When I entered college in the early 1980s, I had my heart set on being a first-grade teacher. I did all of my observations in others' first-grade classroom. I interviewed for my first job in a first-grade classroom. At last the district offered me a job---as a fifth-grade teacher in an inner-city building, considered at the time to be one of our district's most difficult tasks. It wasn't the first-grade classroom after I had hoped for, but it was my classroom after I had made such great efforts! 

I managed to deal with everything in first year successfully, while working to form relationships with my students was no easy thing, especially with Alexader. He had learning disabilities in both math and reading. The other children were sometimes unfriendly to him. He was a difficult child to get to open up, but I was determined to make efforts. 

You can imagine my delight when finally, in late spring, Alexander raised his hand during the math class discussion for the first time ever. Thrilled, I immediately called him. 

Well, you can imagine my surprise when he suddenly told a story about his grandma, who had a hole in her head. You see, we were studying fraction that day, and I had just explained that a fraction is "a part of a whole". Alexander obviously didn't realize the difference between "whole" and "hole". "Homophones ''I told myself,"had better be tomorrow's English lesson." 

Acknowledging Alexander that day was exactly what he needed from me. We had suddenly developed a special relationship. Alexander felt such a connection to me after that, that he even went one step further. 

I arrived at the school the following morning and was surprised to find Alexander and his grandma waiting for me. Grandma began by saying,"Alexander said he told you that I had a hole in my head."I smiled nervously and said ,"Don't worry. You know kids! They have great imaginations"Grandma replied,"You didn't believe him, did you?""No, of course not,"I said .Well, just at that time, Grandma proudly showed the hole in her head. 

I will never forget that day, and the lesson that I learned from being Alexander's teacher. 

If a child ever again tells me about a family member with a hole in his or her head, I will believe him or her! QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. When did the narrator enter college?
2. When did the narrator's university studies begin?
3. 
Q2:
1. What was the narrator's dream when they entered college?
2. What did the narrator aspire to do at the start of college?
3. 
Q3:
1. How did the narrator get by in their first year teaching?
2. How did the narrator's first year leading a classroom go?
3. 
Q4:
1. Who put up his hand to the narrator's delight?
2. Who was the narrator overjoyed at raising his hand?
3. 
Q5:
1. What was the narrator's response to Alexander raising his hand?
2. What did the narrator do in response to Alexander putting his hand up?
3. 
Q6:
1. What would tomorrow's lesson definitely include?
2. What was the narrator for sure going to put on tomorrow's lesson?
3. 
Q7:
1. Who was in Alexander's company waiting at school the next day?
2. Who joined Alexander in waiting at school the day after?
3. 
Q8:
1. What did Alexander's grandma want to know if he told the teacher?
2. What was Alexander's grandmother curious about him having revealed to the teacher?
3. 
Q9:
1. How did Alexander's classmates treat him?
2. How did Alexander's schoolmates act towards him?
3. 
Q10:
1. What was the subject of Alexander's story?
2. What did Alexander recount a story about?
3. 
Q11:
1. What was the teacher's reaction to Alexander raising his hand?
2. How did it make the narrator feel when Alexander put his hand up in class?
3. 
Q12:
1. According to Alexander, what happened to his grandmother's head?
2. What did Alexander claim was afflicting his grandma's head?
3. 
