So I just posted an instance of petty revenge from when I studied in Korea, and it reminded me of this incident that happened when I was student teaching in NYC back in 2018. Not sure if it qualifies as petty revenge, but you guys tell me:

A not so quick post on the benefits of knowing languages other than English (even if you aren't fluent in them yet)!

My 9th grade class was being absolutely horrible since my cooperating teacher was out. Sitting in the wrong seats, talking back, throwing things, etc. After yelling and contacting my cooperating teacher, I noticed two students saying things quietly in Korean -- after telling the class to write silently.

I told them their names were on the list I would be handing in to my cooperating teacher for phone calls. One approached me after class to ask why his name was on the list. At this point, the whole class had me so frustrated I was speaking to him in very short sentences. I replied with "Because, (Korean Student #1), you spoke the whole class. You spoke and interrupted your classmates... And then you were saying mean things about a classmate to (Korean Student #2) under your breath in Korean. And just so you know, 한국어 말할수 있어요. Okay?" (Aka telling him "I can speak Korean" .... in Korean. HIS look of shock and embarrassment? Ooohhhhh gosh. And then the whole class went “ooohhhhhhh!!!!!”

The next day a different student asked me what languages I spoke, because they already knew I spoke Spanish. I told them that’s a secret. 🤫