Audre Lord had a few very different experiences with her teachers. Her first experience, with Mrs. Baker, proved to be a very surprising one. A little four-year old girl, having a tantrum because she was not allowed to go to story-time, getting reprimanded by her embarrassed mother, is approached by the librarian. This woman looks like someone about to yell at Audre for her noise, but instead decides to read her some stories. Audre was captivated by the books, and at the end of her personal story-time, said "I want to read.". Audre hadn't spoken until then. Mrs. Baker was able to open up this little girl's life with reading. While she didn't do much teaching, she set everything in motion.
Audre's mother taught her how to read and to write her name.
When Audre got to her first school, Kindergarten for sight-conservation, she was ready. But the teacher gave the wrong writing utensils, the wrong kind of paper, and the wrong assignment for Audre's level. Her teacher was angry, and told Audre's parents she wasn't ready for kindergarten.
Audre was then put into the catholic school. The nuns ran the classroom with iron fists. I believe it was here that Audre learned the most. She learned how to get help from others with learning her numbers, and was able to learn them.
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