The Tree of Disapproval

Over the weekend Jeff and I saw The Class, the most realistic movie about being a teacher that I have ever seen.  It's a French film that looks like a documentary but isn't, but The Class was so true-to-life that I found myself tensing up, muttering under my breath, and wanting to help François Bégaudeau, an actual teacher playing himself, as he dealt with his tough young Parisians.  My students can be bad, I thought, but not this bad. 

Then today this happened (names changed to protect the little pyro in question):

Hi [assistant principal] Jim,

 

Last hour a student got near my kiln and shoved either a pink oil crayon or a pencil's eraser into one of the very small holes on the kiln's lid.  The kiln was firing at the time and was nearly 1400 degrees inside. 

 

I am pretty sure that student was Li'l Pyro.  During the last few minutes of class, I was helping my students sort through a pile of artwork from the Fine Arts Festival.  I spotted Pyro near the kiln and told him to get away from it, as the outside gets really hot after seven hours of firing.  He said OK and backed off.  After the class left, I noticed a burning-wax smell coming from the kiln.  I saw remnants of the crayon/eraser near the hole along with a bit of smoke.  Li'l P had also taken it upon himself to mark around the hole with a pencil. 

 

I had to turn the kiln off--the cups inside will have to be re-fired tomorrow.  I don't think the kiln has been damaged by this (then again I don't go around dropping crayons into it, so I'm not sure), but the smoke scared me.  I didn't notice anyone else around the kiln, but I was working on other things and not watching the kiln nonstop.  My students are for the most part cautious around the kiln and I tend to trust them.  Could you please talk to Li'l Pyro about this?

 

Thank you!

Kelly

[Above: the Tree of Disapproval from our yard.  It watches us through the living room windows, and it does NOT approve of pyromania.]
 

Comments

[Shelley]

I imagine trees would disapprove of pyromania greatly. As do I, especially when it means having wasted time firing other students' work. >:-( <--- My disapproving face

[Beth]

I'd love to see "The Class." Just read about it a couple days ago. Hope it will turn up on Blockbuster at some point.

Every time I see your white line drawings on the trees I am startled becuase I've just finished reading a book the cover of which does the exact same thing with a photograph of trees.