Work Text:
Ned Bigby began setting up his desk at James K. Polk, the exact same middle school he had started at in sixth grade. He leaned against the whiteboard and sighed. A few minor things had changed, like whiteboards instead of chalkboards, and a smart board hanging against the wall. If anyone had told eleven year old Ned he would become a social studies teacher at this very school, he would’ve laughed in their face and probably planted water balloons above their locker, but now he felt like this is what he should be doing forever. He even had his middle school girlfriend by his side, engaged to Miss Suzie Crabgrass while she finished her medical degree to become a pediatrician.
It was the day before classes started, so Ned was putting the finishing touches on his new classroom. He placed A few ironic posters, a corkboard for students to put notes, and a few copies of his tips from the guide for good measure. He never imagined sitting across from Principal Wright at the beginning of the year meeting, or even seeing iTeacher in the flesh. Their reactions to seeing him back made him somewhat giddy, almost like they had seen a ghost. His turn came up to present his ideas for the semester.
“First, I think we need to make sure every kid feels connected to a teacher in some way. Be it from something they enjoy in the class, to something they have in common with us, or by being able to tell their teacher about something, serious or not, without being criticized for it.” He looked around the room at some of his former teachers. Only a few were still there, but everyone around the table was smiling.
“That’s why I loved it here so much. I felt like every teacher wanted to see me grow, and I want to do the same for these new kids. I mean come on, when I came in here I was a lazy kid who would do anything to get out of work, and now I’m back here.” He smiled and sat down in his chair, folding his hands gently. After the meeting Wright grabbed Ned by the shoulder, and gave him a few shoulder pats.
"I never thought you would be so passionate about teaching Mr. Bigby” Wright said fondly. “Yeah, I never really figured either, but when it came time to pick a major, I couldn’t think of anything I wanted more.”
“Well, I for one couldn’t be happier you did.” Wright patted his should once more.
“Mr. Bigby sounds pretty good too, by the way”
Ned made it home before Suzie, like most nights. He wanted to surprise her one more time before his classes started with a nice, fancy dinner. Since she was usually swamped with interning shifts at the hospital, he tried to arrange things so that the few nights she made it home at a normal time, they could spending time together. This night she made it home just after seven, after working two shifts.
“Ned? Hey I’m home!” Suzie called from the entryway of the small townhouse they rented together.
“Kitchen!” He called after her.
“You haven’t set anything on fire this time have you, because I don’t think our landlord will let us stay here much longer if the fire department shows up again” She teased.
“Um, I’m a great cook, and if you recall correctly, the reason we called the fire department last time was because you set a dishtowel on fire.” He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek.
“With our luck, we probably shouldn’t set any candles” Suzie giggled. She grabbed a spoon and took a spoonful of the curry he was making. “Hmm, not bad Bigby”
“That should probably be done now. We can’t have candles but we can at least have music” Ned put on a slow ballad. Suzie rolled her eyes at the cheesy song. She grabbed two plates while he finished stirring the rice and spooned food onto each plate.
“So, are you nervous about tomorrow?” Suzie asked as she took her first bite. “Wow, you have really outdone yourself, this is really good”
“Only a little, and I still have lesson plans to finish up, but if these kids were anything like we were in middle school, I’m pretty sure I can handle them”
“I’m sure that won’t be a huge problem. Sixth graders are far from intimidating”
“What happens when I find another me, though? You know, lazy kid, really smart, good at everything else but hates school?”
“If anyone can figure out a way to break through to kids like that, it’s you. I promise.” She pecked him on the cheek.
“It’s still your turn to do the dishes though” Ned rolled his eyes in defeat, but at least she believed in him.
He arrived at school promptly at six thirty the next morning, half of him had been too tired to sleep and half of him never wanted to get out of bed. He never expected who he saw when he walked in.
“Mr. Bigby, have to say you were the last person I would’ve expected to see working here all these years later” Mr. Sweeney smirked.
“I swear if I hear that one more time” Ned rolled his eyes. “If you put half as much into teaching as you did for causing chaos, you might very well be the best teacher James K. Polk middle school has ever seen”
Sweeney continued. “You did say I was your favorite student, remember?” Ned prodded.
“That I did. And I mean it to this day. You’re capable of great things Mr. Bigby, never forget that”
“That means a lot to me Mr. Sweeney, and no matter how tough on me you were, I always looked up to you.”
Ned looked into Mr. Sweeney’s eyes. “Now I have to get ready for class, so if you don’t mind?”
“Of course, just wanted to stop in and say hi” He smiled in spite of himself, and walked into his own classroom. An hour and a half later the bell rang for first period Ned stood outside his classroom and ushered in the last few stray kids and closed the door.
“Hello everyone, welcome to your first day of middle school! I’m Mr. Bigby, but you can call me Mr. B if you want. This is my first year teaching, so please, don’t go too hard on me” Ned smiled as the rest of the class laughed.
When he divided the class into groups, he noticed one small kid being teased by one of his classmates, a slightly bigger kid, grabbing his backpack and not letting go. Ned walked up next to the cluster of desks and cleared his throat.
“Bobby, right?” Ned asked the bigger kid. “And what’s your name?” Ned asked the classmate across from him.
“Daniel” The smaller kid spoke quietly.
“Bobby, I think I saw you grab Daniel’s backpack?”
Bobby nodded solemnly and gave it back to the smaller student.
“I’m going to have to send you to the principal’s office. There’s a no bullying policy at this school.” Ned showed the student out.
As the class came to a close, Ned walked up to Daniel’s desk.
“Sorry about the backpack thing, I know it’s too embarrassing for most kids to get their teacher involved.” Ned smiled.
“I guess I’m just kinda used to it. Being small for my age and all.” Daniel looked up at Ned.
“I understand. I was like that as a kid, but I never really let it get to me, and I had some good friends who had my back.” Ned walked over to his desk.
“This is what got me through everything, the good, the bad, and the ugly: my guide. I wrote this when I started sixth grade, and I’ve been adding to it ever since.”
The boy grabbed it gently, leafing through the well-worn pages.
“You can borrow it, for as long as you need to. Read it, add to it, just don’t let it out of your sight” Ned sighed and clucked his tongue. “But you have to pinky swear you’ll never let it go. Ever.”
“I pinky swear!” Daniel smiled as he locked pinkies with his teacher.
It was time to let the guide go, let it inspire someone else.