The Learning Curve

Walking into the classroom on the first day of 8th grade I had fully expected to begin a year of social studies with Mr. Grove. However, as the class filtered into the room and found their way to their seats joking and laughing with their friends I noticed an unfamiliar face up at the teaching podium. He was short, stout and covered in scraggily red hair, this was Mr. Timothy Locke. Every student has had an experience with an intern. Normally a straight out of college, hardworking, educationally devoted, and persisant young fellows, these figures are normally remembered by their students for many years after their year together is over. Mr. Locke was no exception, and it was only a matter of a few days before the new social studies intern had become the talk of the grade.

He was quirky, monotone, and was never caught without wearing a pair of tan carthearts and a lumberjack flannel. Mr. Locke had not doubt received an adequate education but he had a very bizarre method of delivering it. He would often times crouch into a squat position, much like a baseball catcher would and place his index finger and thumb on his chin as to ponder the ideas in class discussion. Needless to say my friends had mastered his signature maneuver so we could crack jokes about him whoever we were out of class. I feel as though Mr. Locke always knew when we would make fun of him because he would often express sayings like, “I sense a lot of disrespect in this classroom,” or, “you guys are hurting my feelings,” always in an extremely sensitive tone.