Here is the secret that most people miss. Mary did not play favorites. She tricked the entire class equally. This created an odd bond. When you finally figured out her puzzle, you were obligated to help the person next to you—not by giving the answer, but by teaching them how to find it. She built communities of problem-solvers disguised as classrooms of victims.
In essence, "tricky old teacher Mary better" is a colloquial imperative: If you want to get better, you have to survive Mary. tricky old teacher mary better
Leo spent the next hour staring at the blank page, sweating more than the bottle. When the bell rang, he handed in a nearly empty exam. The Unorthodox Methods of Tricky Old Teacher Mary: