156. I walk into the classroom for the first day of the year and a desk has a name-tag on it for me. I was feeling nervous before that, but now I know the teacher has thought about me. I feel as if I belong somewhere. Now I can unload my gear and find my friends.

157. The teacher fumbles over his words and gets tongue-tied and has to try again. But he can’t get his words out again, so he tries again.  Still, he can’t do it!  He gives up and screams in exasperation.

  158. Another teacher sneaks into the room, and takes a seat at the back of the class, and talks with me for 10 minutes (until my teacher notices). The whole time she is talking, I feel as if I am part of a wonderful joke, with a powerful ally. She asks what kind of work I am doing, and whether my teacher will notice us soon.  She asks if I have had a good day.  She asks me…

159. The teacher chooses who our partners are for an activity. Because the teacher chooses, I am not afraid of being left out. It is horrible when I am; if my friend is away, or if she has found a new friend. The completion of the activity is not as important as who I am working with. If I am with the right person, then the teacher can ask anything of me.

160. I open my lunchbox and find a tiny little sticker on my apple. And now I am armed, just waiting to put it onto someone’s back. I stick it onto the side of my lunchbox and have my lunch, nervously talking with my best friend. And wait until it is time to play! And then I walk beside him and pat him on the back as a sign of friendship. Half a minute later I slow my step to see if the sticker is on his back. Yes!

(Copy copyright:  I love school when a teacher is unable to say what he or she wants.)