Will Need To Teach Some Assertiveness With That Therapy

(When I am in the second grade, I attend speech therapy twice a week. Because of this, I am excused from regular lessons for the last hour of the day, and I walk from my classroom to the portable where therapy takes place un-escorted. My teacher has a very strong dislike of me which turns into abuse later on in the school year, but this is when I start to notice things aren’t right. It has been raining heavily the last few days with no signs of slowing down, so it is very dark outside and pouring buckets. I raise my hand near the time that I am to leave for my session.)

Me: “Mr. [Teacher]? It’s almost time for me to go; can I get dressed early so I’m not late?”

Teacher: “You cannot leave until I tell you to! And if you get out of your seat one moment before then, so help me, I will give you after-school detention!”

Me: “But Mr. [Teacher], it’s raining out and I have to put on my boots and my jacket…”

Teacher: “I said no! Now keep going with your worksheet until I tell you that you can go!

(I anxiously keep checking the time as I do the worksheet, knowing that if I don’t get to therapy on time, it could set back my progress. It’s now five minutes until my lesson starts, so I raise my hand again. This time, he ignores me. I keep my hand raised until it is time for my lesson to begin, and only then does he notice me.)

Teacher: “What, you’re still here? You better run or they’ll lock you out!” *laughs before pushing me out the door*

(Because of him, I had to run to my lesson — without my rain gear because he had locked me out of the classroom. The therapy assistant I had that day asked me why I looked like a soaked cat.)