No teacher likes to admit it...but we all lable students, don't we?
It's impossible not to, espeacially since most people judge on first appearences.
Of course, you will often find that your initial impression of a person is not nessacerily accurate...but still. That first impression is always there.
I must admit, i had judged both Galinda Upland and Elphaba Thropp to be...well, not trouble makers exactly, but certainly students that i would have to pull into my office from time to time.
Galinda. Even the name seemed superficial when i first read it, and when i first eyes upon the feather-headed blonde in pink, i could tell this was a case in which the name suited the recipient exactly.
Not that i hadn't already picked up on this when reading the girls admissions essay...
At first glance, one could read her mental list of priorities like a book, with studying falling somewhere below parties, perfect hair and achieving the much-sought-after title "most popular girl in school".
And, as i predicted, it was barely a week into the new term before i had to give her a lecture on the importance of actually reading a classes textbooks before entering a class, and a reminder that the school was judged on the behaviour of its students, no matter how far they were from school or how "wasted" they were.
Come to think of it, i repeated that lecture to several other students throughout that year too...
Elphaba Thropp meant trouble of a different sort.
Her talent was impressive to say the least...which unfortunatly made several teachers uncomfortable in her presence. Very few had missed seeing what she could do when in a fit of anger on the first day.
And there was her skin. Now i'm all for political correctness, but how can one skirt around the issue? She was GREEN, and to put it simply, that disconcerted a lot of people.
You can hardly blame them. Green skin is not something you often come across!
If Galinda thought too little, Elphaba simply thought too much. She had too much passion for a girl of seventeen...and while i disaproved, i was hardly surprised when that passion turned her into an Animal Rights activist.
Oz knows, some were relieved, hoping that her intellect would now have a focus, and that she would refrain from continuing to argue and debate points with other teachers and pupils in the middle of lessons. (Outspoken was simply NOT the word for it...)
To return to the point, i was as right about Elphaba as i was about Galinda...except the lectures i gave her were more about repect to members of staff and respecting opinions rather than a too-wild social life.
After seeing both girls in my office so many times, i came to know a little more about them, and then i found myself unable to escape feeling slightly concerned for both of them.
Both of them were lonely, although while Elphaba had no friends at all (green skin is even more repellent to teenagers than it is to adults), Galinda was constantly surrounded by admirers, all as feather-headed as she...which made me wonder if her affected manner was just as much as a front as Elphabas sarcasm was.
Of course, there was nothing i could do about it- you can't interfere with the lives of young adults as if they were children... but all the same, i was still concerned for them.
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Two weeks into May, i was interrupted mid morning by a knock at the door. A harried looking proffessor snapped that these students persisted in disrupting his class, and he hoped they would take my reprimand seriously, since they had so far paid no attention to him.
"Well-"
I let my gaze settle on each of the students in turn.
"Do either of you have an excuse for disrupting the learning of those around you?"
There was a silence. Neither would meet my or the others eyes, which i first took as shame but soon came to suspect it was so they wouldn't laugh.
"You were passing notes?"
They nodded.
"And after seventeen years, you have not yet learnt to save your remarks for the appropriate time?"
One mumbled something, and i turned on her.
"If you have something to say, Miss Upland, you will speak to me like an adult, not mumble like a child. Please repeat what you said."
"I-" The blonde paused. "I needed to tell Elphie i had decided what dress she should wear tomoro night..." She blushed under my searing gaze. "Which i- um- now realise i could've told her later..."
"Elphie?"
"I mean Elphaba, Madame Morrible..."
"Indeed" I turned to the emerald-green culprit.
"And would you care to explain what those marks on your arms and face are?"
"Biro..." Her voice was quiet, struggling against laughter.
"And why do you have biro on you? I pressume you can write, can you not?"
"Umm... Glinda tried to draw on my face..."
"And the marks on Miss Upland?"
"That was revenge-"
"I see...may i ask why Miss Upland would attempt to draw on you?"
"I was bored..."
"And i suppose you think that is a reasonable explanation? You will both apologise to your proffessors, and take whatever punishment they see fit. Then-"
Both girls groaned softly.
"You will each serve a week of detentions."
I dissmissed then, then added "Separate detentions...it seems you cannot be trusted to behave when you are together. Don't make me change the rooming allocations so far into the term..."
This threat seemed to work, and they left the office slightly subdued.
I knew i shouldn't be happy to learn of students misbehaving.
But at least now i had one less thing to worry about now.
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So what did you think? Its just a drabble i got the idea for today
Pleeeeease review! Elphie isn't the only one who got drawn on today, and i need to trade your reviews for soap to get the ink off...
Love etc xxx