Don't You Dare Call Me 'Nice'

By KATHLEEN SHEERIN DEVORE

"You're so nice." "You are so kind." No. Really, I'm not. After twice being called "nice" in one day by two colleagues, then "kind" by a student a day later, all in reference to my teaching, I found myself getting angry. If I were nice, I wouldn't have envisioned my hand shooting out, grabbing them by the throat, and steadily squeezing...