David Rovics writes Raising Leila:
"What I remember about first grade was that I learned that my needs, feelings and desires didn’t matter. I learned that doing what the teacher wanted was all that mattered, and I learned that this was impossible to do. I felt helpless, confused, and afraid most of the time. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one in the class feeling that way. It was my first experience with a classroom setting with desks and all that, and it was a potentially spirit-killing experience."What I remember about first grade is that the teacher made me stand at the front of the class and said I was skinny. She made me have my mother write a note with what I had for breakfast each morning.
So my mom and I made up breakfasts each morning and wrote her notes.
- Scrambled eggs, with sausage and toast.
- A stack of pankakes
- French Toast with strawberries
All kinds of things that as a first grader I would never have for breakfast.
The teacher's name was Mrs. Gorski and she was an old witch. It was a horrible first grade experience.
Second grade was much better...
The next trauma for me in school was when a Junior High School teacher threw me against the lockers for walking in the hall between classes. Threw me... into the lockers. It hurt.
I had a hall pass.
Ironic.
What do you remember from school?
