In A Manner Of Speaking

So the other day I went to the doctor, which means I had a sub in my classroom. He's great, the one I always ask for. He leaves good comments so I know what goes on while I'm away. This time, he left one that said, "I can't believe you have the two Richards sitting together!"

The next morning, I ran into him in the office, picking up a new sub folder while I was putting mine back. He chuckled. Kind of smirked at me. And shook his head. "I mean it. I can't believe you have the two Richards sitting together."

"Oh, you have to imagine yourself in that room with them every day. And if you notice, Peter is sitting right next to the two Richards. I didn't plan it that way. They're alphabetical. But when I consider the alternative, they are staying right there. This way, I only have to worry about putting out one fire every day, not waiting and watching to see where various conflagrations might pop up. All the fuel is in one place, it's close to the extinguisher, and I smother those flames before they take hold."

He smiled. "You certainly have a point."

Let the record show that Mrs. Hillbilly Mom does not have students named Richard and Peter, and that she is not talking about actual FIRE fire, but rather the shenanigans that kids engage in when their leash is too long and they are out from under the thumb.

There is a method to Mrs. HM's madness.