[Sundae]

Pulling out legs?
From biders?

I spent a year not doing my homework.
I loved school, hated home. The only way I could keep sane was to keep the two worlds separate.

But of course it was noticed - I went to a good school and staff talked to eachother, especially about bright children. Mum was called into school and I just about died of shame. I was offered therapy - at least a visit to a child psychologist. Mum believed this would brand me crazy forever (she told me it meant my children would be taken off me - I was 13) and refused.

You know there are places in your life where you could turn a different corner...
Just saying.

All I know is not doing the homework didn't impact my learning right up until I was on the carpet for it. In the end it was my guardian angel (drama/ English/ RE teacher) who got me back on track. She was worried that I had too much on my plate educationally and emotionally and perhaps I should give up the role of Blousey Brown in the school production of Bugsy Malone. I was simultaneously gratifed by her care and offended by her suggestion. I showed her what I was made of instead.

Weirdly, my physics teacher even tried to talk me into taking physics at GCSE level. Even after my turn-around I was an appalling physicist - I got 23% in my end of year exam. I seem to remember this being a record. This was before I had even heard of dyscalculia. But Mrs Catchpole was our wardrobe mistress and geniunely believed anyone who could memorise a whole script (inc other people's lines) could surely manage a few basic laws. It was probably the only subject in which I had a valid reason not to do my homework - it was as incomprehensible to me as it would have been written in Mandarin.

Sorry Mrs C - I got a C in Geography instead.