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1/5/10
Yes, before I took Elementary Algebra (and failed it three times) I'd taken Pre-Algebra and gotten an A in it. But, in spite of doing well at that (it's just arithmetic) the teacher of that course would continually ask me, "How's it going?" I'd 'fall for it' and say that it 'wasn't easy'. Then, she (with her PhD behind her name) would tell me that I needed to set my "priorities". This was always said as a 'put down'. I mean, I was getting A's, so she could have said something like, "But you're doing fine."

During my next three semesters of failing Elementary Algebra, every time I'd run into that teacher, I'd greet her cheerily, "Hello, Ms. 'teacher'. How are you?" And she'd ask, "How's it going?" And I'd say, "Not too well." (being as I was failing Elementary Algebra). And she would get an incongruous smile, and say, "You need to learn to set priorities." with a self-satisified nod. This has happened, probably three-out-of-three times that I've seen this teacher in the last year and a half. You know? I've finally decided that Charlie Brown of Peanuts must be dyscalculic. Just like he keeps kicking the ball and Lucy keeps pulling it out of the way,... that's exactly the way it's been with me constantly 'falling for it' when that teacher asks me, "How's it going?" - jus'