The elementary teacher complains
to my principal, I’m not teaching enough
grammar to her son, because
his sentence structure is terrible.
I tell her Brian has the best seat in the class.
Front row, middle, four feet from where I usually stand.
I pull out his file and show her
the great work he has done,
and she confesses, she has written
his papers for him.
I ask her, “How am I supposed to know?
If you don’t like the way I teach,
there are two other capable English teachers,
but I’ve got more years of experience
than both of them put together.”
My principal and the mother
recoil in surprise
that I am holding all aces
and not afraid to play them.
Teachers don’t usually blame other teachers.
We are supposed to be on the same side
and not waste everyone’s time.
This mother could have called me on the phone.
Instead, she’s playing the principal for a fool.
Five weeks ago, Brian was in Basic English.
Her complaining got him moved
to my class, with the cliche,
“My son is not being challenged.”
The principal should be ashamed
for letting the situation get this far,
but I keep my poker face –
disgust hidden.
She decides to leave
the decision up to her son.
The next day, Brian picks me
and over the next semester,
doing his own work
slowly improves.
Mark Thalman is the author of Stronger Than the Current, The Peasant Dance, and Catching the Limit. His work has been widely published for the last five decades. Thalman retired from the public schools after teaching English and Creative Writing for 35 years. Please visit markthalman.com.
