Everyone But Us

Seven // Mrs. Pauline

Mrs. Pauline (Math teacher)

Teaching high school kids was a blast, just not the kids from year seven to ten. They bored me to death. It was the older two year levels that made me stay here as a teacher. They were confident, knew where the effing classrooms were, had settled into high school and often, had settled into themselves.

The bad side about their confidence was that they didn't care about tardiness. They were always late. It pissed me off to no extent. My year eleven's were the worst, with only one student ever turning up before or in time with me.

Harlow Lockett. She was this almost tall, almost stick-thin girl who liked to keep to herself. She was a pleasure to teach, even though she couldn't do maths to save herself. I couldn't figure out why. She was a smart girl, but numbers were not her strong suit.

I had been considering pairing her up with someone to tutor her, but she I doubt she would like that much. Her class was full of assholes or idiots, except maybe two; Eli Quell and Jarrah Hale. They were both nice boys and would be fine tutors but I had the feeling that Harlow would hate to be assigned one. I didn't know her very well, but she struck me as the type of girl who had to do everything all by herself.

So I left it for the time being and just tried to help her out in class. It was unfortunate that she did not understand my teaching method, even when I tried to explain whatever it was she was trying to learn from a different angle.

I was helping her on a question on matrices on Friday morning while the class was going wild. It was nearly the weekend which meant that they would not shut up. Harlow was getting frustrated and when she was frustrated she just shut down, making it all the more difficult to help her.

"I think I've got it, Mrs. Pauline. Thanks." She gave me a weak attempt at a smile as she spoke. Something you learn as you teach is when your students are lying. It was like a survival tactic; Teaching 101, if you will. But times like these I just let the lies slide. If she didn't want to try I wasn't about to make her. There was no point.

I nodded and headed back to my desk at the front of the room, looking at my watch before looking up at the class. Harlow and Jarrah were the only two working. I needed to change that.

I clapped my hands to get their attention, and then carefully folded my arms across my chest. "You can be as loud as you want in your next class and at recess but I need you all to get some work done. I know it's almost the weekend but if you don't finish this chapter, it'll become homework. And I will check it." I eyed the regular kids who were tardy with their homework, satisfied when they looked scared. "Fifteen minutes of silence, guys. Starting now."

I smiled when they all shut their mouths and opened their textbooks. They worked to my standards for the rest of the class and I think a few of them might have actually finished. That's an achievement for this lot.

"Times up," I called, standing up. "You are free to go."

I started to put my books in my handbag as every student rushed out the door, every one of them except for Harlow and Jarrah. Harlow was frowning over her book and Jarrah was standing behind her, observing.

I slowed my pack up, looking at how the two of them interacted. If it was a success, I'd assign him as a tutor.

"Hey," Jarrah said, startling Harlow. She jumped a little, looking up at him with a questioning face. "If you do this..." He started to explain, picking her pencil out of her hands and writing something in her book. Her eyes lingered on his face before turning down to the page, following the pencil. "...It makes it easier. You were doing it the long way. Here, you try."

She got her pencil back and hesitated, before attempting whatever the question was.

It occurred to me that I had completely stopped doing what I was doing to watch. It's something you didn't see every day; a year eleven student helping out another for nothing. Or maybe he did want something.

Harlow put the pencil down and Jarrah looked over it with a smile. "See? It's not too bad, is it?"

She shook her head and then began to pack up her books. I resumed doing the same thing and Jarrah didn't leave like I expected him to.

"You know, I'm happy to help you with maths if you need it. I'm kind of good at this stuff." He shrugged as if he hadn't dropped 100% in his tests this semester.

"Thank you," she said quietly, standing up with her books.

"She can talk!" Jarrah beamed as they started walking towards the door. I wondered what that was about.

"I can," she confirmed, then turned to me. "Thanks Mrs. Pauline."

"Yeah, thanks!" Jarrah added, and then they were out the door.

Maybe I wouldn't have to assign Harlow a tutor. I think Jarrah just did that himself. It was nice to see a kind, seemingly unselfish boy around these days. They were one in a million.

I slug my handbag over my good shoulder and walked out of the classroom, to seventh grade biology.

Where's a gun when you need one?