Another #TeacherJoy story:
As a very young teacher of a before-school maths extension program, I had a small group of ~9 to 12 year olds with two very enthusiastic and boisterous best buddy boys.

Since I was not a school teacher, but employed externally, *and* the group was voluntary, I wasn't going for traditional school discipline, but a basic level of engagement and learning.

I regularly threatened to separate the two best buddies, and this threat always got them to settle down.

Half-way through the term another young boy joined us. Alone and carrying a lot of anger, it was clear this kid was in trouble a lot.
He was mostly ok in the class - voluntary, fun, challenging maths puzzles - who wouldn't be? but sometimes struggled to follow instructions or bothered the others.

During one of the sessions, the new kid, alone as usual, was doing (or not-doing) something the rest of the group noticed as non-compliant.

Since it is clearly against the Rules(TM) to allow a classmate to get away with behaviour you would be chastised for, the two buddies gleefully started shouting

"Separate him, Miss. Separate him!"

To this day I don't know what they thought that meant - I fear that all term they must imagined I was threatening to rend them limb from limb!

Using the correct strict face was totally beyond me! I was laughing so hard I had to turn away and face the board!

I still wonder what they told their parents about me. It gave me a lasting appreciation for the effectiveness of violent-sounding but clearly ridiculous and impossible threats as a class management tool.

#tweens #TeenageHumour (Edited for typos and grammer)