~ Miraculous Momma!~

We have a daily planner in fifth grade. We call it the assignment book. Each day has a space for the kids to write their assignments for the day in every subject, then check off when they've finished them. Unfinished work goes home for homework. Mom/Dad/Guardian initial each day so I know they've seen homework and reminders. The kids bring it back to school and I check to see their parent looked at it. If they haven't had their parent initial it, they have to stay in for part of recess.

For a few weeks, I've suspected that D has been faking the parent initials in his assignment book so he doesn't have to stay in at recess. I had trouble proving it, though, since other correspondence with mom showed that she had childish handwriting herself. So I waited, and sure enough, D tripped himself up.

I greet the kids at the door in the morning, and when D came to the door, no assignment book. I asked him where it was, and he told me he forgot it in his desk the night before. I made a mental note and waited to see what would happen before recess when I checked for parent initials.

I got to D's desk and he showed me his section for the day, all filled out. Then we turned our attention to the section for the previous day, and miraculously, mom had initialed it. Since I had a few more kids to get out to recess, I quietly asked D to wait for me in the room next door. He sputtered and tried to ask how long, but in the end went. When everyone was gone, I brought him back over.

"So, your mom must be pretty amazing, since she managed to sign your planner last night while your assignment book was locked up in your desk at school. How did that happen?"

D unfortunately chose to feign ignorance; he had no idea how this had happened. I waited him out - he was sent next door until he chose to be truthful with me. He actually whined about being bored on one of the moments when I went over to ask if he was ready to tell me the truth. After many hours, he finally came clean. Of course, his hours of stonewalling only made the consequences worse. Too bad his miraculous momma wasn't there to somehow bail him out!