To the New Students

You are beginning a new life in senior high. Here are some suggestions for you, which may help you enjoy your school life better.

It was probably her giggling(咯咯笑) that drew my attention. English reading really wasn’t that funny as far as I knew.

It was early May and I was facing a class of sixteen kids. Though I had almost three years of teaching, this particular sixth grade class had pushed me to the limits of my patience far too many times, and I couldn’t wait to wave goodbye to them for the summer.

I had kept away from the ideal of my first year of teaching. That first year I’d covered up the small hole in the window with an inspirational poster. I’d decorated the walls with pictures of famous universities. I told the kids daily that they always had something worth struggling for. Together we would work hard and make something of their lives.

The problem, of course, was that my ideals kept being defeated by reality. Not just the reality of troubled families. I was also faced with the basic reality of the twelve- and thirteen-year-old mind. The universal mind, “You can’t make me!”

And now I was faced with a giggle when I should have had only full attention. Walking over to the young peacebreaker, I asked for the note she had in her hands. Frozen, she refused to give it to me. I waited, all attention in the room on the quiet battle between teacher and student. When she finally handed it over, saying, “Okay, but I didn’t draw it,” which showed this wasn’t just an ordinary note being passed.

After getting the class going on an English reading test, I finally had a chance to look through it. It was a hand-drawn picture of me, eyes monitoring widely, teeth blackened, and the words “I’m stupid” coming out of my mouth. There was no doubt about who it was supposed to be.

I managed to fold up the picture calmly. My mind, however, was working angrily and wanting to criticize some students on the scene. I figured I knew the two most likely candidates for drawing the picture. Maybe it was high time that I did it!

Thankfully, calmness returned to my mind.

Looking over the notes later, I realized I was too strict with them.

2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。