Stick To Grammary Rather Than Mammaries

In my seventh-grade grammar class, I had an assignment to compare and contrast two animals; I chose whales and dogs.

Teacher: “You did the comparing and contrasting well, but I said two animals. Whales aren’t animals.”

Me: “How are they not animals?”

Teacher: “Only mammals are animals.”

Me: “But… whales are mammals.”

Teacher: “What?”

Me: “They breathe air, they nurse their young, they’re warm-blooded, and they even have a little bit of hair. And even if they were fish, fish are animals. And reptiles, and birds, and amphibians, and invertebrates.”

Teacher: “Well, I’ll have to talk to [Science Teacher]. The assignment is fine.”

I’m glad she taught grammar, not science, and that she was willing to learn.