I’ve never had to meet a teacher about her behavior before, and I’m not sure what to expect. I’d met Ms. Walker once before at a student-teacher night, and while she was nice, I’m stressed about how much Tilly isn’t telling me. Her version of the story is that Jimmy and Tommy were teasing her again. She told Ms. Walker, who pretty much dismissed her complaints. The boys wouldn’t let up so Tilly took matters into her own hands and pushed Jimmy. What worries me is the wording of the letter. Telling me that my kid’s behavior is appalling and that the school has a zero policy on violence feels a bit extreme. She’s five years old, for God’s sake, and they started this. Where’s their zero tolerance on bullying? At three forty-five, I knock lightly on the door. Tilly looks up from her bookwork where she sits in the middle of the empty classroom, her face lighting up. “Mommy!” she squeals, pushing her seat back.
