Lesson in Algebra




A symbol of one of my favorite teachers
of all time is this collection of
algebraic equations.

  There is one day in my algebra class in eighth grade that I remember quite clearly.  My teacher was speaking in terms of numbers and variables, as algebra teachers do, in the front of the room.  I was not paying an ounce of attention, sitting in the front of the room, doodling the letters "LSU" on my calender in gold and purple, and chewing gum, the worst offense of all in this class.  When it became noticed that I was actively ignoring the lesson and munching away on my forbidden piece of gum, I was told to spit it out - my warning for the day, for the second time I would have gum in one class period I was punished by getting my one-fifth of a refferal to the dean called a "step."  I rolled my eyes when he told me to spit it out, but did it anyway.  When I sat back down, I - rather stupidly - took out another piece of gum and began chewing it, and I continued my doodling.  I chewed that gum and ignored the lesson some more, and eventually, I got what was coming to me.  My teacher stormed over to my desk, batted the calender with my LSU doodle into the wall, and said, "Spit out your gum, put your name in my book, and quit drawing in my class."  My eyes, I tell you, were saucers, for I'd never seen him lose his temper before.  I slowly got up, face red and almost in tears from being yelled at, and did as I was told.  However, though I was ashamed of the way I'd treated my teacher, I tried my hardest to create the illusion that I was majorly annoyed by the whole thing.  Ha!  I'm sure that the effect was not as close as I would have liked at the time for my fellow students.  Everyone was staring at either me or my teacher.  I did what he wanted after that; I did my work and said not a word.  What sets this particular man apart from other teachers was what he did later.  Before we left algebra class, my teacher addressed me once more.  He formally and sincerely apologized for what he did, in front of the entire class.  Wow.  I mean, this was totally unexpected.  Most teachers that I'd seen yell or lose their temper would just leave it be, leaving us corrected and in line.  This man did not.  When he apologized, it brought him to a level that exposed him as just another human being, not an authoratative figure.

His doing all of this taught me through example that we should always recognize when we mess up, and if we mess up publicly, to apologize publicly.  This is precisely what he did, and looking back at that day now, I see a great role model who stands out in my past like a bright blue gem in the midst of grey monotonous dust that is society.  Always be sincere.  Always apologize, no matter when or where or in front of whom.  Doing so rather raises the opinion of others on one's charachter, and it also helps relationships with friends and family stay strong and good.