Wednesday's Words on a Friday
The original Words for Wednesday was begun by Delores and eventually taken over by a moveable feast of participants when Delores had computer troubles. Sadly, Delores has now closed her blog forever due to other problems.
The aim of the words is to encourage us to write. A story, a poem, whatever comes to mind.
If you are posting an entry on your own blog, please let us know so we can come along to read it and add a few encouraging words.
This month the words/prompts are supplied by Hilary Melton-Butcher and can be found here
This week's words/prompts are:
1. discourteous 2. flicker 3. martini 4. whips 5. belly
and/or:
1. waving 2. frogs 3. moderation 4. smile 5. louring
Also including Charlotte's colour of the month: signal green
Here is my story:
Squatting like a frog on
the signal green bench in the corner, Billy’s louring expression was a bit unnerving
to the newer younger children, but the older ones who knew him better were used
to his ways and felt flickers of compassion for him. He’d been sent to school
without breakfast again, his belly now rumbling quite loudly as they all
chanted the times tables with Emma in charge at the front while Miss Wilkinson
was busy in the kitchen making a sandwich for Billy. She had sent him to the
corner for being discourteous, although he didn’t realise what he’d done.
Miss Wilkinson soon
came back with a sandwich cut into fours so that Billy would eat with a little
moderation at least, the last time he had stuffed the whole sandwich into his
mouth and almost choked getting it down. His father was the type who favoured
shouting with much arm waving and possibly the use of small whips, judging by
the scars on Billy’s legs. He didn’t understand the boy simply was not quite
right for school. Billy didn’t seem able to learn much of anything, although he
did enjoy the painting hour very much.
Miss Wilkinson thanked
Emma for her help and suggested a painting hour could come before lunch today
instead of after and was rewarded by a small smile from Billy when he saw the
papers and brushes being brought out. Miss Wilkinson wondered to herself if painting
some of the lessons might help Billy learn better, a paint-by-numbers sort of
thing would help with counting maybe? Or at least number recognition. Perhaps
he could even learn to spell the colours he loved so much.
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A great story about a student in need and a teacher who did something about it.
ReplyDeleteHooray for the Miss (and Mr) Wilkinson's of this world. We need them.
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane; thank you. In my mind I set this way back in the early 1900's when small schools in country areas had all grades in the one room with just one teacher.
ReplyDeleteEC; thank you, we certainly could use more of them, the world is sadly lacking in kindness these days.
It's so sad for the children in this position. Back then, no one knew much about special education, such children were often just put in an institution.
ReplyDeletemessymimi; that's true and often things were made worse by the parents not understanding the child as well, like Billy's father.
ReplyDeleteWe need understanding teachers.
ReplyDeleteBut in reality...
At least here (in larger cities) kid hardly speak German and do not know manners.
Teachers are paid too little for doing the teacher´s and the parent´s job....
It is sad.
My Nieces go to school in a small town where a teacher like yours might exist. And yet... Sounds like an autistic child you describe?
This made me sad. Some fathers have no idea of the damage they're doing to their children.
ReplyDeleteIris; we have plenty of understanding teachers these days, but there are many children in school with behavioural problems and the teachers can't deal with it so they quit. Also there is far too much paperwork involved now, instead of just teaching the teachers have to fill out many papers on what they teach and how they teach it and other stuff that I don't know about. In the case of my story, I set it way back in the early 1900s when small town schools had all grades of students in just one room, there usually weren't many kids going to school in rural areas back then I think. I hadn't thought Billy might be autistic, but that sounds right.
ReplyDeleteJabblog; many decades ago a lot of parents didn't know what they know these days, I imagine Billy's father was also raised with harsh words and punishments, so that's all he knows.
this touched my heart River as one of my family members recently reached out to a local school in Costa Rica and discovered the principal was providing breakfast for twenty students. So much poverty.
ReplyDeleteYour story so wonderfully captured the lives of some of these children.
Thank you!
XO
WWW
Got my story up...https://peppylady.blogspot.com/2024/06/today-is-saturday-june-21-2024-this-is.html
ReplyDeleteNo student should go hungry.
ReplyDeleteWWW; there are a few schools here too that provide breakfasts. I agree about too much poverty, I'm of the opinion the governments of countries should be looking afer their people before sending produce and other resources overseas for the profits, and building bigger and better sports arenas, while children go hungry and in a lot of cases homeless.
ReplyDeleteDora; I think I read your story yesterday, but I will come over and check. It's true no child should go to school hungry, but so many do.
When I retired in 2016, we were serving a free breakfast to any student who wanted it. That's one good thing about progress. Though I agree about all the teacher paperwork taking up time that could better be used for planning student activities, rather that documenting what is being taught.
ReplyDelete