Chapter 4 A New Life as a Teacher It was the night before the first day of school.
Anne Jane Andrews and Gilbert Blythe were standing at the fence near Green Gables's front gate admiring the sunset.
I think you are both very lucky, Anne said.
You will be teaching new children.
Almost all of my students will be former classmates.
Anne was teaching at the Avonlea School, where she, Jane, and Gilbert had all been students.
Jane was going to New Bridge School and Gilbert to White Sands.
Anne had planned to go to college, but her plans had changed.
First, the bank where Marilla kept all of her money went out of business, and she lost her savings.
Then Marilla's brother Matthew died suddenly.
Marilla simply could not afford to send Anne to school, and so Anne had decided to teach.
Gilbert had generously given up his teaching job at Avonlea.
He would take a job in White Sands so Anne could stay close to home and help run the house.
It was a wonderful solution for all of them.
Miss Lind says they will never respect me as a teacher, Anne said.
Anne Gilbert said chuckling.
You must realize by now that Mrs Rachel Lynde only considers the bad side of things.
Oh, I know, Anne said.
There was a time when she would never have agreed with Gilbert.
They had been great rivals, but now they were friends, and Anne was very glad.
However, Anne continued, I think she does have a point this time.
I don't want an unruly classroom.
You will simply have to be firm, Jane said.
I intend to be very strict with my students.
I will not tolerate any rude behavior.
Jane was kind and had a good heart, but she did not like anything out of order.
Oh, I have no intention of being so strict, Anne exclaimed.
Our old teacher, Miss Stacy, taught us with kindness.
I want my students to want to learn.
I don't want them studying because they are afraid of me.
What do you think, Gilbert?
This was a difficult question for Gilbert.
He wanted to impress Anne, but he also wanted to speak his mind.
Well. he said.
I think you need to judge each student differently.
Some will respond to kindness.
Others will need more.
I think you are both wrong, Anne said.
Punishment does not help children learn.
I suppose, Jane said slyly, if a girl misbehaves, you could punish her by sitting her next to a boy.
Anne and Gilbert looked at each other and smiled shyly.
Many years ago, Anne had been forced to sit beside Gilbert as a punishment.
After her friend said goodbye, Anne walked slowly back to the house.
As she walked, she thought about her life since coming to Avonlea.
It did not seem so long ago that she had first arrived at Green Gables, yet she was no longer the same little orphan girl.
She was excited to start her new life in the morning, but she was also sad.
She must say goodbye to childhood.
Being a teacher was an adult job.
Her world was changing.
At breakfast the next morning, Marilla could tell something was wrong.
She asked Anne why she looked so concerned.
Oh, Marilla, Anne said, what if I fail?
What if today is terrible and I am an awful teacher?
You'll not ruin everything in a single day, Marilla scoffed.
She gave Anne a cup of ginger tea.
My, how you worry about silly things.
Anne was so deep in her own thoughts that she barely heard Marilla.
In fact, Anne barely noticed anything on her way to the schoolhouse.
She did not stop once to smell the flowers or admire the trees.
That was very unlike Anne.
At the school, she found a room full of smiling and curious faces.
Anne had stayed up late the night before preparing a speech.
She had rehearsed it so many times that she knew it by heart.
It was an inspiring speech about the power of learning and working together.
Now, unfortunately, she could not remember a single word.
Instead, she said faintly, Please take out your readers.
Anne collapsed into her chair.
She hoped her students did not notice her red face.
Anne knew most of the children, of course, but she did notice one new face.
Sitting quietly by himself was a ten-year-old boy named Paul Irving.
Anne had already heard stories about Paul from Marilla and Mrs. Lynde.
Paul's father, Stephen, had moved to the United States many years earlier.
When his wife had died, Stephen had sent Paul back to Avonlea to live with his grandmother.
Anne immediately recognized a kindred spirit in Paul.
He had a serious face but bright, questioning eyes.
She knew instantly that they would be friends.
Anne felt like she was in a dream the entire day.
She finished all the lessons, but they were a blur to her.
She did remember Andrew Pye pouring water on Aurelia Clay's neck, though.
She kept him inside at recess and explained why it was wrong.
Even though Andrew did not seem bothered by his punishment-
Anne thought she had done the right thing.
When school was over, Anne sat alone in the classroom.
She was disappointed by her first day.
She worried that she might not like teaching.
Wouldn't it be terrible, Anne thought, if I spent forty years doing something I disliked?
Anne walked home slowly, thinking all the way.
Her first day as a teacher was over.
Nothing had gone wrong, but she wanted to make sure the next day was better.
