What a difference a vowel makes
Steve's class was reading aloud a story about a little girl who discovered how to make paint that made her invisible. One quiet little girl mispronounced a word in this sentence, "Irma mixed another batch of paint." She used the i-sound in batch.
She let out a wail of horror and started sobbing. By the time Steve got over to her, tears and snot were running down her chin and she was wailing incomprehensibly. He took her out in the hall and consoled her, and she finally choked out that she needed glasses and that was what she saw and the horror of saying such a word in class and she never says bad words.
I'm touched by her innocence, but the class of urban kids had erupted in laughter. I hope the little girl won't remember third grade by this incident.
Another quick story
Steve was grading math papers and one boy answered a story problem with "Oh, my brain."
File this under "I'm not surprised"
Steve received a note this week from one of his quieter students: "You are such a positive influence on so many people and I know you have changed my life." It doesn't get any better for a teacher (or a teacher's wife.)
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