COUNTING ON HER FINGERS. Pt. 2

Pt. 2

And true to form, five minutes later the bell rang, and eight or ten students walked through the open door. And as the pupils assumed their places at their appointed desks, Mrs. Watson got up from her seat, and walked a couple of steps to the blackboard.

“Class, this is Dr. McDonald. He will be helping us today since Miss Fishhamer is taking a personal day off.”

And with her acknowledgment of my presence, I waved and smiled.

The teacher continued.

“I want you to turn to page 27 in your mathematics textbook and do problems 8 through 17. Your work will be due at the end of the class period.”

(and)

“I’m going to write your assignment on the board.”

(and looking in my direction),

“Dr. McDonald, would you mind helping Jenny?”

She nodded in the direction of a twelve year old young lady who bore all the hallmarks of Down’s Syndrome. I nodded, picked up my student desk with one hand, and set it immediately to the right of the chair in which Jenny sat.

And since my young charge had not yet opened her mathematics textbook, I opened it for her, and looked over the problems which confronted us. I was surprised to say the least.

6+7 =___   8+8=___   4+6+3=___  7-3=___   7-4=___

I mean, I had learned to add and subtract single digits in the first grade, and I found myself sitting in a middle school, (though admittedly ESE) classroom.

(Mc)Donald's Daily Diary. Vol. 66. By William McDonald, PhD. Copyright pending. 

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