Insert Foot in Mouth

Most of my friends and family know me to be quite the comedian. I love to make people laugh and smile. However, sometimes I pick the wrong time to be funny.

Case in point-yesterday in class one of my students was selling snacks out of his book bag. I have gotten on to him several times, even confiscated the goods a few, for doing this during my class/at school.

I said," Shawn**, I'ma start calling you hustle man. You always trying to sell something!"

He replied, "I like that name. I know somebody else by that name who stands on the corner." Another student decided to chime in and said, "I know that dude too! Is he light skin with curly hair?"

Now it just so happens that this young man has light skin and curly hair, so he was setting his self up, in my book. Therefore me and my quick wit self replied in a joking manner, "Oh, so that's yo daddy?!?"

Erebody in the class started laughing. The students started saying, "Oooooooo! Ms. B just slayed you!" and "Ms. B. killing today!" I mean it was funny, but I felt really bad. The student looked extremely embarrassed and appeared to be concocting a come back. I needed class to proceed because we had just started. So I immediately started talking, pleading while he seemed to be gathering his thoughts , "I'm sorry, so sorry. Thank you Pete** for being the bigger person and not responding. You're better than me. I'm being mean today. Thanks for not slaying me back." He looked like he wanted to say something so bad, but he didn't. I was proud of him. And class moved on.

Ironically, I had a conference with his aunt that afternoon. So I'm at the conference trying to discuss a success plan for him, and she tells us that Pete's mother died when he was younger and that he had been staying with his grandmother. Now she, the aunt was his caregiver. No mention of his father.

Felt real bad after hearing this. The joke in and of itself wasn't that bad, but now knowing what he's been through, it just wasn't a good idea. So today when he came to class, I pulled him outside and we had a talk about how I wanted him to be successful and what it would take for him to pass my class. I asked him for his goals in life and he said he didn't have any. Monday he's supposed to give me one short term goal and one long term goal.

I can't take back the comment I made in jest, but I can help him move forward in a positive direction.

**Names changed