Teacher Ida: For 40 years, Ive taught children to read.

For me its a point of

honour. I always say, when children can read, then another world opens. You
can listen to stories and get a lot of information from television, and, in recent
years, from the internet. But there too you have to read!

Inge: Sometimes I dont know how to behave in class. What

can you do, what can you say, but especially what cant you
do or say? Sometimes you can barely breathe. But I cannot
make myself invisible, can I? It always requires balance. Due
to the constant demand of having to provide support, there
is always someone in the classroom. So Im there during the
good and bad moments.

Greek choir: This is all very well, but the support workers keep a close eye on our actions. It is also
not easy to have all those people in your classroom.
In theory, everything should work, but to make it work in practice, thats something different.

Inge: I really like her somehow its very easy to

work together. No is no and yes is yes. Thats
different from how it is with some other teachers.
I do not have to be glued to Kobe, I can walk
through the class and help other children.

Greek Choir: But what's your position in class? Do you work with the group or with the child or
with the teacher?
Kobe: "Teacher Ida is with Peter. Maybe
hes on the wrong page. I can show him
the right one. I can already find the
numbers, below here, 1 and 5.
Peter: One more minute and then she's gone,
then I can stay here for a while its still raining
outside anyway.

Teacher Ida: I can still remember how it was with Jason. His
 third grade teacher said: He cant do anything. That boy cannot
count and cannot read. But he wasnt stupid, so for three
months during lunch break he came to my classroom. I started
at the beginning repeating letters again. I had made a reading
board children should be able to see that words consist of
letters. And yes, he could do it. He became one of the better
readers in his class.

Kobe: D for dad, dog d for dad ddddddd from

dad, dog, day.
Inge: I remember when Kobe started at this school, both the teachers and the
principal had warned us: You cant easily work with Ida. She has a very
controversial teaching style. Well, that's the least they could say. In the
beginning she had a very clear opinion: With someone with autism you must
be very strict and use a clear set of rules. But this does not work for Kobe. We
actually managed to coach her on how to build a relationship and how to deal
with the strictness of the rules. I can still hear her say: He is rewarded for his
disturbing behaviour or not wanting to work. She really thought that all the
adaptations were unfair. We had to say over and over again that its not the
same as rewarding him.

Greek Choir: One with autism, one with ADHD, three with dyslexia ... as a teacher you must also be
a psychologist and speech therapist. Actually everything and everyone at once.
Kobe: Tap, tap, tap... My watch... My
previous one was more beautiful. It was
bigger and had a light. Inge has no watch.
Teacher Ida has one made of gold, just a
little one.
Peter: You can close your eyes. Can you also close your ears? I dont hear
anything. Nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing nothing
nothing nothing nothing... No, I still hear her.

Teacher Ida: Do you know the wonder in their eyes when they make the
connection between letters and words? Then they start playing around
 with them. Thats why you teach. Sometimes in the supermarket I meet
an old student and then they say, "Ah, Teacher Ida, you taught me to
read."

Peter: Teacher Ida is stupid. Teacher Susan is sweet.

Inge: She is also so much older. Its still a
matter of being polite. How can I say
something when she is so experienced?
She has many, many years of experience.
Greek Choir: Many years of experience! Many years of experience! In teaching, you learn the most
by doing and experimenting.
Kobe: There is no 1 or 2 on my watch! Ill have to tell mum. Oh no, a
numbers gone, a numbers gone!

Peter: At lunch break Ill be the goalkeeper. Logan

is not capable. How many goals were there
yesterday? One from Jason, one from Vince, one
from Emma... three goals. I will be the
goalkeeper!
Greek Choir: It starts with not reading but where does that end? Behavioural problems, difficult
students, aggressive students It really challenges our resilience. Sometimes its depressing that
you give so much with so few results. Its never good enough.

Teacher Ida: I dont want to go to another class! I still know the principal
proposed I teach another grade. But I said, thanks but no thanks. Who
would let them read? I know the in and outs of the first grade. They come in
my class after kindergarten, and at that age they cant do much. They really
need to learn everything from the start. But I do not take them by the hand.
They have to immediately jump into the swimming pool, while I stay on the
side ready to rescue them if they need it.

