Fire in H6

Fires are common in English classrooms right?  Yea, I didn’t think so.  Well, anything is possible in Samoa.  I have a smoke alarm for my apartment, but didn’t know that I needed one in my classroom too.

Yesterday the class was taking a quiz on verbs, nouns, and pronouns.  Students were starting to finish the quiz and I told them when they were done to draw, read, and sit quietly.  One student I kept having to remind to be quiet.  He had turned his quiz in already and was talking to a friend who was also finished.  I turned my back away from him for 30 seconds to answer another students question.  When I turned back around flames are shooting off the floor as high as the desk! (umm, how to handle fires was not in the training I got) So I stand in shock for a second and go to get my water bottle while the student who started it is trying to stomp the flames out (while wearing rubber flip flops).  The fire was put out and all that remains is a black mark on my floor.

The switch on the kid’s lighter (yes, he is only 14 years old and smokes) became stuck in the on position and so he dropped it on the floor to kept from burning his hand. 

I send him to the office with a referral slip about what happened and also requested the counselor check his foot and legs for burns.  I call down to make sure that they know he is coming.

I start today thinking he was probably suspended.  The office threatened to suspend one girl for back talking me.  So I though fire setting would be suspending worthy.  His class starts and he is sitting in his sit.  WHAT IN THE WORLD.  I’m waiting until after school or lunch to go and find out why in the world he is in my class today.

At least I can now add firefighter to my resume!