Last week, after nicely asking him one too many times to stop talking and begin working, a boy told me to shut up repeatedly, then jumped out of his chair and said, "What are you gonna do, hit me?!? You gonna hit me?!?" I was baffled by his response, and did nothing except shake my head in disbelief and send him to the office immediately. He was suspended for three days.

He returned yesterday, and in the middle of class I heard him exclaim with anger, "YO! Who wrote 'WACK NIGGA' on my workbook while I was gone?!?"

Completely deadpan, I responded, "It was me."

He looked up at me in surprise. "What?! Yoooooo...are you serious?!" he asked in disbelief.

I stared at him for a moment to keep the suspense as his mouth gaped open. "No it wasn't me!" I said with a smile.

"Awww, I's about to say, mister!"

And then I busted up in laughter at the thought of me sneaking around the room, scrawling gangsta insults on the personal belongings of students with whom I have a vendetta. It would be a hilarious way to handle disagreements. And somedays, I think it just might be more effective than the typical methods...or at least maybe more satisfying.