Mr. Always Grumpy

Over the last few weeks as the school year wraps up, my students have increased their whining and complaining over the smallest tasks...and I have had to fight the temptation to become angry or to laugh at them. They think their lives are so hard and sometimes it just cracks me up! I've managed not to laugh in their face...until yesterday.

My 6th grade class was coming in from lunch, boisterous as usual at this time of day. I stood by my desk repeating instructions about materials they need to gather before getting to their seats. Like every other day, I had the same students surrounding me asking the same questions:
"What are we doing today?" Sit down and I'll tell the whole class.
"I'm done. What should I do?" Sit down and I'll tell you when everyone's here.
"Can I go to the bathroom?" and "Can I get a drink?" and "Can I go to my locker?" Is it an emergency?...NO! Sit down and wait till I give instructions first.

Good grief, you'd think they'd know the routine by now!! I continued to answer the same questions, growing increasingly frustrated, and repeatedly hollering "Get what you need and get to your seats!"

And then Mr. Always Grumpy approached me close enough for me to hear him quietly say, with his eyes downcast and his face squished into a frown:
"I...hate...people..." then slowly walk away.

I completely lost it! I didn't even try to fight it. Hands covering my face I sunk down into my desk chair and erupted in hysterics. What he said kept repeating in my head. To redeem myself so he didn't think I was making fun of him I managed to get out - "I'm sorry...that was just too funny." and then continued to giggle. When I looked up to see him at his desk gritting his teeth with a scowl and shaking his face as though holding his breath like a child in a tantrum, it just made it even funnier.
Of course, my silliness sparked intense curiosity in the rest of the 6th graders...who went up to him to try to ask what was so funny! He responded by throwing his book to the ground and I knew I had to act fast before he lost it.
"Okay, go out in the hall and calm down."

I pulled it together, finally got everyone in their seats, and gave instructions before I went out in the hall to get Mr. Always Grumpy. He had transformed into a much calmer student and even apologized to me. I told him to take three deep breaths and reenter the class to work on his project. We were fine the rest of class. He even left in a cheerful mood after getting back his clay pig for which he earned a very good grade (surprisingly, compared to most of his work). :)