What a teacher/guilt-inducer!

So today was Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) and we had a huge celebration at school. The second graders made falafel.

One child who I will call E. took off her rings and laid them on the disposable tablecloth. After she'd rolled falafel she went to wash her hands and then came back for her rings. I saw her do this.

Later we asked her to come again and she did a second batch. But by the time she returned from the bathroom, the tablecloths had been rolled up and thrown away.

I discovered this when I found my supervisor pulling the tablecloth out of the garbage and sorting through it for the rings. No luck. So the supervisor walked away.

I felt so bad for E. that while she searched on the ground in case it had fallen into the gravel, I took it upon myself to GO THROUGH THE GARBAGE. Mind you, there was nothing in it but scraps from food preparation, no people germs, but it was still rather gross. No sign of the rings.

I finally went to E. and asked "Are you sure didn't put them in your pocket?"

I'm sure you can guess the end of the story. She smiled at me beautifully when she found it. I'm glad they were there. I really am.

I couldn't resist a good guilt-inducing line though.

"I just want you to know," I said, "That I did just go through the garbage for you. I hope you realize that." She said sorry. I said it was fine.

What a guilt-inducer I can be.

Truthfully, most good guilt-inducing comes from people going out of their way for people when it really isn't necessary. I didn't have to go through that garbage, but I do feel self-righteous that I did.