Steele Waters

Clearing my throat, I commanded the attention of the twenty-plus students vying to see who could be the loudest. Several pairs of eyes skipped my way in respect, while many others rolled and ignored me. “Good morning, class,” I stated, nonetheless. Dealing with fifteen-year-olds wasn’t for the weak. I wasn’t new to this, though. Ten years of dealing with fifteen-year-olds taught me to do one thing- never show them fear. So, I smirked at the students who chose to ignore me and left the safety of my desk to casually walk the scuffed, yet clean floors down the rows of desks to look each one of my students in their eyes. “As you all can see, I have written on the board. My name is Ms. Ruben.” I motioned the way of the blackboard with a nod. “I am your new Advanced Biology teacher.” A bunch of grumbles ensued. “Many of you know that Coach Haines has decided to move on to another school.”