Chapter Twenty-Nine: Luke

I hadn't had any more problems with Mrs. Burkhead in science class since the field trip, but the crap hit the fan Wednesday two days before Christmas break. she said that when we came back from the break we would start studying fish, and along with that, invasive aquatic species that don't belong in our ecosystems. I admit that I haven't been paying much attention to her since she kicked me out of class the second time. I haven't raised my hand and she hasn't called on me since. But when she started talking about fish, I really tuned in.

Mrs. Burkhead said that, for example, around here the native fishes were such ones as smallmouth bass, redbreast sunfish, and channel catfish and that the carp was an invasive species. I raised my hand at that because smallmouths were stocked around here in the 1800s. I know all about that. She kept rambling on and on, and my hand was still up and she kept ignoring me, and then she said something else that wasn't true—that smallmouths fed mostly on aquatic insects. Finally she said what is it, Luke, this had better be good.

And I told her that smallmouths were not native—that they had been stocked but had since become the most popular gamefish around here. And that smallmouths only mostly eat aquatic insects when they are small, then they turn to crawfish, minnows, and hellgrammites because it is more energy efficient for them to go after bigger prey. she got all mad and said not to contradict her, but then I said what she was saying was incorrect.

Well, she was just steaming with anger then, and the next thing I knew she called me up to her desk, was filling out one of those blame discipline referral forms and circling the usual defiance of authority-type comments, and I was on my way to Mr. Caldwell's office.

He was not happy to see me and got really mad when he started reading the discipline form. I was expecting in-school suspension...that would have been okay if I could have least explained to Mr. Caldwell what Mrs. Burkhead's mistakes were. Instead, he said there was a general science class first period, and he was going to put me in that and then switch me to general English fourth period to get me out of Mrs. Burkhead's class second semester.

I begged him to please not do that. That Mrs. Hawk was the first English teacher I had ever liked and I was making a B in there, and all I wanted him to do was Google up "small-mouth bass introduction" and "adult smallmouth foods" and he would see that I was right. I have to confess that I started to cry; it was humiliating to be 14 going on 15, sitting in the assistant principal's office and bawling like a baby, but I've hated school so much and finally there is one class that I like and I'm doing well in it except for not doing that stupid grammar worksheet homework stuff, and I'm going to be kicked out—that's not fair. I told Mr. Caldwell while I was crying that it wasn't fair.

So he looked at me crying, then turned to his computer and started to google and about two minutes later, he told me that I was right about smallmouths not being native and what they ate. He then sort of shook his head and said he was going to let me sit outside his office the rest of the period, and next period was Mrs. Burkhead's planning period, and the three of us would talk then. Then I think he sent Mrs. Burkhead an email telling her to report to the office.

Well, when she got there the next period, she started in on me right away about my being rude and disrespectful and brought up the smallmouth bass incident. I hadn't said a word yet to defend myself and then Mr. Caldwell said that I needed to apologize to Mrs. Burkhead for interrupting her class, that although I had raised my hand, she hadn't called on me, and I should have waited. I apologized, even though she had— finally—called on me when I had my hand up. she had been ignoring me. But then he asked Mrs. Burkhead if she knew I was right about smallmouths not being native to our area, and also that I was right about the foods they ate at different stages of their lives. she got all red in the face and started to get mad and then she stuttered and mumbled something.

At first, I felt good about Mr. Caldwell correcting her, but then I realized that Mrs. Burkhead was going to have it in for me worse than ever now. I think he sort of wanted to make a compromise between Mrs. Burkhead and me, so he said I was going to get one period of in-school suspension during science class the next day. He said I should be mindful of being polite and respectful at all times in class and he encouraged Mrs. Burkhead to call on me more—and other students for that matter as well—when we might have an area of expertise to share with the class. He said doing so would make for good class discussions.

Mrs. Burkhead said he had an excellent point and she would "endeavor" to do just that, but there was just this little hint of sarcasm in her voice, and I don't think that old woman—she must be close to 40—is ever going to change her attitude and the way she teaches. I'll be lucky if I get a D- in her class the second semester and get a credit for the year. But at least I still get to be in Ms. Hawk's class next semester. I hate know-it-all teachers, the kind that think they never make mistakes. Then when they do, they have to cover them up.