TKAM post 1

perspective of Miss. Caroline

I am preparing for the firsts day of school. I have always gotten some eccentric children in my class. I wonder what is coming next. The school is starting a new way of teaching, it's the Dewey Decimal System. It really irks me when people come to my first grade class and already know how to read and write, but that rarely happens.

It is the first day of school, and I am waiting for all the students to come in to class. They start coming in, and I recognize a few of them, the ones that have been in 1st grade for about 3 years. When all of the kids are in, I make a few pronouncements and tell them what i expect from them, and what they should expect to happen in class. I introduce my self, and start writing the alphabet on the white board. I ask one of the girls, names scout, what it says, and she read the the whole alphabet out loud. I don't think that that is acceptable that she comes to my class and can read. I pull her aside, and tell her that if her daddy keeps teaching her how to read, then we will have to make a compromise. Her Daddy should not teacher her how to read, and if he continues, I will have to condescend and tell him my self that it is NOT OKAY! The day goes on, and I find out that Scout can write in cursive. That also irks me, and i tell her she can't do that until 3rd grade.

So lunchtime comes, and i ask who is going home for lunch, and who will stay here. A boy named Walter Cunningham docent have a lunch, and isn't going home. I try to give him a quarter to go buy lunch then pay me back tomorrow, and he won't take it. I start getting frustrated with him. Some of the kids start talking and i ask what is happening, so once again Scout jumps up to the plate. Shes says "Don't you know, hes a Cunningham. He wont be able to pay you back, I bet his family has never seen 3 quarters together in his life. " I am so frustrated with her, I let everyone out to lunch, and put her in the corner.

So when every one comes back from lunch, and boy that i didn't see in the morning was in the class. He was FILTHY, and he had bugs in his hair. I tell him he needs to go home and scrub his hair three times. so he leaves, and never comes back. his name is Burris Ewell, and I find out that the Ewell family comes to school for the first Day, and never comes back unless they have a longing for and education.