I was by no means this kid. But I remember many times I’d passively listened to the lesson of the day, then get called on because I seemed (was) distracted, and offered a simpler solution. Usually got a “we’ll cover that in future chapters” with very little attempt to hide the frustration.

I’m sorry if I ruined anyone else’s math classes! If it’s any consolation, I ruined them for me too. I lost interest in the whole subject when I recognized the pattern.