“You shouldn’t care; you’re just a substitute,” rudely said a student in my Seniors Honors British Literature classroom. The substitute, who seemed confused, sarcastically replied, “You make a good point,” as he took a few steps back, then continued delivering the instructions for the day’s assignment. He retreated to the desk, examining the papers left for the students, then returned to the student and asked, “If I’m just a substitute, What should I be doing? I don’t know what I’m actually supposed to be doing, since I’m just a substitute.”

Her response:  “Just chill.”

He nodded and walked back to the desk.

This type of disrespectful behavior is all too common at Ludlow High School and students need to start respecting their teachers. There have been multiple situations where I have overheard students talking down to teachers, tell them what to do. They need to remember that they are not the adults.

Before class had started, the sub introduced himself saying that most of us should have had him as a substitute by now.

To which her response was: “Sadly.”

Eventually he retreated to the desk once more, only to occasionally walk around to check on students. He avoided her.

What she did was unbelievably disrespectful, not only to a teacher but to someone who had shown her nothing but respect.

After this incident, everyone was shocked when they came into class after the weekend to find the same substitute standing tall in front of the podium, even after the amount of disrespect he had received the day prior.

He greeted the class with,  “When most people fall off a horse, they don’t get back on right away, but I get back on immediately.”

Even after his inspirational quote, I still cannot fathom why he decided to be a substitute in the same class after he received so much disrespect for doing his job. All he did was simply enforce the school rule that we shouldn’t have our phones out since we weren’t given directions to use them. Besides, the assignment was supposed to be handwritten, not typed.

We have graduation in 8 months and some of us are still talking down to authority figures as if we are ill-mannered middle schoolers. We should have matured by now and should know that adults are to be respected, regardless if we like them.