Her Teachers: According to Audre Lorde

Audre Lorde has interesting stories about her early education from the children's librarian, her mother, and teachers from the sight-conservation kindergarten and a catholic school.  She had a hard time with these teachers.  They did not understand her.  She was always getting in trouble.  It was hard to read how she got reprimanded time after time.  No one took the time to dig deeper to see what was behind her perceived naughtiness; she was not trying to do wrong, she was just misunderstood.
 
Lorde illustrates Mrs. Augusta Baker, the children's librarian, as patient by stating, "Mrs. Baker read me Madeline, and Horton Hatches the Egg, both of which rhymed and had huge lovely pictures which I could see from behind my newly acquired eyeglasses, fastened around the back of my rambunctious head by a black elastic band running from earpiece to earpiece (22)."  She then refers to her as helpful by saying,  "My mother accepted the alpha-bet and picture books Mrs. Baker gave her for me, and I was on my way. (23)"

She then talks about the experiences she had at home with her mother teaching her the alphabet and how to write her name.  She shows her mother as strict by writing, "She told me stories about his strictness as she taught me how to print my name. (24)" and she elaborates by stating, "No deviation was allowed from her interpretations of correct. (24)"

The teacher at the sight-conservation kindergarten showed a lack of empathy by saying, "Imagine that, a big girl like you. Such a shame, I'll have to tell your mother that you won't even try. And such a big girl like you! (25)"  Later Lorde writes, "The next morning at school, the teacher told my mother that she did not think that I was ready yet for kindergarten, because I couldn't follow directions, and I wouldn't do as I was told. (27)"

After her mother convinces the catholic school to take her in, she goes on to describe her new teacher.  "My first grade teacher was named Sister Mary of Perpetual Help, and she was a disciplinarian of the first order, right after my mother's own heart. A week after I started school she sent a note home to my mother asking her not to dress me in so many layers of clothing because then I couldn't feel the strap on my behind when I was punished. (27)"  She also goes on the describe her as running, "...the first grade with an iron hand in the shape of a cross (27)."  She elaborates about other disparaging experiences she has in the class.

I felt sad that Audre Lorde went through such a tough time in her early experiences with school.  With an exception of the librarian, her early teachers were quite cruel.  I know that the era in which the book was written is of a different day and age where teachers were strict and allowed to use corporal punishment.  Although I was not surprised about her experiences, I still found it quite disturbing.