"You don't do that to Miss Victor"

“Miss Victor, we have to talk to you at the end of class after everybody leaves. It’s important.” Class ended and the students needing to talk to me left. I asked one of them, “Did you want to talk to me?”

“No.”

I began my second block as usual. Within three minutes, the students from my last class were back motioning me to join them out in the hall. I got the class started and joined the three.

“Mrs. Victor, someone stole your phone of your desk, made prank phone calls and broke it.”

“No. It is still there.” I went to my desk to get it and show them. I know I saw it not that long ago. It must have been wishful thinking on my part. The phone was nowhere to be found. I joined the students again and asked them to tell me the whole story. Apparently, a student took my phone, made threatening phone calls to the school, threw it in the sink, ran water on it, jumped up and down on it until it broke, and threw it either outside or in the girls’ bathroom.

“Miss Victor that just ain’t right. We weren’t going to snitch, cause snitching isn’t cool. But you don’t do that to Miss Victor. You’re like our favorite teacher. You be nice to us. That phone is probably the only way you can call your husband. And you don’t know when you will see him again.” The other students nodded their heads in agreement.

I thanked them and had them walk me through where the story. We checked both places. There was no phone. Another teacher overheard us and pulled me aside. A phone had been found in the girls’ bathroom and she had taken a rude call an hour earlier. The students and I made our way to the office.

Standing outside the assistant principal’s office waiting our turn, it occurred to me…THESE STUDENTS HAD ‘SNITCHED’! I immediately got fuzzy-eyed as I realized what a big thing this was for them! The student they had told on was their friend. While I am thinking all of this, one of the students asked if I was going to cry. She said she felt like it. Another boy nodded his head with tears in his eyes. My response: “I am so proud of you!! I know how hard it was for you to tell on your friend. I am not worried about the phone. That can be replaced. You three just make me so proud!!” (Yes, I can be a total sap.)

We all went into the assistant principal’s office and told our story. The school security officer came in and took my phone with a tissue. (You would think watching all those crime shows would have paid off and I would have thought to preserve fingerprints.) The boy in question was called into the office. I won’t go into details, but I believe it was all a cry for help.

I found out awhile later that he was expelled. He won’t be returning to my classroom this year. Instead he will be going to the ‘Save School.’ I had the opportunity to talk to him before he left. I hope he heard me when I told him he would make it through this. That I cared about him. I forgave him. He has such a neat personality. An infectious laugh. Always speaking up in class with wonderful ideas. A boy full of potential to take on the world.

“Is it true that boy broke your phone?” As the day progressed, more and more students asked the same question. Following it up with, “I got your back, Miss. I’ll jump him.” Over and over, I had the opportunity to talk about solving issues in a non-violent fashion. To take it to the proper authorities. To show kindness in spite of anger. To forgive. To let it go.

I will return to school tomorrow ready to start a new day. Caring for each and every student that comes my way. And knowing they are caring right back. The change has begun.