Tales of a Fifth Grader - The Slime Conviction

I have a total of 68 students and every last one of them is fascinated with slime. Everyday I confiscate it from at least two kids.  They make it themselves at home and store it in their parents good Tupperware containers. The other day I had to take two containers of slime and told the girls that they could get them back at the end of the day. During lunch I usually lock my room and when I leave to go pick up my students from their specials, I leave my door unlocked, especially if i'm rushing. This particular day when we arrived back to class two girls were standing outside the door. No big deal that happens when students are pulled for testing or speech.  When we were packing up at the end of the day the two girls popped in asking for their slime, and to my surprise the slime was not where I stored them. I knew that I was the only one in my room, so where on earth happened to the slime?


I then begin to look around the room and one of the girls that was outside of the room when the class returned from specials began to fidget. We locked eyes and I knew she had done it. I asked the class,


 "Did anybody take the slime that was stored on my table?"
  In unison they all replied, "Nooooooooo" you know how kids sing their responses.

 But then Anna (the girl) looks into her desk and pulls out one of the containers and walks it over to me.

She said,  "I didn't take it, it was in my desk I promise,"
 I replied "Where is the other one, there were two?"
She walked over and this time went into her book bag and got the other one.
 "Anna!" I said sharply, mind you the entire class including the two girls that made it are all listening and watching.
 "How did it get into you book bag?" I replied.
 The class began to condemn her.
 "because she's a thief," one student replied.
 "she's wasn't raised right," said another one.  All of a suddenly everyone began to verbally attack her with accusations of robbery.
 Anna finally spoke up and said "I'm sorry everyone, I was wrong to take it."
The class including I was shocked by this confession. Anna knew she was wrong, her expression said it all. She looked remorseful and truly felt the wrath of her peers.

 I asked her to give both containers to their owners. On her own she again apologized to the girls and then to me.

I did have a conversation with all of the students about personal property and also condemning a person and finally minding their own business. But I don't think Anna will be taking anything from my class again when i'm not their.

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