Kobe: Inge, psst, psst

shes not looking.
 Inge: She can hardly see small steps or the efforts that someone makes
in their work. Kobe had made a beautiful drawing, really beautifully
coloured within the lines and with so much intensity. When he was
colouring, you could see the tip of his tongue poking out of his mouth.
I complemented him and motivated him to go the teacher. When he
showed his drawing she answered with: "Why did you only use two
colours? I'm glad I wasnt raised like that, at home we got applause
when we worked for it. Learning goes hand in hand with falling and
getting back up.
Peter: Teacher Susan is stupid, Teacher
Ida is sweet

Teacher Ida: Actually, everything in the later years of primary school seems
annoying they think they know things better than the teacher, and the
fantasy is gone. No, I prefer to stay with the little ones. At the end of the first
grade you do not recognise them anymore they have grown, their teeth
have changed, they can read, count and write. Thats growing up.

Inge: Sometimes I feel embarrassed how she acts towards the

children. Last week Kelly fell off her chair, and she yelled at the whole
class: Its a pity you dont have hole in your head! How can she act
like that? They are so small.

Greek Choir: Yes how can she? But what do you actually have to say about her?
Peter: I dont know if I'm on the right page, maybe I
can look at Stacys book. But I cant see it. I better be
quiet.

Greek Choir: Maybe there is something more going on dyslexia, a mental disorder, dyspraxia or
ADHD. Would we not take a test? Measuring is knowing! Measuring is knowing!
Kobe: Inge , psst, psst
shes not looking.

Teacher Ida: I see that with Kobe too. He

 sometimes has Inge wrapped around his
little finger. According to the specialists,
he shouldnt be able to read. It has been a
matter of continuing and being persistent.
Kobe already reads a lot of words.
Especially the word 'teacher' he knows
that very well. He misleads them all.
Inge: But dont you have to look for the capabilities of all children?
That's ooohh so hard. As of January, the children who can write
beautifully get a ballpoint pen, and all the others will still have to write
with a pencil. Kobe is no exception. Everyone is equal before the law
Greek Choir: Everyone is equal before the law! Everyone is equal before the low!
Kobe: Inge, psst, shes not looking. Inge is not allowed to go to my
house anymore. I do not want to wash her car anymore. Inge cannot
come to my house anymore, she may not come to my birthday party!
Peter: "Where is Teacher
Inge? Is she not in class? "
Inge: I sometimes feel like Teacher Idas
accomplice. I look the other way, or when
they come in, I put the children back in
the corner. But what, what can I do ...
Greek Choir: But Peter will understand. He knows there is no other way. He knows you cannot do
anything else.
Teacher Ida: All I come across is potential reading material, so my class
is really full, from the bottom to the top.

Greek Choir: A good teacher takes something out of you instead of putting it in.
Inge: Maybe I can check with the other support
workers to see how they would respond, or
maybe I can consult the special needs
coordinator. Otherwise, maybe I can take Peter
with me when I work with Kobe.

Greek Choir: But Inge, you're a good person. We all recognise those situations, and we put a hand
on the childs shoulder, preferably when the teacher does not see it. You just have to learn to live
with it. This is what happens at schools!

Teacher Ida: They say they dont learn

much in public schools. In the early years
we had to compete with the Catholic
school the elite. I always went on home
visits to talk about our school because
thats the best form of advertising from
person to person.
Kobe: My watch doesnt
work. (He shakes his wrist
with the watch on it).
Teacher Ida: I'm so tired too. Year after year, it doesnt become easier, with
all the meetings and work groups. And at home with mum and dad, I also
have a lot of worries ... I dont feel my legs anymore ...

Greek chorus: Being a teacher means multitasking, doing all the work. But for somebody like
Teacher Ida, fin de carire; its unchangeable.
Peter: Teacher Ida has strange shoes
clogs... I hope she doesnt step on my
toes.
Inge: She doesnt really care about the others. Like the performance
she made the children do for the school party a song from the old
times that nobody knew. It didnt match with the theme of the party
at all. And she really made the children practice it, again and again.
No one seems to tell her this is not ok. They laugh with her. The
classroom in the school corner is her territory her domain.
Teacher Ida: They also dont ask if they can do
anything. They think, Teacher Ida, she does it all and
she handles things her way. If this is how it is, then it
will always be my way.

Greek Choir: My way, my way! But is there only one way?

Kobe: The 1 and 2 are gone, gone away... Perhaps I have to tell Inge.
Where is she? Ah, back in class.
(Kobe stands up and walks to Inge.)