Gwen, an ambitious, pre-teen student, accosts her teacher, Mr. Johnston, in the school yard at lunch time, to lobby for inclusion in the group that will receive the enrichment math questions:
(Warning: Using this monologue without permission is illegal, as is reproducing it on a website or in print in any way.)
I just...I just needed to ask...about the extra work. You're...you're giving it to Becky...to Becky. And she's okay... a sharp girl... She's okay. I get it.
(Mr. Johnston starts to turn away. Gwen grabs at his arm.)
No... no... wait... I need... we need to talk...
No...yes...of course, of course I know it's lunch. I'm gonna go eat. We're all gonna eat. But first we gotta talk...you know...we gotta...about the extra work. Like...okay...I understand Becky. She's a regular on the honours board...a regular. But my name's always up there too. Right up near the top...right at the top...my name's always on the board.
But it was...it always was. And it can be again... It will be...I'm sure of it... It will be... One good test...just one...that's all it takes. I'm still the best...the tops...when it comes to math...any type of math. You know I am.
Others...what others? There's just Becky.
Mary...really? Mary? Just a flash in the pan...one or two lucky tests. It goes that way...sometimes...you get a run. That's all it is...she's been on a hot streak. You don't wanna waste the extra work on Mary...not on Mary. She's not gonna know what to do with it.
Georgie? You're giving it to Georgie...Mary and Georgie? Really? You'll give it to them...to Becky...to Mary and Georgie...a bunch of kids who've never been nearly as good at math...who wouldn't even know what to do with extra work...who'll just squander the opportunity...just not benefit from it.
But I've shown...I've always shown...I've been tops... Last semester...semester before that...always... Just ask Mr. Murray, he'll tell you... Ask him... Always the top marks in math... I single-handedly brought up the class average...on last year's standardized test. It was me...me alone...putting our class above all the others in the state... That was me...
No, you don't know about last year...of course you don't... You weren't the teacher last year, were you? Mr. Murray was... But I'm telling you...I'm telling you about last year...how I was the best...how I carried the whole class.