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intentions, I couldn t help but be flattered all the
same when she turned her attention to me.
That s just how she was. You knew her game,
but you couldn t help but love playing it with her.
So when she was late with the third essay of the
class (Professor Adams was easy-going in manner,
but since he didn t have to grade the homework
generous with assignments), she ran up to his
office, handed me the paper two full days late, face
rosy from exertion and acting for the world like
she d never done anything so terrible in her life.
I m so sorry! She looked at me in a way that I
knew was calculated to be the best approach. I
had it all done, but then I just knew it was terrible,
and I had to re-do it, and then I had a couple of
tests, so it couldn t be re-done until today, and
she gasped in a breath, hand to her heart here, I
couldn t possibly give you anything less than my
best. Professor Adams is such an inspiring teacher,
and with you being his assistant, this is one of the
best
I cut her off with a laugh. All right, all right, I
smiled at her benevolently. Just don t make it a
habit.
I had just finished grading the rest of the class s
papers, so it was nothing to do hers and slip it in
the stack when I handed it to Professor Adams. I
kept my mouth shut when he pulled hers from the
stack and pronounced it not the highest score but
one of them better than you think. He was right,
because I d scored it down a little for her lateness,
which I thought was fair, but I hadn t told Professor
Adams the story of her lateness.
Amy aced her mid-terms with the highest score
in the class. Again, Professor Adams looked at the
lowest score I d given, and told me it was a better
paper than I d thought. He pulled Amy s from the
78
stack, and merely nodded or mumbled mm-hmms
at appropriate intervals.
I frowned. My grade for Amy is not too high? I
asked as respectfully as I could manage.
I imagined him chewing on the end of a pipe as
he leaned back in his chair and looked up at me.
He had a bygone air about him, like the dusty old
coat he wore, or the clothes that he put on solely
because society demanded, with no attention to
style or fraying hems.
The studying is the fun, he said, as if he was
imparting some ancient wisdom from Aristotle.
The grade is in the eye of the receiver, not the
giver. He paused. If he d had that pipe in his
hand that I d imagined, he would have taken a long,
slow taste. Take joy in your subject, and mind not
what the students learn. That s the key to a happy
teaching career.
That short speech was the only lesson in
teaching he gave me, during the whole semester I
worked for him. I thought a better teacher than
him would care what and whether his students
learned or not. I worried that some of these young,
directionless know-it-alls would be in for a rude
awakening in the real world.
After all, I was a grad student, and being one, I
thought myself a know-it-all of the real world.
So a week later, when Amy bounded in a day
late with her latest assignment, I was not in the
mood. It was just that I was tired, and I d planned
on being done at nine.
I took one glance at the paper in her hand and
sighed. Now I ll be here until nine-thirty, I
grumbled.
If I had turned it in on time, you would have
been here until nine-thirty, too. She smiled at me
coyly.
She was right, but I didn t like right. Hasn t
anyone ever taught you respect for a deadline?
79
She posed in front of me, feet together and gaze
glumly turned towards my toes. I learned only to
try and give my best work, always. And then tears
trembled on the edge of her eyelids.
I sighed again. I m being taken advantage of.
One of the tears spilled over, and she looked up
at me with brilliant blue eyes, glimmering under her
tears. I m sorry. I understand. I put you out.
She sniffed, and I felt for a moment that I was
witnessing the truth, and not an act. I understand
if you have to fail me. The pressure& I just want to
be summa cum laude, and now that I m a junior
taking grad-level courses& she trailed off, and
another tear dripped down her face.
I shook my head. You make me believe you,
but don t think for a moment that I m falling for
your act.
She cocked her head for a moment, trying to
make sense of my nonsensical statement. But I m
so cute, how can you not? I think you d have to
see her smile and her beguiling blue eyes to
understand how I could fall for such obvious
flirtation hook, line and sinker.
I took the paper from her and put it under the
one I was currently grading. You do remember
when the term paper is due, correct?
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