Ticket Please

We had an assembly today to celebrate the end of this year's fundraiser. A counselor got his head shaved. Another counselor got her hair dyed red. A teacher got his beard shaved. Another teacher gave away a shopping spree. The kids were excited about going. The ones that actually did the fundraiser got a ticket to sit in the best seats on the floor.

I've been working at this school since the beginning of the year. I yell at a hundred kids every day to make them stop running in the hall, or to reprimand them after they're caught screaming profanities or fighting. They usually look at me like I'm a freak and then continue whatever I told them to stop doing.

I guess it's because they think I'm just a random student like them that just happens to think I can tell them what to do. Because today before I entered the gym, the 8th grade ticket collector asked me if I had a ticket. At first I didn't know what to say and there was an awkward pause as he held out his hand waiting and I jumbled around in my pocket for my district ID badge before I finally said, "Wait, I don't need a ticket. I'm a teacher."

Don't worry. There were several other teachers around who heard the exchange and laughed so hard I thought I was going to have to call an ambulence. It's not like they needed another excuse to make fun of me. I'm already known as just "Baby" by a growing number of the staff. Hilarious.