DEAR ABBY:

My elementary school teacher died recently. I hadn’t seen her in over 20 years because of how she made me feel. I remember her as manipulative and negative towards those less fortunate. Because I did not come from a wealthy or prominent family, I was subjected to humiliation, fear, and intimidation. I remember her as being money-oriented, critical and favoring the privileged, who she believed to be smarter.

Because I had dyslexia, I had difficulty reading and interpreting words, so she made me stand and deal with shame for hours. Now that she is dead, I realize that I never had the chance to tell her how wrong she was and that in college my negative attitude toward education improved because I I had excellent teachers and excellent classmates.

The people who now praise her are the same people she promoted and favored. I just wish I could speak from my perspective because many have been mistreated. — SCAR IN TEXAS

DEAR SCAR:

I think you expressed your feelings very well. This teacher may not have recognized that she had a student with a learning disability and punished you when she should have realized that what you needed to succeed was extra help. Consider his inability to properly manage his learning disability and try to forgive him. You’ve done just fine despite her, and it’s time to get her out of your head.

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