Kids started to pile into a classroom at the end of a long hallway. The door read 'Ms. B. Clark' in white letters on a small black sign attached about three quarters up from the floor. Underneath was a sign that said 'ENGLISH' in black block letters a little larger than the name tag above. Below that about halfway up the door was a sheet of paper with a list of allergies.
Cats
Seafood
Peanuts
Tree nuts
Mangos
the sheet said with the words down a list each perfectly centred.
As the class of grade eights settled in, Ms. Clark began her lesson. They were about halfway through the semester and still had a lot of work left to do.
Ms. Clark was a good teacher, she wasn't strict but also not so laid back that the students didn't do any work. The teacher wasn't quite middle aged but was in her early thirties. Ms. Clark was a little on the short and curvier side with a cute, round baby face. Her blonde hair reached her mid back, she wore light makeup and almost always had a smile on her face. Most students would say Ms. Clark was their favourite teacher because of how caring she was and how she made her lessons enjoyable.
"As we step into more difficult novels a dictionary, yes those thick books in the corner of the classroom, will come in handy." Ms. Clark spoke to her class.
"Can't we just use our phones?" A curly brown haired kid named Jeromy groaned. "We all have them."
The class of twenty four all looked around at each other and nodded.
"Cellphones aren't allowed at tests or your semester-end exam, might I remind you is in two months. Practice how you'll play." Ms. Clark told her class.
"Do I need to spend a class teaching all of you how to read a dictionary or maybe even open a book for that matter."
The class laughed. Not that Ms. Clark's joke was particularly funny but the class as a whole just thought that even the idea of a book was ancient.
Ms. Clark held a dictionary up to the class. The desks were lined up neatly. Six kids in each row with a total of four rows. The desks were paired so everyone had a partner.
"Most books have a blurb in the back which gives a brief description of the book." Ms. Clark began, complete seriousness in her voice but humour in the lesson.
"The blurb is on the back of a book, so to start reading you have to turn it over to the front." Ms. Clark said holding the book for the class to see the cover.
"The book in my hand is called a dictionary and it's different from other books. Can anyone tell me why?"
Almost the whole class put their hands up. Ms. Clark liked to tease her class at times and today was no exception.
"Janie I saw your hand go up first."
A shorter brunette girl with braces started to speak. "It has like all the words and their meaning. So if you don't know like a word, you can just look it up in that."
"Yeah or your phone," Jeromy interrupted. "I mean you're not always going to have a dictionary on you but hey I always have my phone with me."
Jeromy often interrupted his teachers, and was even held back a year in kindergarten making him a year older than the other students.
"Another interruption and your phone will be in my desk." Ms. Clark said sternly.
Oohs and aahs erupted throughout the class.
