The Second Year

I don't remember much about Second Grade.

By all accounts, Mrs. Mathieu was a kind and patient teacher, two necessary qualities to teach second grade.

However, I might have been a handful. On the grading scale used at that time a 1 was good and a 4 was bad, but surprisingly not the worst.

The explanation of the code numbers reveals:

1. Effort and progress are high.
2. Effort and progress are satisfactory.
3. Effort and progress are unsatisfactory for promotion.
4. Progressing, but has ability to do better.

So, was a 3 worse than a 4? You would think that a 3 would be progressing and a 4 unsatisfactory. Very confusing!

However, back to the story. I received 1's and 2's in academics, and a solid strip of 4's in Citizenship, especially Observing School Rules.

What rules? We don't need no stinking rules!

Ah, perhaps that kind of thinking was part of the problem.