From Seed to Apple | Page 19

Thanks, Mrs. P Teaching is all about connecting Barney Peterson, Northwest ESD 189 Regional Teacher of the Year Everett School District | James Monroe Elementary School I t was early September of 1995 as I took the class list from my office mailbox and hurried back to the classroom, fleeing wellmeaning offers by fellow teachers to review my student names and tell me all about them. I try to form my own first impressions, but somebody had already blown the whistle on Jerry: “Oh, you’ve got that kid. Well, good luck with him and that father of his!” The next six weeks were punctuated by angry phone calls from Jerry’s dad, Mr. B. First the assignments were too long, and then the books weren’t “stuff kids can read.” Or there were too many math facts to be practiced. Something seemed to come up at least once each week. Finally, I told Mr. B that I would not talk to him again unless it was a conference call. He got too angry and I wanted a witness to the things that were said. Two days later the school secretary called my room after dismissal, saying that Mr. B was on the phone. I requested that she transfer the call to the principal’s office and I would go there to take it. I picked up the phone in the office and said, “Hello, Mr. B, this is Mrs. Peterson. How can I help you?” “Am I on a speaker phone?” he blurted angrily. “Yes sir, you are. I told you I would talk with you only by conference call from now on.” The sound of the phone crashing down rattled in my ear! That I arrive at school very early in the morning is well-known in our community, and sometimes parents take advantage of the opportunity for an informal confe ɕ