Page 1 of Love Lessons

Chapter 1

Landon

Write three things that you learned from your classmates’ posters, Landon signed from the front of the room. This is your exit ticket.

Ten students pulled out paper, but they didn’t all get to work. He watched a few hands flying in signed conversation, but he let it go. It was a few minutes before dismissal on Friday afternoon, and he was proud of the work they’d put in on their presentations.

He also liked giving them some time to just chatter in ASL, since many of their families didn’t sign. Maintaining Deaf culture was as important to him as the subjects he taught.

He walked around to check on the two students who were doing their own work on the computers at the back, tapping their shoulders to get their attention. Keisha caught him up on her geometry project and Sy had two questions that he’d written down about photosynthesis that they were able to go over fairly quickly.

He started to notice kids streaming by in the hallway outside his classroom and flickered the lights to get everyone’s attention.

You guys were awesome today. These are seriously some of the coolest projects I’ve seen since I started teaching this unit.

And they really were. He was supposed to be teaching organ systems, but he’d managed to coordinate it with the unit on Ancient Egypt from the kids’ social studies class, so they were learning about modern medicine alongside ancient medical and spiritual practices.

His students mostly smiled back since they were sixth graders. If they’d been in eighth grade they would have scowled, even though they still needed the praise.

When you’re done writing, hand me your papers and I’ll see you on Monday. Have a great weekend!

He stood in the doorway, saying goodbye to each student as they passed and dispensing a few fist bumps and “secret handshakes.” Even the seventh graders were usually too cool for that, but it amused him to keep it up with the sixth graders for as long as possible. Since it was November, they still thought that giving a teacher a fist-bump was like joining the cool adults’ club.

He’d just started packing up when he saw motion out of the corner of his eye. Sabina, one of his eighth graders, was lingering in the doorway with a dejected look on her face.

Good to see you! Come on in, he signed with a wave. Sabina was one of the kids that he especially looked out for, even though it was rare for her to ask for support. Like every other Deaf student in the school, he was supposed to teach her science and math classes for all three years. She’d been so advanced, though, that he’d bumped her up in math courses and now she was taking high school geometry with a small cluster of hearing students.

It meant he only saw her once a day for science, since she wasn’t in his homeroom either, but after teaching her for three years, they still had a pretty good rapport.

She came over to his desk but didn’t seem to know where to start. Something was clearly bothering her, and he was glad she’d come to him with it.

I’m always here if you want to talk, he reminded her.

She squared her shoulders. Can I do an independent study with you? It was a legitimate question, but it didn’t match her body language. Usually students were pretty excited about whatever they were studying, and Sabina had a brilliant mind.

Sure! You know I love independent studies and you’re always welcome here. He kept his classroom open almost all the time for Deaf kids who had unscheduled periods to do independent studies instead. He enjoyed the creativity and challenge of supporting whatever they wanted to study, and he’d much rather have his kids sitting in the corner of his room while he taught other subjects than languishing in study hall.

Can I do an independent study instead of Social Studies? she asked hesitantly.

Now he had a pretty good idea why she was here. I’d usually say no, but since you’re mostly in advanced classes, we might be able to set it up for after the semester’s over in January. They won’t let you switch now. And you’ll still have to pass the eighth grade Constitution test.

Her face brightened. That’s fine. I can probably learn it much faster on my own. I’ll write up a proposal and bring it to you, OK?

Landon liked to say that he loved all of his students, but he always had a soft spot for kids like Sabina. She reminded him so much of himself at that age. A little bit geeky, a little bit awkward, and dedicated to her schoolwork with a level of curiosity and determination that left her socially distanced from her peers. She could get along fine in group projects, where she usually took the lead, but aside from that she was usually on the outside looking in.

Landon had long since grown out of that awkward phase and he was sure that Sabina would be confident and capable as an adult. It was typical of her to find a mature, responsible solution to her problem without ever really having to ask for help. It’s what he would have done, too.

Are you having trouble with Mrs. Eaves? he asked directly.

I mean, it’s OK. I think I’ll just learn more on my own.

He wished she’d open up to him, but he knew he’d have to let her find her own path. Well, I’ll look forward to seeing your proposal. Any idea what you want to study?

Now she looked like the confident, insightful student that he usually had in his classes. I was thinking about studying peaceful protest movements like we talked about last year.

With any other student, he’d think she was trying to manipulate him, since he always tried to bring social justice components into his math and science teaching. But she participated avidly in discussions, so he wasn’t worried.

He gave a broad smile. You know what I’m going to say to that.