When I had asked why they were taking English, a boy said: "To help us in real life." — Bel Kaufman

A teacher is frequently the only adult in the pupil's environment who treats him with respect.

My words never reached him; I could almost hear them drop, one by one, like so many pebbles against a closed window.

How can I take seriously such mimeographed absurdities as "Lateness due to absence," "High under-achiever," and "Polio consent slips"?

—SylDear Syl,

I'll match yours any day with "Please disregard the following."

—Bea