adventures in teaching

I teach several students who, in general, make my life hell. They are constantly doing the opposite of what I am asking them to do. Yesterday was no exception.
There is one boy in particular who has been the cause of many of my headaches. He kind of looks like that kid, Ralphie, from A Christmas Story. He's a cute kid, but he drives me crazy. He's always dancing around, yelling out, arguing back and tattling that someone is calling him names or laughing at him. By the time he left my class, he had received two checks from me for arguing in his group and talking out during instructions.
I have lunch duty this week which means I wander around making sure they don't just eat chips, talk quietly, stay in their seats. Think back to your own school cafeteria experience. Remember when one kid would decide to blow up a bag, then pop it? It makes a loud noise and creates chaos in the cafeteria. Well, a student informed me that Ralphie was trying to pop his chip bag. So I walked up behind him and specifically said "Do NOT blow up your bag of chips and pop it." Then another student came up to ask me a question. All of a sudden there was a loud POP! Yes, sure enough Ralphie had blatantly disobeyed me, with me standing right behind him. I don't like to think of my students as dumb, but come on. I was RIGHT BEHIND HIM.
And so he got another check and no recess. As I was writing it, the 4th grade teacher came over and apologized for finding the situation funny. As we were talking I looked over at Ralphie just in time to see him blowing up his silverware bag, then pop it. Wow! What nerve! It was so funny. Yet so ridiculous. Of course, when he thought he was going to get a detention he started crying. I imagine what he would say if he knew the name I was calling him at that moment.
This is the reason teachers need summer vacations. There is a limit we can spend dealing with this crap. Then we need a break.