S
Shutpa
Teaching can have its problems. Take, for example, a Wednesday almost exactly two years ago. I'd had a good day at work and had just settled down at home with a coffee when the phone rang. It was the headmaster. "Bolo" he said, "Get back in here right now". "Why" I asked, "Now" he replied and hung up. On the way back to school, I decided that this had to be an elaborate practical joke but just for the fun of it, I would play along. On entering his office, he told me to sit down and when I did so, he continued with, "Bolo, you are in deep ****!" Instantly I knew that it was not a practical joke. He went on to say that a pupils mother had phoned in to complain about my slapping her daughter in the face. "Utter codswallop", I said. "The girl has 3 witnesses" he replied. You can imagine how I felt - career, reputation everything gone at a stroke.
To cut a long story short, the girl had made up the story, thought that 3 of her classmates would go along with it, but forgot, or didn't get the chance to tell them. Consequently, when they were interviewed the next day they knew nothing about the alleged assault. More importantly, they all stated that the girl had never left her seat during the lesson ( the assault was supposed to have taken place when she came out to my desk to borrow a ruler). A few days later I got a letter of apology not only from the girl but also from the mother who was naturally horrified at her daughters unfounded allegation. Yesterday, back at the same school, I spotted the girl as she walked into my classroom. When she had settled down, I placed a rubber on her desk and said with a smile, "Here, borrow this, we all make mistakes". At the end of the lesson when she returned the rubber she thanked me for giving her an easy time. I wish that I could have said the same in return.
PS I still have the letters
To cut a long story short, the girl had made up the story, thought that 3 of her classmates would go along with it, but forgot, or didn't get the chance to tell them. Consequently, when they were interviewed the next day they knew nothing about the alleged assault. More importantly, they all stated that the girl had never left her seat during the lesson ( the assault was supposed to have taken place when she came out to my desk to borrow a ruler). A few days later I got a letter of apology not only from the girl but also from the mother who was naturally horrified at her daughters unfounded allegation. Yesterday, back at the same school, I spotted the girl as she walked into my classroom. When she had settled down, I placed a rubber on her desk and said with a smile, "Here, borrow this, we all make mistakes". At the end of the lesson when she returned the rubber she thanked me for giving her an easy time. I wish that I could have said the same in return.
PS I still have the letters