“If I had to describe you in 50 words, ‘cowardly’ would definitely not be one of them,” Mr. Trudeau reassured me.
But with a tattered up homework assignment in my hand that was due two days before, I was quietly imploding with disagreement. How else would one describe a girl who’s outspoken in a class discussion but basically plays whack-a-mole come time for turning assignments in? When there’s an assignment due, I end up coming to class with something, but am either too ashamed to turn it in because of the simple fact that it’s late or that I don’t think it’s ready to be turned in because it’s crap in my standards. When it’s one day past the deadline and I’m still dissatisfied with my assignment, I quietly work on it without even mentioning to the teacher that I’m still working on it. Sometimes silence is useful in intense situations like in a heated argument, but this kind of silence— the one I seemed to have mastered— isn’t quite as useful or as smart.
Mr. Trudeau proceeded to read the homework assignment carefully and willingly, and told me that I would receive half credit and that we would have to have a discussion about the state of my research paper first thing tomorrow.
Find out what's happening in Castro Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Normally, I would go about the rest of the quarter with a zero for an assignment rather than approaching a teacher to:
- Plea for an extension of the deadline
- Ask for help
Plenty of students ask for help and extensions, but I’m consistently the most reluctant person I know when it comes to doing these tasks.
Find out what's happening in Castro Valleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Mr. Trudeau’s level-headed and understanding approach to my laughable self-deprecating and deadline-dodging nature made me belch out a cartoonish sigh-of-relief, which I did promptly after I’d walked out of his room.
What so many students do everyday is something I’m baby-stepping my way towards…
I’m graduating in a month.
Cue the humorous crashing sound.