Unfiltered Story #32374

(Our algebra teacher has just left to go on maternity leave, and our long-term substitute started at the previous Monday. It is the following Friday, and most of the students in our class have been very disrespectful to the teacher. For some reason, they tend to listen to me and look up to me as a role model, even though I am usually fairly quiet unless I am answering a question. I am also only a 5 foot tall girl while my classmates are all between 5’6″ and 6 feet tall, and mostly guys. All of the other girls in my class tend to behave well, but we are outnumbered by the guys 12 to 6. We have had presentations of a project throughout our sub’s first week, and the students in our class have been rude during other groups’ projects. While the last group is presenting, the other students are talking throughout the whole presentation and asking the group constant questions without giving them time to answer. By the end of the presentation, I am very fed up with my class, even though it wasn’t my group presenting.)

Me: (to the teacher) May I say something to the class?

Teacher: (confused) Sure. (To the class) Everyone, settle down!

(The class quiets down for the most part.)

Me: I just want to say that all of you have been incredibly rude this week, both to [Teacher] and to all of the groups while they were presenting. You have been so inconsiderate of [Teacher’s] authority since he is new, and you asked questions but wouldn’t even listen to the answers. I know that you wouldn’t do this if [Regular Teacher] were here, so why are you doing it now? Get it together!

(Silence follows for a minute. Then, the group members who had just presented and has been quiet and respectful all week, run up behind me and hug me. The rest of the class, despite having just been yelled at by me, start clapping and cheering for some reason. Then, everyone cheers “[My Name] for president, 2016!”

The teacher looks at me.

Teacher: Thanks! And you really would make a better candidate than any of the idiots running!

(I guess that I really am an example of the phrase “Small but Mighty”!)