Emilie's Christmas Love Read Online Free Page B
teacher's workdays. The teachers were ready for the middle of the week. The kids were wild after their long weekend.
Emilie walked down the crowded hallway to her fourth grade room, shivering in the cold. The furnace wasn't working yet that morning and her breath was frosty on the air. She kept her coat on while she hung up some new papers and drawings that she considered original. She used the time to mentally prepare for the onslaught of class when the first bell rang.
Emilie taught an exceptional class because she wanted to work with children who were having a difficult time. The principal and the school obliged her by dumping all of the problem children into her classroom. Most thrived under her guidance. A few she could never sort out.
She'd inherited Adam Markland in the middle of the year from a distraught teacher who 'couldn't do a thing with him'. Unfortunately, it appeared that Emilie would have the same fate. She'd had him for a month and the boy wasn't interested in any of her programs. He was rude and disruptive, well on his way to being a candidate for the young offender’s list.
Twenty minutes after class started, he dragged his feet into the classroom with the principal behind him, beckoning her into the hallway.
"Adam was having some problems with the snow this morning," Mr. Howard explained briefly, his troubled brow furrowed, as always. "He seemed intent on making Jonnie Blair eat all of it."
Emilie hid a small smile. Jonnie Blair was one of the biggest bullies in the school. He was a large, aggressive boy who managed to get good grades and suck up to the teachers while scaring the smaller children around him. It was difficult to imagine the much smaller, almost frail, Adam Markland making the other boy do anything.
"I've called in his uncle, the boy's legal guardian, for a conference this afternoon. I'd like you to be there."
"Of course," she murmured then went back into her classroom.
Everyone else in the class was busy doing the assignment she'd given out, except Adam whose tousled blond head lifted as she entered the room. He stared at her defiantly.
"We're doing Math," she told him. "Page 101."
"I don't have my book," he answered.
"I have one you can use." She took out a pencil and some paper before that could be the next issue.
She set everything on his desk and he stared at it without making a move to use any of it.
Emilie hadn't realized that his parents didn't have custody of the boy. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of man the uncle was who was trying to raise Adam. His family life could have a great deal to do with the boy's attitude.
Adam sat and looked out of the window most of the day. Emilie refrained from doing anything else until she talked with the boy's uncle that afternoon. Maybe with a better understanding of his home life, she could find some way to get Adam to include himself in the classroom activities.
The bell rang for dismissal and Emilie had Adam wait for the meeting.
"Were you really trying to make Jonnie eat snow?" she asked when they were alone.
Adam looked at her, his dark eyes fierce on her face. "He wouldn't leave me alone."
Emilie frowned. "I know he's a bully, but he's so much bigger than you."
Adam grinned, showing a place where two teeth were missing. "I don't care how big he is. He's a puppy."
"Adam, why won't you do your schoolwork? I know you're smart. If you can take on Jonnie, you can do this work."
"It's not the same."
"It is if you want it to be. If you think about your schoolwork as being a fight to be better, to grow up and have a good job, maybe you could battle your way through it."
"I don't need to go to school to have a job. My uncle owns his own business. I can work for him."
"I don't think he owns a business where you don't have to read or write or use math," she argued. "What does he do?"
"Ms. Ferrier." Mr. Howard nodded to her from the doorway. "Mr. Garrett, this is Ms. Emilie Ferrier. She's taken over as Adam's teacher
Emilie walked down the crowded hallway to her fourth grade room, shivering in the cold. The furnace wasn't working yet that morning and her breath was frosty on the air. She kept her coat on while she hung up some new papers and drawings that she considered original. She used the time to mentally prepare for the onslaught of class when the first bell rang.
Emilie taught an exceptional class because she wanted to work with children who were having a difficult time. The principal and the school obliged her by dumping all of the problem children into her classroom. Most thrived under her guidance. A few she could never sort out.
She'd inherited Adam Markland in the middle of the year from a distraught teacher who 'couldn't do a thing with him'. Unfortunately, it appeared that Emilie would have the same fate. She'd had him for a month and the boy wasn't interested in any of her programs. He was rude and disruptive, well on his way to being a candidate for the young offender’s list.
Twenty minutes after class started, he dragged his feet into the classroom with the principal behind him, beckoning her into the hallway.
"Adam was having some problems with the snow this morning," Mr. Howard explained briefly, his troubled brow furrowed, as always. "He seemed intent on making Jonnie Blair eat all of it."
Emilie hid a small smile. Jonnie Blair was one of the biggest bullies in the school. He was a large, aggressive boy who managed to get good grades and suck up to the teachers while scaring the smaller children around him. It was difficult to imagine the much smaller, almost frail, Adam Markland making the other boy do anything.
"I've called in his uncle, the boy's legal guardian, for a conference this afternoon. I'd like you to be there."
"Of course," she murmured then went back into her classroom.
Everyone else in the class was busy doing the assignment she'd given out, except Adam whose tousled blond head lifted as she entered the room. He stared at her defiantly.
"We're doing Math," she told him. "Page 101."
"I don't have my book," he answered.
"I have one you can use." She took out a pencil and some paper before that could be the next issue.
She set everything on his desk and he stared at it without making a move to use any of it.
Emilie hadn't realized that his parents didn't have custody of the boy. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of man the uncle was who was trying to raise Adam. His family life could have a great deal to do with the boy's attitude.
Adam sat and looked out of the window most of the day. Emilie refrained from doing anything else until she talked with the boy's uncle that afternoon. Maybe with a better understanding of his home life, she could find some way to get Adam to include himself in the classroom activities.
The bell rang for dismissal and Emilie had Adam wait for the meeting.
"Were you really trying to make Jonnie eat snow?" she asked when they were alone.
Adam looked at her, his dark eyes fierce on her face. "He wouldn't leave me alone."
Emilie frowned. "I know he's a bully, but he's so much bigger than you."
Adam grinned, showing a place where two teeth were missing. "I don't care how big he is. He's a puppy."
"Adam, why won't you do your schoolwork? I know you're smart. If you can take on Jonnie, you can do this work."
"It's not the same."
"It is if you want it to be. If you think about your schoolwork as being a fight to be better, to grow up and have a good job, maybe you could battle your way through it."
"I don't need to go to school to have a job. My uncle owns his own business. I can work for him."
"I don't think he owns a business where you don't have to read or write or use math," she argued. "What does he do?"
"Ms. Ferrier." Mr. Howard nodded to her from the doorway. "Mr. Garrett, this is Ms. Emilie Ferrier. She's taken over as Adam's teacher
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