That was a lesson well taught Ma'am

A teachers day special from my side. How I learnt to be a topper in class.

This happened when I was in 3d standard, I used to think myself as a big boss of the class, I used to get good marks too but I wasn't the topper in class. There was this class teacher of mine, her name was Philomena teacher. She used to take special interest on me I don't know why. . She must've seen something special.
And so it was exam time. class test in science I think. I didn't study for it but simply went just like that! I was overconfident there. Amazing to say that I still remember the questions of that exam! It was the structure of a plant and one question on environment . I hadn't studied well so I made a diagram of whatever that came to my mind. So that was it.

Two days later it was the result time and she started distributing answer papers. To my ultimate horror I found out that she had failed me! I had never failed in an exam before. . . I felt so ashamed and humiliated that time.

Then she was giving two beatings with scale to those who failed. When it was my turn , I held my hand out and started crying . I still think cried pretty badly there ;-) she gave me one beating and then she took me into her arms and consoled me. She told where I went wrong and that all was not lost .

She said I could come first in class if I wanted to, just that I had to work for it . That was a lesson well taught and well learnt. I never looked back after that , I started reading with the zeal from that day . I was a topper in class all through my primary, high school and pre universities . . Nice to remember now that all my successes began with that failure! I am ever grateful to her for opening my eyes at such a young age and lighting the fire of knowledge inside me .Thank you madam..