uhhhh....

Since I tend to want to laugh rather than cry, I hope you laugh and enjoy the following story rather than focusing on the sadness of it. This past Monday (Memorial Day) the students had to attend school until 11:44 to make up for a snow day earlier in the winter. Every student in the entire county, town, and school at which I teach knew that they were being released from school at 11:44...except for one student.

Beginning one minute after this student entered my homeroom class, he asked me at least 4 times, "Mr. Styron...do we get out of school today at 11:44?" To which I replied every time he asked, "Yes!"

Later in the day, my homeroom students came back to me before being dismissed for the day. Despite the fact that this student had asked me at least 4 times that morning about early dismissal, and despite the fact that I had the schedule written on the board literally 5 ft. in front of his face the student asked me the following question at 11:36...

"Mr. Styron...do we go to 7th period today?"

Please understand that he was completely serious, which is the sad part of this story. My only reaction was to stare at him for what seemed like 2 minutes, before I had to force myself to walk away for fear that I would pick up my computer monitor and pummel myself to death with it. Since the first day of school I've have been trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with this student, and/or what planet he is from as he seems to not be able to comprehend either things that fall under the realm of common sense or the English language.

For those wondering, this student has no known exceptionalities or identified learning disabilities.