The teacher and the taught

A young teacher from an industrial city in northern England had accepted a temporary job teaching a class of four-year-olds in one of the most isolated, rural parts of north Wales. One of her first lessons involved teaching the letter S so she held up a big color picture of a sheep and asked, "Who can tell me what this is?"

No answer. Twenty blank and wordless faces looked back at her.

"Come on, who can tell me what this is?" she exclaimed, tapping the picture determinedly, unable to believe that the children were quite so ignorant. The 20 faces became apprehensive and even fearful as she continued to question them with mounting frustration.

Eventually, one brave soul put up a tiny, reluctant hand.

"Yes!" she cried, waving the pic aloft.

"Tell me what you think this is!"

"Please, Miss," said the boy warily, "Is it a three-year-old Border Leicester?"