Encyclopedia Brown: The Case of the Mysterious Whistler
This is a school story that just has to be repeated to fellow bloggers. Note that I am partial to this story because I have indeed been nicknamed The Whistler for my unconscious ability to whistle away when in the middle of any conversation/ course/ shower/ etc. The story that you are about to read is based on facts and has not been embellished in any way.
Yesterday, in English class with 4A (fourth graders, ages 9-10), I was writing some sentences on the blackboard and heard a mysterious trill, a high pitched squeaky whistle that caught me by surprise. I turned around, just as Cristina, the teacher of 4A shot a death stare at the class, demanding to know "WHO IS WHISTLING!!!??? TELL ME NOW!!" The whistler raised his hand: Marco, sitting in the front row, a boy so small for his age he looks like he could be in the second grade class, but who I find deeply adorable, so we'll let it slide.
Minutes after Marco was reprimanded for the malicious tweetage, another whistle echoed through the room. Naturally, Cristina's eyes darted to the same source as the first whistle, only to find Marco shaking his head vehemently, stating that it wasn't him, but Nicolas, who sits two rows back. After Nico confessed to the crime, the entire class was warned that any further whistles would be cause for grave punishment. We moved on.
I went to the back to help Tomas with his sentences, when, like clockwork, another whistle sounded through the class. This time, Cristina was having none of it. She stormed to the front of the class.
Cris: "WHO DID IT??"
Class: *crickets churping*
Cris: "WHO????"
Class: *more crickets*
Cris: If I don't hear a confession from someone in the next ten minutes, the entire class is going to stay in for recess, is that clear?"
Class: *feebly nod heads*
Sure enough, the clock struck 1:00, break time, and not one of the children owned up to the third whistle. I went downstairs to have lunch at this point, but the entire class stayed in silence in the room for the duration of the one hour recess. During this time, since nobody was stepping forward, Cris had the brilliant idea of taking a vote. So she passed around paper to each student, and instructed them to write the name if they were the alleged whistler. If not, simply put "no."
The sheets came back, "no....no....no....no...no" until a semi-confession arose: "I am Marcos.....Tomas, he whistles" from none other than the first suspect. Cristina immediately became suspicious, suspecting that Marco's accusation was a mere cover-up for the fact that he was the whistler. Cristina dismissed the class on the grounds that if the whistler doesn't come forward, the entire class would be held in for every break for the rest of the week.
As the kids headed to the cafeteria, Santi, short for Santiago, the blond cherubic half-American kid came forward to Cristina, claiming that he was, indeed, responsible for the whistle. Cris took the confession to the furthest extent, writing a note for his mother in his planner and advising that disciplinary action would ensue.
Case closed.
Or IS it?
The next day, Santi came to school with a note from his mother in his planner, telling Cris and Dora, the tutor for the class, that she had punished Santi for lying. That is, about the whistling. How does she know? Because Santi can't whistle, he never could. He lied to take the fall for the rest of the class. I knew this kid was good (his name means "saint", for pete's sake) but I never expected him to be a fuckin' martyr. Go Santi!
However, mystery unsolved. Dora decided to take charge, because she has the power to talk to the kids in Spanish and also, she is seriously scary, in that she looks like a witch. If that woman started screaming at me when I was 10, I would've confessed to first degree manslaughter just to get her off of my case.
Cris and Dora narrowed it down to a few suspects, the primary one being Marcos, however, when he didn't cry at Dora's inquisition (as he's been known to do), they started looking for others. Like, for example....Luciana....the girl who stole a meal worm from one of her classmates last year and then denied it, even though her mother found the worm in her pocket, the same worm reported missing from school that day.
So, Dora gets in her face.....she stares her down, she yells, stammers, does everything a good cop could do to drag the confession out. But Luciana doesn't confess...she stands up and throws her desk down, breaking into hysterical tears.
At this point, I was with Cristina in the class next door, when Dora came in to report the incidents. So Cris excuses herself and goes to see what's going on. She tells them that they were going to have another vote, parallel to the day before, to see if the guilty party would reveal themselves. Nothing. What next?
Cris has vowed not to teach any English for the rest of the week. All classes will be devoted to this. The kids will have to stay in for every break and keep voting until somebody finally steps forward. The week before break, and everything.
