“But Madam!”

I have this complex where I don’t like people to not like me.

When you’re giving out semester grades to students, you have a lot of people who suddenly don’t like you.

I haven’t quite perfected the authoritative demeanor of the Beninese teachers. What they say goes. With Madam, it’s a little more it’s what she says and then maybe we can try to reason with her so something else goes.

What I realized today in class, surrounded by students trying to get me to add more points to their participation grade, is that sometimes you just have to walk out the door. Before your students can walk all over you.