plan into action (a plan that you will hear about later). So, Winona, I mean Valerie, is sitting in this desk for a few weeks now. On occasion she will say in front of everyone, "I don't know why I have to sit here." And if she wants to talk about this in front of everyone, that's how she'll get a response. "Because you steal, Val, and you can't be trusted."
Today, I gave all my students a survey to fill out. They were asked to write down the names of two students they would like to sit next to or near, and the reason they would be great learning partners. I told Val that she could fill out the survey, but that she wasn't moving anywhere. She suggested that we use my principal's plan. Instead of sitting in the middle of the room, "I'll wear mittens" as a constant reminder that she is a klepto.
"Good idea, Val. I want more than anything for you to have another place to hide your loot. No, you're not wearing mittens," said the sarcastic teacher.
There once was a student in my class (like right now), who had a problem with stealing and lying compulsively. Her most recent incidences of theft are as follows. The klepto, let's just call her Valerie (as in the Valerie who stole my Hello Kitty stamps when she was playing with Olga). Valerie sat at the desk of another student we'll call Paris. Valerie noticed the pink folder in Paris' desk and decided to take all the papers out of it and claim it was hers. When Paris returned, she said, "Oh my Gosh! My folder is gone! All my papers are here, but the folder has vanished." Right away, I knew what happened. I called Valerie back into the room and asked her about the folder. She said, "My grandpa gave it to me this weekend, I swear." I said, "Valerie, you have a problem with lying, so we're going to have to call your grandma and ask her about it."
She responded with, "My grandma doesn't know that my grandpa bought me that."
"Okay, we'll call Grandpa," I said.
"My grandpa is in Long Beach and he won't be back..."
"Ever?" I replied. "And let me guess, he doesn't have his cell phone because he swallowed it yesterday and we're waiting for it to come out of his butt, kind of like your story."
I sent her to the principal who brought in this 1950's style desk, where the chair is connected to the table and there are no compartments as to stifle Val's need to temporarily hide the things she steals that will emerge minutes later as her own. He placed it so it was connected to the group of tables where Valerie used to sit. The first day she had to sit in it, she asked, "Miss V., why do I have to sit here?" in front of the class. I responded, "Well, because you steal, silly."
The new desk worked for about a week.
"Miss V., Miss V., I was sitting at Annie's desk and she had this new purple mechanical pencil inside. I saw it and now it's gone and Valerie has it." At this point, Valerie runs over and says, "Cody, you never saw me take the pencil. It's my pencil." For the rest of this time period, Valerie was brainwashing Cody, repeating over and over again, "You never saw me take the pencil," until, the not-so-bright Cody isn't sure what she saw.
I said, "Give me the pencil." When Annie returned, I just showed her the pencil to see what she would say, giving Val the benefit of the doubt because she is somewhat convincing with her lies and the way she'll stick to a story for days if she has to. Annie says, "Miss V., you took my pencil. I've been looking all over for it." So I sent Valerie to the principal and moved the desk to a strategic location in the middle of the room, away from all desks and trinkets of any kind.
My principal likes the idea and decides to try this before we put his plan into action (a plan that you will hear about later). So, Winona, I mean Valerie, is sitting in this desk for a few weeks now. On occasion she will say in front of everyone, "I don't know why I have to sit here." And if she wants to talk about this in front of everyone, that's how she'll get a response. "Because you steal, Val, and you can't be trusted."
Today, I gave all my students a survey to fill out. They were asked to write down the names of two students they would like to sit next to or near, and the reason they would be great learning partners. I told Val that she could fill out the survey, but that she wasn't moving anywhere. She suggested that we use my principal's plan. Instead of sitting in the middle of the room, "I'll wear mittens" as a constant reminder that she is a klepto.
"Good idea, Val. I want more than anything for you to have another place to hide your loot. No, you're not wearing mittens," said the sarcastic teacher.
