The Arithmetic Teacher
From Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned from My Dog
By Jacquie McTaggart

If you think dogs can’t count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them.
~Phil Pastoret

I watched my dad scowl as he listened to the voice coming through the telephone receiver. I heard him say, “Yes, Miss Beisner,” and “I understand what you’re saying, Miss Beisner. I appreciate you sharing this information. We’ll see what we can do about the situation. Thank you for calling. Goodbye.”

Miss Beisner was my first-grade teacher, and I loved her. I thought she felt the same about me, but now I was beginning to wonder. The tone of Dad’s voice, the redness in his cheeks, and his repeated clenching and unclenching of fists made it pretty clear. This was not a warm and fuzzy good-news-from-the teacher call. (Keep reading)