Honesty

This day was so ironic, I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. After being here for almost 2 years, you get used to some things. For example when a student texts you (after he/she has failed your class) asking you to give him/her a second chance at passing the class. Another example: Asking a student a question, but they are too shy and just look down for an agonizing amount of time in silence... maybe hoping I will disappear? I finally break the silence but it is followed by the same agonizing silence until his/her classmate gives me the answer for him/her. Well, I could go on and on, but I won't. Today something happened that I thought might eventually happen, but hoped it would not. The relationships we gain with the students are great, but sometimes those relationships are used incorrectly by the students. This does not happen very often, but regrettably, today it did.

Stan has three students in two separate classes who would like to be together. Their schedules do not jive with Stan's schedule, so they asked if they could take me as their teacher. I said that would be fine and for them to come see me before my afternoon class. One girl came early and spoke with me alone. She explained what she and her friends wanted from me. I will not quote because it might be too difficult for you to understand. I will only explain. She wanted me to teach her and her friends for this entire semester and then give them a grade. But I should not give their grades to the school; I should give the grades to Stan and he can turn them into the school. I asked her if that was okay with the school. She said she did not know. I told her to ask someone from the English Department and then to let me know. She nodded and sat down to wait for her two other friends to get to class. When the two other girls arrived, I motioned for them to come to me. One girl was speaking for both. She explained what I should do, just like the first girl. I gave her the same answer. Her English is better, so I will quote her.

She said, "I already know it is not alright with the school. They will not allow it."

I said, "Oh Okay, I will not do anything dishonest. I am sorry I cannot do it."

She replied, "No, you don't understand. I want to be in the same oral English class as my friends [motions to her friends] but we cannot attend the same class for Stan's class, so we thought we would ask you."

To which I replied, "I understand perfectly well what you are saying and I am saying I cannot do something that is dishonest. I will not do it for you. I am sorry."

"But what will we do now? We want to be in class together and we thought you and Stan could pretend for us and tell the school he taught us."

*Biting my tongue* "The answer is no. We will not do that for you. You have to leave, because I must start class now. I am sorry."

"Ok... we will just go to Stan's class...[whiny noise that is difficult to describe but commonly heard among students]...bye bye."

Do you want to know what I taught about today? Honesty! Irony at it's best. The entire class was about honesty. I should have told them to stay for class. Like I said, I knew something like this would happen. Stan and I had made friends with this particular girl in class last semester (we both had her for class) and it seems she saw that as an opportunity to take advantage of that friendship. Sometimes that's what happens, "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours." She didn't seem to feel embarrassed at all about asking her teacher to lie. That is the astounding part to me. It doesn't hurt my feelings that she took advantage of the friendship. I am surprised she showed no shame what-so-ever!

Apart from that, the day went well! Classes went well and we had good discussions about honesty. Just sending a piece of China your way! Hope you enjoyed it! ;) Thanks for reading and I love you all!