Hungry fish?

You know when you drop some food into a pond and all of the fish hone in to that one spot where you dropped that chunk of bread? Sometimes I feel like that piece of bread. I have taught the procedure "Independent Time" several times. You follow these simple steps:

Stay in proper area
Approved materials only
Low noise level

Besides teaching that, I have put four copies of APPROVED FREE TIME ACTIVITIES on the walls of my classroom. Some of the suggested activities include read a book, draw, make/study flash cards, study for a test, etc. What happens every single day regardless? I become that piece of bread.

"TEACHER! TEACHER! What should I do?"
"Ms. Damron?! I need help!!!"
"Ms. Damron? Can I do (insert something not necessarily academic here)?"
Aimless wandering around the classroom.
"Can I go to the bathroom?"
"Ms. Damron? Can I get a drink of water?"

Sometimes I just stand there for a second while I have three or four bodies surrounding me and I think of those hungry fish. I can only ponder this image for a few moments, but it is quite appropriate if you ask me.

On a similar note, but a different situation, something interesting happened to me last week.
At the end of a class, I was busy dealing with several students when I saw a boy walk back into my class holding my huge bag of Peppermint LifeSavers. He had walked out of the classroom with my entire bag and I hadn't even noticed. I had the bag up on a shelf, and some how I missed him taking it down and carrying it out of the classroom. He informed me that he had never intended on actually stealing it, but (here's my favorite part) "Can I have one?"
Seriously?! You just walked out of my classroom with MY STUFF and then you have the nerve to ask me if you can have one? Well, remember the fish? Like magic, 5 or 6 more kids surrounded me and started asking me if they could have one. Holy smokes what just happened?! I was stunned and I had no idea what to do in that situation. I informed the young man that if he had just asked for one, I probably would have given him one, but considering he walked out of my classroom with the entire bag and didn't even ask, NO, he could not have one.

During my prep period later on that day, I wrote him a note and thanked him for returning my bag of LifeSavers. I told him that it meant a lot to me and I was very impressed. I included a LifeSaver in the note. I don't know if that was the right thing to do considering he took the bag out of my classroom without me even knowing, but I wanted to let him know that I was grateful that he was honest and he returned it. Interestingly enough, the kid is actually much more respectful around me now. Who would have thought?

-Ms. Damron-