Teacher scolds a boy for coming late to class and demands to meet his parents. But the boy doesn't show up the next day, and only his grandma comes saying he is sick. The unconvinced teacher pays a surprise visit later only to discover that the boy's life is far more troubled than he thought. It was Mr. Morgan's first day as a teacher in this school. He arrived early, skimmed through the lecture he intended to give his pupils, and everything seemed perfect, just as he had wanted that morning.
As a young first time teacher, Mr. Morgan was determined to establish himself as strict but fair. He wanted his pupils to know he was a cool mentor, but not the one to be messed with. The chatter in grade seven stopped as soon as Mr. Morgan walked in and plopped his register on the table. Children sworn back to their seats in a pin drop silence followed as he introduced himself as their new history teacher. And as Mr. Morgan launched into the lecture on the Great Depression in World War II, the classroom door suddenly crept open. A hush fell over the class as everyone turned to see who was interrupting their lesson.
A boy walked in with his eyes fixed on the floor and took his seat without uttering a word or looking up at the teacher. Good morning, young man, said Mr. Morgan, his voice stern. It's nine 15 and you're 20 minutes late for class. Do you have a good reason? But the boy just sat without responding to Mr. Morgan.
Could you please stand up and introduce yourself, Mr. Morgan added. I'm Archie, replied the boy as he rose and looked up, rubbing his tired eyes. Archie looked very untidy and dizzy, as though he hadn't slept a wink the previous night. Nice to meet you, Archie. I'm your new history teacher. You're late for class, aren't you? Do you mind telling me why? You just walked in without excusing yourself, and I won't entertain such behavior in my class. Archie hesitated for a while. I'm sorry, sir. I overslept. I didn't mean to come in late. I was just tired and I'll not repeat it, sir. Archie finished, unable to control his yawn, and the whole class giggled. Silence, Mr. Morgan declared. Archie, you cannot be late for a class like this. Can I see your homework? I heard your previous history teacher gave you your assignments every weekend.
Show it to me, will you? As Mr. Morgan flipped through Archie's notebook, his expression grew uneasy. I didn't do it, sir, Archie said sheepishly, refusing to tell why. That's when Mr. Morgan's patience started wearing thin and he exploded at the boy. Archie, what is this and this? You haven't done any of your homework this whole term. He scolded the boy in front of the whole class. This is unacceptable and I cannot entertain such a demeanor in my class.