Mrs. Stein

The school bell rings, we go inside,
Our teacher isn't there.
"Maybe she's sick!" her pet cries out.
Yeah right. As if I'd care.

I have a D in Language Arts,
My grade in Math's the same.
And now my teacher might be sick.
Could be I'm part to blame.

She doesn't like me, that's a fact,
I wouldn't tell a lie.
She says stuff like: "You're very smart,
But you don't even try."

I start to laugh--my teacher's sick!
And, boy, I'm feeling fine . . .
When someone kicks the door right in,
And there stands Frankenstein.

She's six-foot-eight, her dress is black,
She's wearing combat boots.
I start to gasp, she growls and says,
"I'll be your substitute."

The teacher's pet is whimpering;
She doesn't stand a chance.
The smart kid stares and points and faints.
The bully wets his pants.

"My name is Mrs. Stein," she says,
and every student cringes.
She leans the door against the wall,
She's knocked it off its hinges.

"Now let's begin. You there! Stand up!"
She looks me in the eye.
I try to move, my legs won't work.
I know I'm going to die!

In one big step she's next to me,
And she does more than hover.
She blocks the sun, it's dark as night,
My classmates run for cover.

"Now get up to the board," she says.
"I'd like to see some action.
Pick up the chalk, explain to us
Division of a fraction."

I leap away to save my life,
This time I
really try.
I think and think and think and croak,
"Invert and multiply."

"Correct!" she says. I breathe again
And head back for my chair.
"You, FREEZE!" she shouts, and I stop cold.
"And don't go anywhere."

This all begins at nine o'clock,
I fight to stay alive.
It seems to last a million years--
The clock says nine-o-five.

That's just three hundred seconds,
And then my turn is through
She points at every one of us--
"Now, you. Now, you. Now, you."

We all get nailed this awful day,
There's nowhere we can hide.
The lunch bell rings, we cannot eat,
We simply crawl outside.

We can't believe the other kids
Who run and play their games.
Not us, who have big Mrs. Stein--
Our world is not the same.

The bell has tolled, I must go in,
My time on earth is through.
I'll leave this on the playground--
Here's what you have to do.

You must listen to your teacher
And pray her health is fine,
Or one day soon you'll hear the words:
"My name is Mrs. Stein."

Bill Dodds

 


I am a Math teacher at Natchitoches Ninth Grade Center in Natchitoches, La.

This is my school!

GO CHIEFS!

Go Lady CHIEFS!

Maroon, gold, and white!

The school is really old, but it is well maintained. The faculty is fantastic, the administration is wonderful, and the cooperation between the two make this a wonderful place to work. We truly try to do our best for the students who attend this unique school.

 

This is a link to the school's webpage (which I wrote)


Peerhelpers at Natchitoches Ninth Grade Center


A Teacher's Lament

Don't tell me the cat ate your math sheet,
And your spelling words went down the drain,
And you couldn't decipher your homework,
Because it was soaked in the rain.

Don't tell me you slaved for hours
On the project that's due today,
and you would have had it finished
If your snake hadn't run away.

Don't tell me you lost your eraser,
And your worksheets and pencils, too,
And your papers are stuck together
With a great big glob of glue.

I'm tired of all your excuses;
They are really a terrible bore.
Besides, I forgot my own work,
At home in my study drawer.

Kalli Dakos


My Students!

Boy, those last few minutes before the bell can last forever, can't they?

Why is everyone so happy?

They're in algebra class!!

(must be time to go)

Finals!

Nuff said!

Friday afternoon

warm day

he had everything working against him!

They begged me!

Take my picture, PLEASE!

I finally had to give in.

They were posing for the picture!

They're usually not this quiet!

A Student's Prayer

Now I lay me down to rest,
I pray I pass tomorrow's test.
If I should die before I wake,
That's one less test I'll have to take.

Anonymous

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