In first grade, I struggled with organization, and my teacher found it challenging to manage me in the classroom. Whenever she asked us to clean our desks, I would feel overwhelmed. No matter how hard I tried, tidying up felt impossible. Instead of helping me find a solution, she singled me out. She would take my picture, attach a note, and send it home to my parents.
My parents found her methods cruel. As punishment for my messy desk, I had to stay in during recess to clean—a task that, at the time, felt insurmountable.
Years later, during my senior year of high school, I saw her again. This time, I was different. I was thriving. I told her how well I was doing and that I had been accepted into college. In that moment, it felt like I had finally closed that chapter of my life.
Did a teacher ever single you out?
Sandy’s Stories and Tales 
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