[Sidenote: Sensitiveness]
Andrew had been taught mainly at home until he had finished the work of
the grades. It had been a long time since he attended school. One
morning in the class in arithmetic in the Edgerton High School, Andrew
blurted out to his teacher, “I don’t like to have you talk about my
mistakes the way you do.”
Everybody was shocked, including the teacher, a man of experience and
large physical equipment.
“Why, what is the matter, Andrew?” said the teacher.
Immediately Andrew continued, “You just make a fool of me when I am
trying to solve problems on the blackboard.”
The point was that Andrew had been offended because of the just
criticisms of his teacher when reviewing Andrew’s blackboard work before
the class.
The teacher soon formed an opinion as to what was the matter with the
boy, and immediately delivered a caustic and sensational lecture.
The substance of it is the following: “Andrew, you have come to this
school thinking that you know about all there is to know. You have come
here as a spoiled boy, and you will have to be taken down in proper
fashion unless you change your attitude. The thing for you to do is to
keep your mouth shut and do what you are told to do. If you can’t do
this, we will make the way easy for you to step out of school.”