follow the instructions they were given. Writing is one of the most dif-
ficult skills to learn, and Mr. Puce was the department expert in helping
students improve their writing. Finally, she told students that in life they
would have to work with bosses they may not like. In the real world, it is
not so easy to change jobs when one needs an income.
Therefore, students needed to learn how to get along with those they may
not like and to understand that the person in charge is not going to change
for them—they had to learn how to change for him or her. Parents especially
understood this last point. Over time, a class change was rarely made.
This department chair also tried to modify the teacher’s classroom
persona by working with him, more obliquely than directly, as he had
many years of experience. Ms. Niles-Perry had informal chats with him
about maintaining standards while at the same time providing criticism in
a more palatable manner for emotionally sensitive adolescents. Mr. Puce
came to understand that while oral presentations taught students a needed
skill, some students are morbidly afraid of getting up in front of a group
of their peers. Even some teachers, who stand in front of students day
after day, have difficulty when asked to present to their colleagues. Mr.
Puce made some allowances for students who said they could not make a
presentation, permitting them to complete an alternate assignment.
Ms. Niles-Perry invited Mr. Puce to present at department conferences,
explaining how he helped students improve their writing, and offered him
the opportunity to have his classes take part in a special program involv-
ing a local acting company. An ensuing long-term relationship with the
acting company led to changes in Mr. Puce’s teaching style. There were
still complaints, but they were less frequent.
Had this taken place in present-day New York City, the result may have
been dramatically different. Here, the district enforces the “verbal abuse”
regulation referred to earlier. In addition to prohibiting a teacher from us-
ing inappropriate language, it also defines verbal abuse as language that
ridicules or embarrasses a child. Where does honest criticism end and
embarrassment begin, especially when the interpretation is in the mind
of the child?
The regulation is a good one, but it is open to abuse with competent but
unpopular teachers who insist on maintaining standards. Mr. Puce could
be one of these. The best teachers are usually the best-liked teachers, but
not always. There are teachers who are just not that likeable but who are
24 Chapter 2