“Mr. Newton, are you being a tattle tail right now?” Mrs. Prosser sighed as she strode into her classroom full of first graders, and sat on her wooden stool.
“Well. . .” David trailed off.
“You know that I don’t tolerate tattletales, and I also don’t tolerate the use of that ‘b’ word.” Mrs. Prosser explained. “Why don’t you try telling me again, but this time sitting down and raising your hand.”
David’s hand shot up, and with the same amount of enthusiasm he announced, “Emily glued her bu — I mean BOTTOM to the chair.”
Elmer’s glue: a washable PVAC-based adhesive and a staple of elementary education, …show more content…
Prosser said? The stunned reactions from the class made me doubt my actions. Did I do something wrong? I was just doing what she asked.
David confirmed my fears. “OHHH, I’m going to tell Mrs. Prosser what you did! You’re going to be in so much trouble, Emily!”
There was no point in me trying to defend myself against David. Instead, I sat with my head buried in my arms, quietly waiting for the inevitable return of Mrs. Prosser.
The ordeal resulted in a private talk in the hallway where I was patiently taught what a figure of speech was. After a few tears, we returned to the classroom where the worst thing that could happen to a first grader happened: my card was pulled from green to blue, resulting in a call home to my parents, and more tears.
Nine years later, not much had changed. Both Mrs. Prosser and I still went to the same school. One day on my way to lunch, I passed a little kid with a dried white substance on the seat of his pants. Seconds later I passed Mrs. Prosser, my favorite elementary teacher. She stopped and informed me that she had decided to retire the phrase, “glue your bottom to your chair.” The smell of Elmer’s glue never fails to bring a smile to my