No Questions!

by Chuck Strohacker

I established the “No Questions” rule a half dozen years before retiring. This rule is especially for subs or administrators covering a teacher’s classroom for a few minutes. You are new to this classroom. The students are not. It is reasonable to expect that the students know the routines in their classroom and, so also then, it is a reasonable expectation that they don’t need to ask you any questions.

It is reasonable to expect that the students know the routines in their classroom and, so also then, it is a reasonable expectation that they don’t need to ask you any questions.The third grade teacher became ill late one morning and asked if I could fill in for her during the afternoon. I’m usually not wild about subbing below junior high, but it was simpler than finding a sub for less than a half day. So I said, “Yes.”

Things started out well after lunch and recess. We opened with a prayer. Then I read the next chapter of a Little House book to the class. Math went well—reviewing for a test. Gave them a spelling pre-test.

And then came English. We went over the previous day’s assignment, followed by me introducing the new lesson on sentence structure. “Assignment for tomorrow: copy the sentences on page 26 into your notebook. Underline the subject of each sentence and circle the verb.”

Thirty seconds—just 30 seconds later, Emma raised her hand. “Should we write the sentences in cursive?”

I had to think for a minute. Was this a trick question?I had to think for a minute. Was this a trick question? It had been over 30 years since I taught third grade in those fourth and fifth years of my career. Did I teach cursive when I taught that grades three to five combination? Why yes, I did teach cursive. Emma’s just trying to put one over on me!

“Yes, Emma, you have to write all the sentences in cursive.”

Almost immediately, tears are rolling down Emma’s face.Almost immediately, tears are rolling down Emma’s face. And now Billy’s face, too, is streaming tears. Kristine says she isn’t feeling well and needs to go home. She’s holding her stomach, seemingly in pain. Pretty well most of the third grade is crying.

“Why are all of you crying?”

“Mmm, Mmmm, Mrs, Mrs. B, B, Br, Mrs. Brr, Mrs. Brown never makes us write ALL the sentences in cursive. She usually just has us write a few in cursive.”

“Then why did you ask?”

At the end of the day, I walked into the office rubbing my forehead. My secretary figured it out pretty quickly. “Things didn’t go well in third grade this afternoon?”

I told her what had happened with the English lesson. The second and fourth grade teachers were nearby copying papers for the next day, and they burst out laughing. “Chuck, it’s only mid-September, and they’ve just started to learn cursive. You only have them do a few of the sentences in cursive….”

“That’s what the kids said—after most of them were crying and telling me that their stomach hurt.”

At supper that night, Diane asked me about my day. She teaches lower grades and, at the time, happened to be teaching third grade.

“You did what? Dummy, it’s only mid-September and….”

“Yeah, I’ve heard all this already. Except for the ‘dummy’ part.”

First thing the next morning, the third grade teacher came into faculty devotions, feeling better. “Thanks for covering. So how did things go with my class yesterday?”

And teachers just start giggling.

“What?”

So they tell her the story.

“Oh, no, at this time of year, I only have them do a couple of the sentences in cursive. They can do more on their own, and some do, but….” And now she, too, is giggling.

After devotions, I decided to go down to third grade and apologize for making most of them cry the previous afternoon. I told them that I just didn’t know.

“But you knew! So why did you ask in the first place? You all knew how you did things for Mrs. Brown.” They burst out laughing. We all did.

Before leaving, I gave them a new rule. “In the future, whenever I come in to sub in your class, since you all know the way things are done—‘NO QUESTIONS!’” More laughter.

I subbed many times for that class over the remaining years and each time I did, even when they were in eighth grade, whenever I walked into the room, someone would grin widely, usually Emma or Josh, and remind me, “Remember Mr. Strohacker—NO QUESTIONS!”

Lord, please bless our day. Thank you for sending us Jesus—the answer to all our questions and prayers. The reason for all our joy and laughter. Amen.

Chuck Strohacker retired at the end of the 2014–2015 school year after serving 40 years in the Michigan District, 37 of those years as a principal. He and his wife, Diane, live in retirement in St. Joseph, Mich.