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Dec. 17th, 2017 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fry_sandhuMiss Owlswick was a very different teacher from Mr Mags.
It has taken a few weeks for Fry to get used to her. A few of his classmates had thought that a teaching student might be a pushover, but Miss Owlswick is anything but. Her first action in the class was to fire JJ as Class President, immediately after half term, after hearing him boasting that he got there by bribing everyone.
"Who was second?" Miss Owlswick had enquired. "Anna and Bethany tied? Well, in that case Anna is Class President for the rest of this term, and Bethany the half term after Christmas."
This had pleased both Anna and Bethany immensely. JJ, surprisingly, was not too upset. He later admitted that he hadn't expected to get away with bribery in the first place.
Her second act was to lay down the law when she caught Ben winding Fry up by blowing on the back of his hair while he was trying to work. Although she hadn't taught any students with Fry's particular needs before, she had taken plenty of advice from Mr Irons, who was mentoring her, and knew that this was not an innocent bit of teasing on Ben's part.
"If you can't get on with your work without disturbing other students, perhaps I better send you to sit with the infants." she said, fixing Ben with a stare through her thick glasses.
Ten minutes later, when Ben had assumed she was bluffing, she carried out the threat.
That was the moment when Fry decided he liked Miss Owlswick a lot.
Which made it harder when he got into trouble.
***
"Why did Fry kick off today?" Dad asks, when Miss Owlswick catches him at the end of the day to tell him.
"I gave him a note to take home because he keeps taking his shoes off in class when he's been told not to." Miss Owlswick says. "And he had a meltdown."
Dad grimaces. Fry hasn't ever yet had the dreaded 'note to take home'. Most of his teachers have either gone soft on him or talked to Dad directly.
"Oh yeah, he wouldn't like that. Did he say why he was taking his shoes off?"
"No, and I did ask him." the teacher says. "He only said Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald used to let him."
"Okay, well if Mr Mags used to let him, that may be why he's doing it." Dad says. "But he started doing it one other time because his shoes were too tight. I'll find out whether he needs new shoes."
"I asked him that, and he said no." Miss Owlswick says.
"He would." Dad says. "Because if he admits they're tight he'll have to have new shoes, and he doesn't like new shoes. Remember I told you that he won't tell you if he's in pain because he's afraid of ice?"
"I felt he had to have a note the same as any other child." Miss Owlswick says, hesitantly, fearing that Dad is about to tell her off.
"And I support you giving him the note if that's what you felt you needed to do." Dad says, to her surprise.
A few minutes later, with a little encouragement, Miss Owlswick goes back to the fish tank where Fry is calming down.
"Alexander."
Fry glances around.
"If your shoes are too tight, you must tell your father so he can get you new shoes. If they are not too tight, you must do as you are told in class. You could hurt your feet if you walk around the class with no shoes off."
"Mr Mags did." Fry says.
"Miss Havisham and Mr Irons did not let you take off your shoes in their class. I do not allow it in mine." Miss Owlswick says. "Are your shoes too tight?"
"No." Fry says.
"Then you must wear them." Miss Owlswick says, but not unkindly. "You are a big boy of nine, Fry. Next year you will be in the top juniors. You must learn good habits now." She hands him back the note. "Take the note to your father, wear your shoes, and we'll say no more about it."
It has taken a few weeks for Fry to get used to her. A few of his classmates had thought that a teaching student might be a pushover, but Miss Owlswick is anything but. Her first action in the class was to fire JJ as Class President, immediately after half term, after hearing him boasting that he got there by bribing everyone.
"Who was second?" Miss Owlswick had enquired. "Anna and Bethany tied? Well, in that case Anna is Class President for the rest of this term, and Bethany the half term after Christmas."
This had pleased both Anna and Bethany immensely. JJ, surprisingly, was not too upset. He later admitted that he hadn't expected to get away with bribery in the first place.
Her second act was to lay down the law when she caught Ben winding Fry up by blowing on the back of his hair while he was trying to work. Although she hadn't taught any students with Fry's particular needs before, she had taken plenty of advice from Mr Irons, who was mentoring her, and knew that this was not an innocent bit of teasing on Ben's part.
"If you can't get on with your work without disturbing other students, perhaps I better send you to sit with the infants." she said, fixing Ben with a stare through her thick glasses.
Ten minutes later, when Ben had assumed she was bluffing, she carried out the threat.
That was the moment when Fry decided he liked Miss Owlswick a lot.
Which made it harder when he got into trouble.
***
"Why did Fry kick off today?" Dad asks, when Miss Owlswick catches him at the end of the day to tell him.
"I gave him a note to take home because he keeps taking his shoes off in class when he's been told not to." Miss Owlswick says. "And he had a meltdown."
Dad grimaces. Fry hasn't ever yet had the dreaded 'note to take home'. Most of his teachers have either gone soft on him or talked to Dad directly.
"Oh yeah, he wouldn't like that. Did he say why he was taking his shoes off?"
"No, and I did ask him." the teacher says. "He only said Mr Magnesium-Fitzgerald used to let him."
"Okay, well if Mr Mags used to let him, that may be why he's doing it." Dad says. "But he started doing it one other time because his shoes were too tight. I'll find out whether he needs new shoes."
"I asked him that, and he said no." Miss Owlswick says.
"He would." Dad says. "Because if he admits they're tight he'll have to have new shoes, and he doesn't like new shoes. Remember I told you that he won't tell you if he's in pain because he's afraid of ice?"
"I felt he had to have a note the same as any other child." Miss Owlswick says, hesitantly, fearing that Dad is about to tell her off.
"And I support you giving him the note if that's what you felt you needed to do." Dad says, to her surprise.
A few minutes later, with a little encouragement, Miss Owlswick goes back to the fish tank where Fry is calming down.
"Alexander."
Fry glances around.
"If your shoes are too tight, you must tell your father so he can get you new shoes. If they are not too tight, you must do as you are told in class. You could hurt your feet if you walk around the class with no shoes off."
"Mr Mags did." Fry says.
"Miss Havisham and Mr Irons did not let you take off your shoes in their class. I do not allow it in mine." Miss Owlswick says. "Are your shoes too tight?"
"No." Fry says.
"Then you must wear them." Miss Owlswick says, but not unkindly. "You are a big boy of nine, Fry. Next year you will be in the top juniors. You must learn good habits now." She hands him back the note. "Take the note to your father, wear your shoes, and we'll say no more about it."
