Friday Fiction: "It Can't Be That Hard!"

This a tribute to all those who do more than teach reading and counting day after day. It takes more than an college degree to be a good teacher.

Go to Just Another Clay Pot for more great writing.


"It Can't Be That Hard"


"Are you sure you don't want a helper, Miss Perkins?"

"Oh, I'll be fine. I taught twenty fifth-graders for three months in my student internship. It can't be that hard to handle four kindergarteners for a few hours."

"I don't know. Well, I'll check on you later. Call my office if you change your mind."

"Don't worry about me, Mr. Simmons. We'll be fine."

"Okay, if you say so."

"I can't wait to use some of the things I learned in college, like cooperative study groups and creative freestyle writing."

"I never heard of those. You can try those new methods, as long as the children learn to read and count. You call me, if you need help."

"Good morning, Bobby. Welcome to kindergarten. I'm so glad that you will be here all morning with me. No, don't cry…"

"He's such a sensitive boy, Miss Perkins. He's never been anywhere without me."

"Don't worry, Mrs. Schwartz, he'll be fine in a few minutes...I hope..."

"Hey, I'm Scotty! Are you the teacher? I just had a birthday. I'm five. How old are you? I bet you're over a hundred!"

"Good to meet you, Scotty...a hundred ?... This will be your desk, right here...No, you don't need to look in everyone's desk. This one is yours."

"Hello? Miss Perkins?”

“Yes, Ma’am, may I help you?”

“This is my little Sarah. If she …uh…has a...an accident...there's an extra pair of undies in her backpack. She's so shy around…uh…strangers that she doesn't always speak up when she has to go."

"Oh...okay...an accident ?... Thanks for telling me. I'm sure we'll become good friends in no time."

"Hey! That's mine! Mrs. Perkins, that fat boy hit me and took my new pencil!"

"First of all, Scotty, we don't call people mean names in this classroom."

"He's mean to me. He took my pencil."

"Good morning, Tommy. Give the pencil back to Scotty. We need to respect other people's property here at school."

"I hate it here. It's dumb!"

"Tommy, we are all going to be friends and not fight, right?"

"Miss Perkins, my mommy gave me some Gummy Bears. Can I eat them now?"

"No, Scotty. You have to wait for snack time, in one hour."

"That's forever!"

"Not really... it sure feels like it ... When the hour hand...the short stick gets to the nine...to right here...then we will have recess and a snack."

"It will take forever!"

"Oh, don't cry, Bobby. We are going to have lots of fun today."

"Miss Perkins, Sarah smells funny. Peee-ew!"

"Oh, no... Sarah, come with me. I'll help you in the ladies' room."

"Sarah is a stinky pants. Sarah is…"

"Now, Tommy, that's enough! You boys sit still and look at these books while I'm gone."

"Can we have a snack while you're gone?"

"No, Scotty, I want you to be super-duper quiet for just a few minutes, okay...please?"

"I'll try, but don't be gone forever."

"This book is dumb. I want yours."

"Hey, give that back!"

"No, you can't make me. I'll punch you in the nose."

"Give it back!"

"Now you've done it. You ripped the dumb book."

"I'll tell Miss Perkins that you took it."

"Tell me what? Can't I leave you for five minutes?"

"You were gone forever!"

"Scotty, sit down... Tommy, give me that book... Bobby..."

"Waaa..."

"What a crybaby! Bobby is a sissyface. Bobby is a sissyface."

"Boys! Boys!"

"Miss Perkins, is everything okay? Someone reported yelling coming from your room."

"Oh, Mr. Simmons, you were right! I can't do this! We haven't even touched one thing on my agenda. This is too hard; I need help!"