The pregnancy test

Nope, not my personal pregnancy test…..

No day is ever the same in the life of a high school teacher. I see things that I never imagined, good and bad. There are times when I love my job and couldn’t imagine doing anything else. There are also days when I think I am crazy for having this job. The “pregnancy test” day was one of those crazy days, for lack of a better word.

I was asked to cover the class next door for 15 minutes. Sure, no problem. I’m sitting at the desk just babysitting basically. Of course I hear the students chatting amongst themselves talking about various topics, some normal and some inappropriate. I hear one convo about a girl’s pen pal who is in prison. I hear another convo about a really good book. Then I hear a convo about a girl thinking she might be pregnant. Now this isn’t anything out of the ordinary so far.

I continue to have selective hearing throughout this whole 15 minutes until I have no other option. The two girls having the pregnancy convo start talking about how she took a test. Before I know it, one girl comes up to me, shoves a used pregnancy test in my face and asks, “Does this mean she’s pregnant?” Umm, excuse me! First of all, gross. Get that out of my face. She peed on that. Who carries around a used pregnancy test, especially at a high school? So after soaking in what just happened, I reply. “I am not sure. You’re going to have to read the directions on the box.” She says OK and then returns to her seat like nothing happened. Really?

So I am sitting at the desk trying to reflect on what just happened. Was I supposed to write her a referral? Send her to the counselor? Scold her for having sex? Or act like nothing happened? This situation is not in the handbook! Does it list used pregnancy test under inappropriate items on school grounds?

I love my job but sometimes I am just not as prepared as I thought. That was definitely a first. Maybe I should teach elementary. They are so much sweeter.