Surprises Peeking out from Buck Teeth and Glasses

I've taught "low" kids before. I've taught reservation kids who were victims of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I've taught kids whose IQs were too low to qualify for Special Education services. But this kid--he seems to have nothing.

When I get an unintelligible call in the morning, I automatically know it's him as he calls to say he's with the Special Ed teacher and will miss homeroom. I tell him it's okay and I thank him for the call. I hope he doesn't say more, because I'm likely to miss the meanings to his mumblings over the phone.

This morning, he got squirrely during our reading class. He began poking his neighbor, distracting him and me as another student was reading. At that point, I noticed his story was laid out upside down--again--and he could probably go through the whole page without noticing, himself.

Then the fire (drill) alarm went off. The six of us left our classroom and headed down the hall toward exterior doors. Blocking our smooth exit were 20-some kindergarteners with one teacher who tried to be at the front, middle, and end of their disintegrating line. All that went through my mind was, "How do I get the kids that I'm responsible for out of this building quickly?"

"Buck" was lagging behind as I made it through one set of double doors. I turned to urge him out...and noticed his hand on the door and tiny kindergarteners exiting beneath his arm.

Of all the people... My five higher-abled students had attained the "goal" of being outside. "Buck" found a different goal.