My 11 year-old student, we'll call her Nelly (chosen purposely based on the antagonistic Nelly of Little House on the Prairie fame) asked if she could go see the principal. I asked her, "What about?".
She wouldn't tell me, she just said, "I just need to talk to her".
I explained to Nelly she needed to tell me her reason before I would send her. Again, she refused to tell me. I should tell you that this girl was not a stranger to the principal's office. She'd been summoned there more than once this year based on parent requests regarding "bullying" and good 'ol Girl Drama.
After more back-and-forth between the two of us-- me reiterating my stance that I am the "gateway" to the principals office and Nelly firmly standing her ground with her silence, she left that day in tears.
(Please note: at one point I even told her that if the issue was with me she could share and I would not get angry but I needed to know before it was addressed with the principal.)
After school I went down and relayed the incident to my principal. She told me that several 5th-Grade girls, including Nelly, had attempted to come see her during lunch recess. The secretaries had taken my same stance and asked the girls to "talk to their teacher first".
I was shocked! Who WANTS to go to the principal!?!
Then it dawned on me. IT'S ABOUT THE DRAMA!!!! Talking to your teacher isn't nearly enough of a production! It's down-right boring... been there - done that. We already know how that goes... a 5 minute convo that ends in hand-shakes or hugs and promises to forgive, forget, and move on. Short, sweet, and to the point? Pah-leeeze! Where's the theatrics in that?
I know girl drama is not a new-age concept. However, I have noticed it getting worse and worse and happening between younger and younger girls. I saw it when I taught 3rd grade (8 year-olds) and I have teacher friends reporting it as young as 6 years-old.
Sheesh! Do we have the Kardashians and Honey Boo Boo to blame for this? Has hair-pulling, name-calling fame become the end-all, be-all of female Right-of-Passage? Have these little girls discovered that attention is rewarded for this drama and the bigger the better?
If so, heaven help me.
