of desks and they'll go all the way back. Oh, Roger, I can't wait to stand here and see all the children's faces." Leaning against him, she sighed. "It's going to be so perfect."
Roger chuckled as memories of his own schooling played in his head. "Honey, nothing is perfect. You'll have children who want to learn, and those who would prefer being out in the fields than sitting behind any desk. How do you plan on keeping control of rowdy students?"
"What do you mean? Children are supposed to be good in school."
"Surely you saw a few misbehave when you attended school?"
"Of course but I'm not going to worry about that. I'll just remind them to behave."
Roger knew an opportunity when he saw one. "Let me play teacher for a moment, all right?" Before she could answer, he walked to the front and drew her down as he sat on the floor, pulling her onto his lap as he leaned against the wall. He looked down into her upturned face and smiled. "Are you ready for your lesson, little girl?"
"Is it a fun lesson?" she asked with a smile. "I want to make school fun. We'll go on explorations outside to learn about plants, and we'll have plays where the children can dress up. Don't you think that would make learning history so much more exciting?"
"I do," Roger conceded. "But in order to be able to make all those plans work, you are going to need to have your students' respect—"
"I'm the teacher, of course I'll have their respect," she interrupted.
"That's a nice sentiment, sweetheart, but not necessarily true. Respect isn't something that is just given. It is something that is earned. I'm afraid you'll have to demonstrate that you are quite serious about good behavior a few times before some of the children take you seriously."
"I'm sure you are wrong. After all, while your cows might be stubborn, these are children. I'm sure their parents have taught them to be good."
"Like your parents taught you?"
"Exactly. Barbara and I both knew that if we misbehaved in school, we'd be in trouble when we got home. I swear, Pa knew we'd gotten into mischief before we could get through the door!"
"And what would he do when you were naughty?" Roger asked.
"Ma would lecture and Pa would span…" she stopped mid-sentence, her cheeks pinkening. "Roger, are you talking about school or…"
"I'm Mr. Morrison, your teacher," he reminded her.
"I don't think this is a fun lesson," she said, giving a dramatic sigh.
"It might not be fun but it is important. I love your excitement, but you need to understand that it will be necessary for you to be a good role model. If you ignore safety or shrug off rules, then I'm afraid you'll have nothing but chaos." When she opened her mouth, he quickly continued. "Imagine that you've taken your class out into the woods. You are teaching about, oh, I don't know, some plant that has berries—"
"That's a great idea," she interrupted again. "We can take some pails and pick them."
Sighing, he shook his head. "Please just let me finish?" At her nod, he did so. "These aren't good berries… you tell your students that they are poisonous but since your students have seen you ignore the warnings of others, some kids pick them anyway, and eat them."
"But I just told them they are poisonous!"
"Tessa, that's what I'm trying to teach you. I asked you to wait and then yelled for you to stop, but you ignored me. You could have really hurt yourself if you'd fallen down those stairs and—"
"But I didn't…"
He moved a hand to press against her hip, giving her a small swat. "Teresa Goldman, I am not finished and have already asked you to stop interrupting. Do I need to turn you over my knee?"
"You wouldn't!"
"I assure you, I would. We've discussed this before—"
"I'll stop interrupting," she said. "Go on." He wondered if she even realized she'd just interrupted him yet again. Deciding that he needed to finish his lesson, he continued.
"All I'm saying is that if you want your students, their parents, and the committee to
Roger chuckled as memories of his own schooling played in his head. "Honey, nothing is perfect. You'll have children who want to learn, and those who would prefer being out in the fields than sitting behind any desk. How do you plan on keeping control of rowdy students?"
"What do you mean? Children are supposed to be good in school."
"Surely you saw a few misbehave when you attended school?"
"Of course but I'm not going to worry about that. I'll just remind them to behave."
Roger knew an opportunity when he saw one. "Let me play teacher for a moment, all right?" Before she could answer, he walked to the front and drew her down as he sat on the floor, pulling her onto his lap as he leaned against the wall. He looked down into her upturned face and smiled. "Are you ready for your lesson, little girl?"
"Is it a fun lesson?" she asked with a smile. "I want to make school fun. We'll go on explorations outside to learn about plants, and we'll have plays where the children can dress up. Don't you think that would make learning history so much more exciting?"
"I do," Roger conceded. "But in order to be able to make all those plans work, you are going to need to have your students' respect—"
"I'm the teacher, of course I'll have their respect," she interrupted.
"That's a nice sentiment, sweetheart, but not necessarily true. Respect isn't something that is just given. It is something that is earned. I'm afraid you'll have to demonstrate that you are quite serious about good behavior a few times before some of the children take you seriously."
"I'm sure you are wrong. After all, while your cows might be stubborn, these are children. I'm sure their parents have taught them to be good."
"Like your parents taught you?"
"Exactly. Barbara and I both knew that if we misbehaved in school, we'd be in trouble when we got home. I swear, Pa knew we'd gotten into mischief before we could get through the door!"
"And what would he do when you were naughty?" Roger asked.
"Ma would lecture and Pa would span…" she stopped mid-sentence, her cheeks pinkening. "Roger, are you talking about school or…"
"I'm Mr. Morrison, your teacher," he reminded her.
"I don't think this is a fun lesson," she said, giving a dramatic sigh.
"It might not be fun but it is important. I love your excitement, but you need to understand that it will be necessary for you to be a good role model. If you ignore safety or shrug off rules, then I'm afraid you'll have nothing but chaos." When she opened her mouth, he quickly continued. "Imagine that you've taken your class out into the woods. You are teaching about, oh, I don't know, some plant that has berries—"
"That's a great idea," she interrupted again. "We can take some pails and pick them."
Sighing, he shook his head. "Please just let me finish?" At her nod, he did so. "These aren't good berries… you tell your students that they are poisonous but since your students have seen you ignore the warnings of others, some kids pick them anyway, and eat them."
"But I just told them they are poisonous!"
"Tessa, that's what I'm trying to teach you. I asked you to wait and then yelled for you to stop, but you ignored me. You could have really hurt yourself if you'd fallen down those stairs and—"
"But I didn't…"
He moved a hand to press against her hip, giving her a small swat. "Teresa Goldman, I am not finished and have already asked you to stop interrupting. Do I need to turn you over my knee?"
"You wouldn't!"
"I assure you, I would. We've discussed this before—"
"I'll stop interrupting," she said. "Go on." He wondered if she even realized she'd just interrupted him yet again. Deciding that he needed to finish his lesson, he continued.
"All I'm saying is that if you want your students, their parents, and the committee to
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