Learning from Ms. Liang

Learning from Ms. Liang

Our new teacher was supposed to start Wednesday.Wednesday arrived, but the new teacher was late. We didn't mind.The whole class was sitting around and talking excitedly about the upcoming fifth - grade chorus concert.The girls were getting new dresses. The boys were going to wear suits.

Everyone was talking about it, except Lisa Linney.She just sat at her desk, her long hair hiding her face.Everyone knew that she didn't have enough money to buy a new dress.We would often talk about Lisa in front of her. People didn't try to be mean.It was just that it was easy to forget she was there. In a way, Lisa was invisible.

The new teacher finally walked in.She wasn't all that remarkable looking, and her clothes were kind of plain.But as soon as she came in everyone stopped talking.With just a glance around the room she made you want to pay attention.Even the noisy kids who sat in the back fell silent as she walked up to the blackboard.

What's the first thing a new teacher does?She takes attendance, or writes her name on the board, right?But this new teacher didn't do that.Instead, she picked up the chalk and wrote out a poem.

I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?Then there's a pair of us - don't tell! They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody! How public, like a frogTo tell your name the livelong day To an admiring bog!

"Good morning, class. My name is Ms. Liang," the new teacher said.She picked up a copy of the book we were reading."Can someone tell me where you stopped last?"

I looked around the classroom, wondering who was going to answer.Then A.J., who always liked to challenge teachers, asked,"Aren't you supposed to learn our names before you make us work?"

Ms. Liang answered, "I'm sure we'll get plenty acquainted as time goes by.And, as a way of getting to know my students,I've always preferred reading together instead of just going around memorizing names.But since you were nice enough to speak up, maybe you could start reading out loud from where you left off?"

A.J. muttered, "I knew this would happen," and began reading.

Ms. Liang stopped him after only a couple of sentences."No, no," she said. "Not like that. You've got to place yourself in the story.You've got to make it come alive for you and everyone else.Read as if you're telling your story."

A.J. looked puzzled. "What do you mean, my story?"

"What I mean is, read as if the book were about you.Read as if you knew everyone wanted to hear the story of your life.Imagine that you would burst if you couldn't share your story with the class."

None of us had any idea what she was talking about.Then, just out of curiosity, I looked over at Lisa.It looked like she knew exactly what Ms. Liang was talking about.

"It is essential to read with feeling," Ms. Liang went on."If you read with feeling, it's guaranteed to be more interesting to the people who are listening.And it will be more interesting to you."

"Why?" my friend Mary Alice asked.

"Because it's a scientific fact that your face affects your emotions," Ms. Liang answered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" A.J. suddenly blurted out.I could tell that he was annoyed because Ms. Liang hadn't gone over our names.Ms. Liang explained, "Scientists have discovered that facial expressions influence people's emotions.When you make an angry face, your brain floods your body with chemicals that actually make you feel angry.So if you read with feeling, you will have a better chance of experiencing the characters' own feelings.Does that make better sense?"

Ms. Liang then called on Lisa to continue reading.As soon as Lisa began reading, I thought, she's acquainted with these feelings for sure.But, as well as she read, her quietness made it difficult to understand her.Ms. Liang stopped her when she saw that people were having a hard time hearing her.

"What's your name?" Ms. Liang asked. "Lisa Linney," was the mumbled reply.

"All right, Lisa," said Ms. Liang. "I want you to keep reading as you've been doing, with all that great feeling.But this time, read a little louder."

Lisa resumed her reading. Her words were full of feeling. Still, she wasn't loud enough.I realized that Lisa's quietness made people forget about her more easily.

While Lisa read, Ms. Liang stood by her desk, listening carefully.Lisa blushed in reaction to Ms. Liang's close presence.

After a while, Ms. Liang stopped Lisa.Turning to face the class, she asked, "Did you get that?The character Lisa was reading about said, 'You never understand someone until you walk around in their skin.'What did that character mean?"

It's funny. If Mr. Williams had said the words "walk around in their skin,"someone would have said "Eeew, that's gross," or made a joke. But everyone was quiet.We could tell how much Ms. Liang cared about her teaching, and nobody wanted to make trouble.

We talked about the meaning of those words for a couple of minutes.Then Ms. Liang told us to take out a piece of paper.

"Here's your assignment," she said."You're going to find this difficult, but it's important that you understand this concept.I want you to write down what people would understand about you if they could walk around in your skin."

"What do you mean?" asked A.J.

"I'm sure there's been a time you've felt misunderstood," Ms. Liang explained. "So here's the question.Would the rest of the world understand you better if they knew what it was like to be you?That's what I mean. Does that make sense?" The class nodded together.

"Good!" Ms. Liang said. "Then go ahead and start writing.Oh, and make sure not to sign your names."

I took out my paper and stared at it.Then I looked up at the poem on the chalkboard. I didn't know what to write.What didn't people know about me? I thought.Everyone knows everything there is to know.I'm me. I'm popular. I do okay. I have a reputation for nice clothes.What else would anyone need to know?

Lisa was sitting in the desk to the right of me, writing quickly.I tried to peek at what she had written, but it was difficult.She had her whole body shielding the paper, as if her words were top secret.

A few minutes went by. Still, I couldn't find anything to write about.Then I heard A.J. in the back, making some mean remark about Lisa.It made me think about the times he's said mean things to me.Then I thought about the time Katie Lee Clinton and her friends had stopped talking and laughed when I came into the classroom.That had definitely made me feel like a nobody.

I looked back up at the words on the chalkboard: I'm nobody! Who are you? No doubt, I felt like that sometimes.There were many times when I felt like my class was filled with people who had no idea who I was.Usually that feeling disappeared after a couple of moments.But still, I knew what it was like.

......
未登录用户只显示文件一半，登录后可以查看全文，并且可以听外教原声朗读。