Detention Extension

(I am a pre-service teacher, completing my experience before I can graduate and register. I am put on the roster on at my school for Tuesday afternoon detention. The school I am at rarely has anyone in detention, but this afternoon I am supervising two girls.)

Me: “So, get out your diary girls. Your instructions are to copy out the code of conduct until your time is up.”

(At this point we all settle in for what should be an hour detention. However after about 45 minutes, they’ve been perfectly behaved, and I’ve been told I can release them early if this is the case.)

Me: “Alright girls, you’ve both been great this afternoon. You can head off early.”

Girl #1: “But I’m almost finished!”

Girl #2: “Me too! Can we stay and finish it off?”

Me: “I… I guess?”

(We stayed for another ten minutes. Later on I told a fellow pre-service teacher what happened, citing that no one was going to believe me at university, that students requested to stay in detention longer.)