Mom Offers Desk-Side Assistance

I didn’t have the best of times in elementary school, and most of my memories of it are the negative kind. However, talking with my mom about this years later, she told me about a day that she remembered in particular.

My fourth grade teacher, for whatever reason, decided that she didn’t like me. I always figured it was because I was shy, tended to stay out of classroom activities, and would always try to read books under my desk (understandably something I shouldn’t do). What my mom told me is that the teacher also apparently hated how I would arrange my desk, the kind with the cubbies underneath to stow books and pencils in. My desk was always messy and never organized, and definitely not to the teacher’s standards. This made her absolutely furious.

One day, my mom happened to drop me off at my classroom before the rest of the kids were there, but the teacher was in. What we found was the entire contents of my desk; pencils, books, worksheets, everything, dumped on the floor and thrown all around the room! If I’d gone into class with all the other students, I would’ve had to pick everything up in front of the whole class and been completely embarrassed.

Seeing as how she caught the teacher red-handed, my mom had every right to go off on her, but instead, Mom simply stood as I gamely gathered all my things and stared my teacher down, unblinking. Then when I was done, she stared a little longer, and left without a word.

I didn’t have trouble with that teacher for the rest of the year! My mom scared her enough to prevent anything else from happening. I can’t believe I don’t remember this event today, but it’s probably thanks to chance, and my mom, for saving me from being humiliated in front of the entire class!