Famous Porcupine: W

Note: This porcupines is so famous, using his first name might make him too easy to guess before you read his story, so he’ll be referred to as “W.”

Stupid and Lazy

W was a sensitive and imaginative child, born into a family of privilege. His parents were important people, but they didn’t seem to find much time to spend with their son. Of his mother, he said “I loved her dearly – but at a distance.” His father was worse, often accusing him of being stupid and lazy. W was shipped off to boarding school at a young age, a practice not uncommon in that day and age. However, he often had to travel alone, and his parents rarely visited. There were times when he was not even allowed to come home for holidays.

“I Do Not Always Like Being Taught”

In school, W struggled–a lot. He has a famous quote attributed to him which highlights how he may have felt in school: “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.” Strong-willed and rebellious, he often clashed with authority figures. He was often beaten in school, flogged with a birch rod.

Not surprisingly, he hated school. He later said, “…I had hardly ever been asked to learn anything which seemed of the slightest use or interest, or allowed to play any game which was amusing. In retrospect those years form not only the least agreeable, but also the only barren and unhappy period of my life.”

At about the age of 14, he was in the bottom half of his class. He was thought not to be smart enough to attend university. It took him three tries to pass the officer training exam at the military training academy he applied to. He finally passed and was admitted.

Woomany

W’s childhood was challenging, but he was not entirely without support. Like many who later succeed despite early hardships, he had one stabilizing adult in his life: his nanny, Elizabeth Everest. She provided the love and comfort that his parents didn’t. He adored Mrs. Everest, calling her “Woomany” and considered her his closest confidante. He would later recall, “Mrs. Everest it was who looked after me and tended all my wants.”

We’re all quite fortunate that W had someone who got him through his tough childhood, because the world would likely be much worse off without his steady and strong leadership.

(To see this famous porcupine, click an arrow below.)

Winston Churchill needed every ounce of his strength, defiance, and iron will to lead England through the Blitz during World War II. For months and months, it was England alone who stood between Hitler and the free world, and it was Winston’s perseverance and bravery that held the country together, allowing the Allies to eventually rally to victory.

Click here to read stories of more famous porcupines. Be sure to check out the book that inspired this series: Hugging Porcupines: Month-by-Month Strategies for Supporting Our Most Challenging Students.

Citations: The information for this story was drawn from several sources:

The International Churchill Society: The Life of Churchill/Child
America’s National Churchill Museum: Winston Churchill’s Early Years
Daily JSTOR: Winston Churchill’s Love-Hungry Childhood
Personal visit to Churchill War Rooms

Author

Mike Anderson

A public school teacher for 15 years, Mike has also had many other roles in education: preschool aide, high school and age-group swim coach, camp counselor, graduate class instructor, and Responsive Classroom presenter and developer. He now works as a consultant, providing professional learning for teachers throughout the US and beyond.

As a classroom teacher, Mike was awarded a national Milken Educator Award and was a finalist for NH Teacher of the Year. In 2020, he was awarded the Outstanding Educational Leader Award by NHASCD for his work as a consultant. A best-selling author, Mike has written many books about great teaching and learning. His latest book is Hugging Porcupines: Month-by-Month Strategies to Support Our Most Challenging Students.

When not working, Mike can be found hanging with his family, tending his perennial gardens, sorting baseball cards and searching for new running routes around his home in Durham, NH.

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