"Those who don't know!" 

The teacher used to accompany these words with a gesture of the hands that meant "Stand up!" 

It was a ritual. Every morning the teacher started the day asking questions that we were supposed to be able to answer, if we had done our homework. 

Every morning a good deal of my classmates stood up. I was ten years old. I could read fluently, I knew my multiplication tables well enough, I could answer the questions if I was asked. The teacher knew that and therefore he rarely asked me. I kept sitting. 

A boy who remained seated and couldn't answer if he was asked was in serious trouble….