Today was a long day. It was the first day of teaching 1st grade, and I already think I bit off more than I can chew. I have this young girl in my classroom, Jean Louise. She was an eccentric little girl. She came in to my class room, and she already knew how to read the alphabet, and she could read books, too. I told her to tell her daddy to stop teaching her. It irked me that he taught her at home, because he is interfering with my teaching! She only denied that her father taught her, but if he did not, then who did?
When lunch came around, I asked the students who went home for their lunches to hold up their hands. Then I asked who brings their lunch, and most kids except for Walter Cunningham brought out their lunches. I said, “Where’s yours?”. He did not reply. I asked him again if he had left his at home, and he said “Yeb’m”. I told him to go down town to eat with one of my quarters, and that he could pay me back tomorrow. He looked intimidated by the sight of the quarter, and he said no, thank you. I compromised with him, but he still would not take that quarter. Finally, Jean Louise stood up. She said to me that Walter was a Cunningham. I did not understand. She then told me that he was a poor boy from a poor family, and he would not have lunch today, tomorrow, or the next day. She told me that he would never be able to pay me back that quarter.
I was shocked at that little girl. I hauled her over to my desk and smacked her 6 times on the palm with my ruler. I then sent her to the corner of the room to stand, and the whole room condescended with laughter.
I hope that tomorrow will be a less stressful day for me.
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