Just a little leverage...

The 7th grade Boys Honors class is wreaking havoc on all those who enter the halls of our school...or at least their three teachers. Two have been pushed past their limits and the other has that crazy look in her eye that she might just come in swingin' one day.

So I got to thinking, what could I do to help them out. I offered my room as a refuge from the typhoon. I offered to come sit in on the room and scare the boys into behaving. But then I realized that five of the boys, three of them among the worst little demons, want to be on the soccer team that I coach. Voila. Leverage.

We scrimmage every Friday to get ready for tryouts in February, so yesterday I had Ms. H come out and point out the spawns of Beelzebub. The conversation went something like this:

Me: You guys know why you're standing here and nobody else is?

M: No.

Ms. H: It's because you can't behave in my class and now you have to pay for it.

Me: So, you are going to go to the field and you are going to watch the rest of the boys have fun.

L: Can't I just go home then?

Me: No, you told your parents that you were going to be playing soccer until 4. I wouldn't want you to be a liar in addition to a terror in the classroom.

M: Why can't I play?

Me: What did I tell you at the beginning of the year? What are the requirements for this team?

M: To have a 75% in every class.

Me: And?

M: Have our teachers say we're the best behaved in class.

Me: Exactly. So, I have to go to my room for a bit, but when I come down, all three of you better be sitting on those bleachers if you want to have a frozen chance in hell of making the team. Is that clear?

M, L, A: Yes, sir.

Well, an hour passed, I went downstairs and only M was there. How far the two have fallen. Kaboom. He shouldn't act up in class again.