rustypants speaks

at a recent county-wide fifth grade field trip, my class ran into a former student of ours. a bully like none other, this student brought out the worst in fellow students and staff and it came to blows several times. no description could adequately explain the dynamic this kid brought to the class.

on the field trip, i talked with the student for a minute. the new teacher saw me talking and came up to me away from the kids. the exchange began:

him: hey, man. so you know __________?
me: yep. i was _________’s homeroom teacher the first half of this year.
him: ohh, ok! wow.
me: yeah, wow.
him: rough, huh?
me: yup.
him: want to take __________ back?
*me thinking about a professional response*
me: sorry, sir. you don’t have that kind of money.

we grinned slightly at each other, shook hands, clapped each other on the back, and went our separate ways.