Detective Miss N

I nipped out from school today to grab some lunch. As I was going, I noticed a couple of students fairly obviously trying to be truant. We had some discussions - I redirected them back into school. I then caught them at a different gate. I redirected them back again. I alerted the powers at be to the situation.

When I returned to school I spent time on the system trying to navigate my way through the fake names to discover what their actual name was. I was eventually successful. This whole experience brings up in me familiar feelings and questions:

• Is my job to be a detective? The reality is, my office and work space is fairly close to the gate. I see probable choices to leave school often. I don't think the issue is particularly bad at this school....it is just that I work in a big school and naturally, some choose to avoid class. I am pleased with the outcome today - but acting on this is unusual for me. I often choose to avoid the conflict. Why? 
• I do a similar thing on duty - some times I react to things happening that I know shouldn't be. Litter being dropped, or uniform issues. However, other times, I don't. It takes an incredible amount of energy to engage students in a conversation where their usual reaction is to be defiant, ignore you, walk away. 

As I am writing this, I reflect that one of the reasons I avoid it, is because for some of the students I encounter in this way, this may be the only time I interact with them in their time at college. I therefore don't want that experience to be negative.

I also think there is something in our culture that is against the tell-tale nark and sometime I fear the negative reaction from the kids (does this make me the lamest teacher ever?) (am I being too soft, too aware?)

I've been writing this blog post on and off for the afternoon and so my reflective mind has been ticking over from one thing to another. I have realised that it is worth intervening. High expectations means respect. Also - asking these expectations to be met does not have to be a negative or a based on conflict. I am not overly convinced I am ready for a change of career to being a full time detective.