Dave's Math Teacher         I was in 6th grade at the time of this story. My math teacher was having us practice long division problems, when he decided we should all do them at the board in the front of the class. He chose four students at a time and gave them a problem to do. When my turn came, I was very nervous. I knew I probably could do the problem at my desk at my own pace, but worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with the others at the board. As the other students worked their problems I went into a panic and my mind went blank. I stood with the chalk in my hand staring at the board, as each of the other students returned to their seats.      When I was the only one left at the board, the teacher came and stood angrily beside me. He began with yelling at me. He shouted, "What's wrong with you?"and "why weren't you paying attention?". He then grabbed my wrist and took the chalk from me. He pushed me aside and did the problem himself. The chalk was shoved into the board so hard that the pieces flew all over as the man wrote. He completed the problem so quickly that I didn't understand anything that he angrily explained. After this he disgustedly told me to sit down.      I still can remember the humiliation that I felt that day. I never told my parents as I was afraid and embarrassed. Until I was 35 and found out I was dyslexic, I believed that maybe I was mentally retarded. Throughout my schooling I was made to feel inferior and stupid because teachers never understood me. Sometimes I wonder why that man ever became a teacher. Now I realize that I should have never been treated the way I was, but at the time I was only twelve. The memory of that day in class has remained with me for 31 years. If only someone at the time had understood how important it was for me to learn that I was dyslexic and what I needed to do differently then the others to achieve like them.   Dave - 43yrs. old