Chrome Teacher

Ms. Chrompton is going to teach us, Monday. Mrs. Robinson teaches us now, and she is like a grandmother to us. She is just fitting for us, just as mommy told me; she is fitting for our little Holly Grove school house where flowers are all about, making every day look like Easter Sunday. She lets us help pick the flowers every Monday morning so that we begin the week with a fresh pretty vase. They sit on her desk, and the pretty colors make us feel happy. We feel special in Mrs. Robinson’s classroom. We love Mrs. Robinson.

“You guys are good, smart, and cute too.”

Every day Mrs. Robinson tells us how good, smart and cute we are.
This Monday morning the Principal told us to be extra good when Mrs. Robinson arrived,
because she is facing a trying time.

“What is she trying to do? I’ll help her?” I spoke right up.

“It’ll be enough, if you just do your lesson and be good.” He said.

Well, that’s easy because we are already good, Mrs. Robinson already told us, that.

“You are good little children.”

She told us, because she always tells us, whenever somebody gives the right answer to the lesson and especially, arithmetic.

“I said the wrong answer. Billy said the wrong answer too, one day.”

She still said it. Even when Leder said a really wrong answer and everybody laughed. Mrs. Robinson turned all of our wrong arithmetic answers into the right answer.

“That’s the magic of arithmetic; you can turn wrong answers into right answers.” She always reminds us.

“Mrs. Robinson is so cool.”

“It’s okay. I’ll teach you the answer for all the lessons, because you are cute, good little children,” is what she always tells us, if we get it wrong.

She gives us answers to take home with smiley faces on it. She said we can do magic with arithmetic too, by studying how to get the answers ourselves.
“We study and get the answers, just like she told us we could. It is magic.”



I dropped my pencil twice one day, wrote on my desk, and poked my tongue at Billy, and she still thinks I’m a good little girl.

“That’s not a good thing you did Rolinda, but you are a good little girl.”

“I love our Mrs. Robinson.”

Mrs. Robinson teaches us a heap of lessons, but we still like her, especially on Fridays because she brings homemade tea cakes. Well, today is Monday, and we’ll see that new teacher, today.

“Ms. Chrompton is here children.”

We ran to the window to see. She stepped on the flowers, walking to the building.

We all dressed-up pretty for her. I had on my pretty pink ruffle dress and I was putting my book under my desk when it fell hard to the floor.

As soon as she entered, she said, “Put the book away, and sit down, everybody!”

Then she walked over to Mrs. Robinson’s desk and said, “I’m here.”

“She didn’t even say good morning, or anything. She sounds strange. Maybe she has a microphone in her throat.”

Mrs. Robinson says it differently, “Take your seat sweetie, that’s a lovely dress. You guys all look so cute this morning.”

“Children, today Ms. Chrompton will deliver the lesson, I’m here to help if she needs it.”

Everybody looked around quickly at each other, and stretched their eyes.

I rubbed my eyes and said, “My stomach hurts.”

Ms. Chrompton turned her eyes to the left, closed them, exhaled, and her chest moved, like a robot.

“Sit down, do your work; be quiet!” She said, and her voice sounded really scary, this time.

Her eyes gleamed while she wrote arithmetic on the board. With each problem she turned around and said, “Look at the work.”

We already learned that from Mrs. Robinson’s arithmetic game.

“Look at the work.” She said look three times in a robotic voice.

“Look, look, look.”

Mrs. Robinson had to intervene, because she knows we had that arithmetic already.

“Children take out your art kit and do your art work. You are all smart and lovely this morning.”

Ms. Chrompton looked at the ceiling, exhaled loudly and said, “Get started!”

I dropped my art kit.

“Pick up your kit!” Ms. Chrompton said, sounding angry and even more mechanical.

Mrs. Robinson walked over and bent down and helped me pick up my things.
She said, “Sweetie, you do good work. Children do as we have learned.”

Suzy showed her picture to Mrs. Robinson and said, “Look, I draw this.”
Mrs. Robinson, said,” you drew this, that’s wonderful sweetie. “

“I made a frog.” Billy said.

“I draw a cat.” Lilly said.

“I draw an ape.” Leder said.

“Apes, apes, I’m apes. Take your places. No noise!” Ms. Chrompton said.
Billy laughed, and said “she’s apes?” And he giggled more, and more.

Mrs. Robinson told us, “Children arrange your art kits like I’ve shown you and let’s work quietly.”

Ms. Chrompton wrote arithmetic again.

“Why is she writing that same arithmetic, again?” Leder asked.

“We already know that. I don’t like ugly Ms. Chrompton.” Oops,-- I said, and put my hand over my mouth, too late.

She turned around and her eyes gleamed again, really wide.

“Silence!” She screamed.

We laughed because she looked funny. Her eyes popped, smoke streamed from her ears, and nose, and two springs popped out of her head. Mrs. Robinson reached behind her, and pulled something from her back side, and she went silent. I think Mrs. Robinson pulled her plug.

We all laughed, it was funny, and then Mrs. Robinson said, “Now, now, good children, lets finish our art.”