Eating Crow Is Not Tasty

Sometimes my mouth overloads my brain, thus was the case last Friday.  Two of my classes were eating because it was the end of Hispanic Heritage Month and they were the last two classes to eat.  I separated 3rd period's food from 4th periods and told my 3rd period class what food they were to leave alone.  I thought they understood my directions.  After everyone had fixed their plates I noticed that the 4th period cheese dip lid was askew so I got up and went to put it back on........thinking that it had been bumped.  It had been bumped alright.  Over half of their dip was gone.  When 3rd period ran out of dip several of the students helped themselves to 4th periods dip.  I was livid.  I turned to the class and asked them who had done this....of course no one owned up to it.  It would have been easy to identify because the two dips were drastically different....instead I said, "whoever did this...I hope you choke on it."  Now...I was not speaking literally...I was speaking metaphorically.....BUT my comment came back to bite me in the rear end.  On Tuesday a fellow teacher showed me a FACEBOOK post a mother had posted about me...and all the comments it had received by people who had never even met me.  I came unglued.  I went to the Principal and Asst. Principal so they would not be blind-sided by this....and showed them the apology I was going to give to my 3rd block class.  They were very supportive.  I wanted them to send me home for the day....but they didn't.  I actually wanted to retire...right that minute.  But...that was not happening either.  So, when 3rd period came in I said to them, "

Dear Class,

Friday when some students did not follow directions….I said something that was not right.  Any of you who know me….know that I suffer from a streak of sarcasm.  I did not seriously want one of you to choke….For that one comment I want to apologize. I am ashamed I spoke without thinking.  Number 1 I am an adult and you are just children….number 2 I am a teacher and therefore in authority….and number 3 I am a pastor….and should know how to temper my comments.  But…above all that I am also human.  Humans make mistakes….teachers and preachers do too.  I blew it!  I did not mean to terrify some of you.  I would have died if one of you had actually choked.  I explained what food was available to you and still…some of you took something away from another class who was getting a special treat just like you.  I realize that YOUR cheese dip was gone….but that did not give you the right to take someone elses.  Did the ones of you who ate their cheese dip stay around and apologize to them?  No…only one student stayed behind and explained what happened.  I promise I will curb my tongue and publicly put this apology on facebook so the people who have responded so veamently will see my peace offering.  If your parents have anything more to say to or about me I ask that they address me….and not social media.
Drama is something teenage girls love.  I thought this was over....but yesterday during another teacher's class it was brought up again....and three girls who had been on a field trip the day I read my statement felt I should apologize again....one of them was the daughter of the woman who blasted me on facebook.  I again sought out my bosses, told them the situation, and asked them to send me home.  They wouldn't and told me to carry on with class as normal.....and under no circumstances NOT to give another apology.  Class came in, I carried on, nothing else was said.  What bothers me so much is the fact that this person did not give me the courtesy of a phone call so I could explain the circumstance and then that same someone, who does not even know me, lambasted me on social media and that will never go away.  Yes, I spoke out of term to high school children who can not distinguish between literal and metaphorical.  I have students in that class who have parents who teach with me and when I spoke with them they knew nothing about the comment.  People should be cautious about what they post on social media.  What say ye?