The Math Teacher

It was a Monday morning and Scarlett was skipping into Heart School Elementary with her best friend Willow. Scarlett was super happy today because she was going to see her cousin’s after school. Scarlett walked to her classroom with Willow. They walked into class together and sat in their seats. Scarlett and Willow sat across from each other. They talked to each other a lot. Everyone was talking now. There teacher, Miss Katie, announced that it was time for math. Everyone stopped talking immediately. Miss Katie was the sweetest teacher ever. She also was super helpful. Miss Katie wrote the math problems on the board and told them to solve the math problems. Scarlett copied them on her slate. She solved the problems in a split second. ‘These problems are so easy.” Scarlett thought to herself. “ Why are the problems only addition and subtraction.” she thought to herself.

The whole math time Scarlett thought that the problems were too easy. For the whole day Scarlett hoped the problems would get a little harder the next day. Scarlett and Willow walked to the bus together.

Scarlett walked into school with Willow the next day. Like Miss Katie did every day she wrote the problems on the board. The problems were way different today. They were multiplication. Today the problems didn’t take her a split second. It took her forever to solve them. Scarlett’s wish came true, the problems got harder, but they got a lot harder. During the middle of math class when Scarlett was still solving the problems Miss Katie came over and asked her “ Do you need help Scarlett?” Scarlett didn’t know what to say. She never needed help. “I guess so.” Scarlett replied in the tiniest voice she could manage. Miss Katie walked with Scarlett to the back table. Miss Katie tried to teach Scarlett all the tricks for multiplication. Miss Katie and Scarlett worked together during math the whole time.

At the end of math Scarlett walked back to her seat. She was too embarrassed to show her face. At the end of the day when it was time to pack up Miss Katie told Scarlett “If you have any problems with the homework we can work on it together.” “Ok.” Scarlett whispered back as quiet as a mouse. Scarlett met Willow at the door to walk to the bus like they did every day. Today Scarlett didn’t want to walk with anybody but herself. Especially someone from her class. That night Scarlett didn’t understand the homework. She didn’t want her teacher to help her because it would be to embarrassing.

As Scarlett handed in her homework Miss Katie came over. “How was the homework last night.” Miss Katie asked Scarlett as Scarlett handed Miss Katie the homework instead of tossing it in the basket. “It was really hard.” Scarlett admitted. Scarlett knew that if she needed help she had to say she needed it. “Do you want to work on it together when we have free time?”

Miss Katie asked Scarlett. “Ok.” Scarlett replied. Miss Katie snatched a marker out of a bin and started checking it. Scarlett could see all the corrections being made on her paper. “Here.” Miss Katie said handing Scarlett her paperback. “We can work on it.” Miss Katie said. “Ok” Scarlett replied. Scarlett was about to walk back to her desk and then Miss Katie stopped her. “Come sit with me.” Miss Katie insisted without letting Scarlett replied. They sat together again that day and Miss Katie really helped Scarlett understand the work.

Over and Over again Scarlett and Miss Katie worked together. Scarlett got used to working with Miss katie. Everyday Scarlett walked into school unpacked and went to the back and gave Miss Katie her homework. She wasn’t embarrassed anymore when she went back to her desk at the end of math. Scarlett still didn’t understand the work and Miss Katie was doing her best to help. Miss Katie especially noticed when she was grading Scarlett’s test.

Miss Katie handed back her test and Scarlett looked at it. She started to cry. She had gotten something wrong on every problem. As the tears rolled down Scarlett’s face Miss Katie whispered “It’s ok,” “I spoke to your mom and…. She said that she was going to practice with you at home.” Miss Katie felt very nervous that Scarlett was going to put too much pressure on herself.

When Scarlett walked into her house and put her school bag down. She skipped into her kitchen and sat down. She practiced division for two hours and the practiced multiplication for two hours. When she finally went to bed her mom told her that she was so proud of her. Scarlett’s mom kissed her on the head and left the room. Scarlett sat there looking at the ceiling and then Scarlett repeated her mom’s words in her head and she finally fell asleep.

Scarlett walked into the classroom the next day and she told Miss Katie she had worked on math for four hours yesterday. Miss Katie hugged Scarlett and then whispered in her ear “I am so proud of you.” Scarlett kept working on the math flash cards at home.

Scarlett kept getting mad minutes back, tests, and open responses. She kept getting things wrong but that made her more determined. Miss Katie and Scarlett worked together when they had free time and when they were doing math. Miss Katie noticed how Scarlett was still having trouble. Scarlett took a test the day after New Year’s and when she got it back everything was wrong. Scarlett didn’t understand. She had practiced forever on all the math. All her hard work was for nothing. Scarlett looked at the paper for what seemed like a million years. Why had all her hard work not padded off? I don’t get it I really wanted to get this test right. Scarlett stood rooted to the ground like a tree whose roots would be stuck there forever.

That same day Miss Katie said that it was ok. Scarlett knew that was just a lie to try and make her feel better. Scarlett walked to her seat. She knew she was supposed to sit with Miss Katie right now because they had free time. Scarlett didn’t care. Miss Katie tried to stop Scarlett but Scarlett left Miss Katie as fast as a cheetah. Scarlett sat at her desk and then Willow said “Is everything ok.” Willow and Scarlett hadn’t talked to each other in a long time. It felt nice for Scarlett to hear Willow’s voice. “I guess so.” Scarlett replied even though she knew it wasn’t true. When Scarlett got home she kept practicing her math. She was still determined to get everything right on a test. Weeks and months passed and Scarlett kept practicing. She was determined to get all the problems right in one test.

Weeks and months passed and Scarlett kept practicing. She was determined to get all the problems right in one test.
Then just like that it happened. Scarlett walked into school and heard they were taking the biggest test today. Scarlett painecked. Was she ready she thought to herself. She took the test and she was painecking the whole time. When she finished she handed it in. She was hoping she would get all the problems right. She knew she messed something up. “Oh know.” she was thinking to herself. “Why does it have to be today?” Scarlett whispered to herself. She took the test and they had so many problems. It took every one in the class 2 hours.

When Scarlett walked into the class the next day. She was going to get the big test back today. When Scarlett walked into the classroom Miss Katie had a ginormous smile on her face. “Everyone did wonderful on the test.” Miss Katie explained to the class.

Miss Katie started to hand out everyone’s test. Soon everyone in the class had a huge smile on their face from their tests except for Scarlett. Scarlett looked like she was about to cry. She didn’t want to see her test. What would happen if I failed the test, she thought to herself. Would she have to stay in third grade for another year. Finally Miss Katie screamed “Scarlett.” from the front of the room. Scarlett walked as slow as a snail to the front and snatched her test off Miss Katie’s desk. Scarlett flipped through her test. Every problem was right and it had a star next to it. She had gotten a 80 out of 80. Scarlett never gave up on herself ever again.