In my time at the school, I have seen kids punch each other in the face, bite each other, vomit on each other, and far worse. I have NEVER seen a disciplinary action that comes half as close to the one I've been seeing these past few days. And all for one little whistle.
We'll have to see what happens.
Case: Open pending further investigation.
Yesterday, in English class with 4A (fourth graders, ages 9-10), I was writing some sentences on the blackboard and heard a mysterious trill, a high pitched squeaky whistle that caught me by surprise. I turned around, just as Cristina, the teacher of 4A shot a death stare at the class, demanding to know "WHO IS WHISTLING!!!??? TELL ME NOW!!" The whistler raised his hand: Marco, sitting in the front row, a boy so small for his age he looks like he could be in the second grade class, but who I find deeply adorable, so we'll let it slide.
Minutes after Marco was reprimanded for the malicious tweetage, another whistle echoed through the room. Naturally, Cristina's eyes darted to the same source as the first whistle, only to find Marco shaking his head vehemently, stating that it wasn't him, but Nicolas, who sits two rows back. After Nico confessed to the crime, the entire class was warned that any further whistles would be cause for grave punishment. We moved on.
I went to the back to help Tomas with his sentences, when, like clockwork, another whistle sounded through the class. This time, Cristina was having none of it. She stormed to the front of the class.
Cris: "WHO DID IT??"
Class: *crickets churping*
Cris: "WHO????"
Class: *more crickets*
Cris: If I don't hear a confession from someone in the next ten minutes, the entire class is going to stay in for recess, is that clear?"
Class: *feebly nod heads*
Sure enough, the clock struck 1:00, break time, and not one of the children owned up to the third whistle. I went downstairs to have lunch at this point, but the entire class stayed in silence in the room for the duration of the one hour recess. During this time, since nobody was stepping forward, Cris had the brilliant idea of taking a vote. So she passed around paper to each student, and instructed them to write the name if they were the alleged whistler. If not, simply put "no."
The sheets came back, "no....no....no....no...no" until a semi-confession arose: "I am Marcos.....Tomas, he whistles" from none other than the first suspect. Cristina immediately became suspicious, suspecting that Marco's accusation was a mere cover-up for the fact that he was the whistler. Cristina dismissed the class on the grounds that if the whistler doesn't come forward, the entire class would be held in for every break for the rest of the week.
As the kids headed to the cafeteria, Santi, short for Santiago, the blond cherubic half-American kid came forward to Cristina, claiming that he was, indeed, responsible for the whistle. Cris took the confession to the furthest extent, writing a note for his mother in his planner and advising that disciplinary action would ensue.
Case closed.
Or IS it?
The next day, Santi came to school with a note from his mother in his planner, telling Cris and Dora, the tutor for the class, that she had punished Santi for lying. That is, about the whistling. How does she know? Because Santi can't whistle, he never could. He lied to take the fall for the rest of the class. I knew this kid was good (his name means "saint", for pete's sake) but I never expected him to be a fuckin' martyr. Go Santi!
However, mystery unsolved. Dora decided to take charge, because she has the power to talk to the kids in Spanish and also, she is seriously scary, in that she looks like a witch. If that woman started screaming at me when I was 10, I would've confessed to first degree manslaughter just to get her off of my case.
Cris and Dora narrowed it down to a few suspects, the primary one being Marcos, however, when he didn't cry at Dora's inquisition (as he's been known to do), they started looking for others. Like, for example....Luciana....the girl who stole a meal worm from one of her classmates last year and then denied it, even though her mother found the worm in her pocket, the same worm reported missing from school that day.
So, Dora gets in her face.....she stares her down, she yells, stammers, does everything a good cop could do to drag the confession out. But Luciana doesn't confess...she stands up and throws her desk down, breaking into hysterical tears.
At this point, I was with Cristina in the class next door, when Dora came in to report the incidents. So Cris excuses herself and goes to see what's going on. She tells them that they were going to have another vote, parallel to the day before, to see if the guilty party would reveal themselves. Nothing. What next?
Cris has vowed not to teach any English for the rest of the week. All classes will be devoted to this. The kids will have to stay in for every break and keep voting until somebody finally steps forward. The week before break, and everything.
In my time at the school, I have seen kids punch each other in the face, bite each other, vomit on each other, and far worse. I have NEVER seen a disciplinary action that comes half as close to the one I've been seeing these past few days. And all for one little whistle.
We'll have to see what happens.
Case: Open pending further investigation.