We should be more careful about who gets diplomas or It might be the weed

I wanted to share conversation I had 2 two times with a graduating senior this morning. This is an example of who is getting high school diplomas in the American education system. I’m beginning to worry about who will take care of me in my old age. Or maybe it is just because I’ve been really moody/busy/crazy the last couple of days.

Mistake #1: Late for work again (this time caught by the RED PEN),
Mistake #2: So I run to the upstairs copier where the students can see and get to us (because its closer to my clasroom)

D sees me and comes in the copy room. “Miss A, when are we taking the final?”

Mistake #3: Answering his qestion instead of asking him to leave the teachers' space. “It was a take home final for seniors, but you missed out because you haven’t been to school in about a week. I passed them out sometime last week”

“Oh, can I get it?” D inquires.

“Sure, I’ll give it to you when you come to class. It is due back on Wednesday.”

“So can we use our books?”

Dumbfounded, I responded, “It’s a take home exam.”

Again he asks, “We can use our books?” My mouth drops and I say nothing.

When he’s still standing there a minute later, to make sure I retain my job, I reply “I’ve gotta finish making copies.”

******Skip forward to 3rd period********

“D, here’s the exam. It is due back tomorrow.”

“So we can we use our books on this test, right?”

“Ummmm, yeah, it’s a TAKE HOME test.”

How do you not say something sarcastic when you are repeatedly asked the same question over and over and the answer to your question is staring the asker in the face. What makes the question nuts is that he asked me the same question at two different times—so he had time to think about it, plus his classmates have said over and over to each other how happy they are to have a final like the one that I gave them. No other teacher is doing this; but I have a mixed class & can't stop an entire class to test 7 or 8 students. I'm worried because, this is an 18 year old, soon-to-be graduate of a school of one of the best schools in the our district. I’ve been told many times by the students themselves that most of my kids smoke weed on a regular basis. If he’s one of them, he better stop soon.