My first day as a teacher in Maycomb, Alabama was rough and eccentric because I didn’t know anybody there and since it’s like a small town everybody knows each other. I taught a first grade class and I introduced my self and then I started off the day by reading a story to the class. When I told Scout to read, “My First Reader” and “The Mobile Register” aloud; she read so well and I told her to tell her father to stop teaching her how to read because that was a 3rd grade teacher’s job. I know that Scout can read and write very well but so she will not be needing me a lot this year but she really isn’t supposed to know how to read or write properly yet. I saw Scout writing a letter to Dill but I told her to stop because the fact that she could read and write was just killing me.
When it was time for lunchtime I asked everyone if they had a home lunch or if they buy their lunch but everybody answered except for Walter Cunningham. I told Walter that I would give him a quarter and he could pay me back the next day but he condescended because he didn’t have a quarter to pay me back with. Walter had hookworms and you could tell by how he walks around barefooted. He never wore anything clean. I felt bad for Walter because he was a quiet poor kid. Since the Cunningham’s were country folk farmers, the stock market crash affected them a lot. Because Jem kept going on talking about the Cunningham’s I hit him with a ruler on his hand. I just couldn’t believe it. Walter seemed irked a lot by all these questions from me so I just sat down thinking.
After lunchtime, there was a mouse and it was because of Burris Ewells hair. The other kids were used to it and they told me that he has cooties and it’s nothing. But I was disgusted and stared at him in awe because that was nasty. I told him to stand up and go home so he can wash his hair with lye soap and treat his scalp with kerosene so that the other kids wouldn’t catch that. He was dirty because he had black fingernails, the back of his hands were rusty and his neck was dark gray. I also told him to bathe because he stunk. He stood up laughing and said, “I done done my time for this year.” I didn’t know what he was talking about so one of the other boys stood up and said, “He’s one of the Ewells, ma’am.” They come for the first day of school and then leave. I was shocked when Burris told me he didn’t have a mother and he was in 1st grade 3 times in a row and he is trying to go the second grade. I thought this day was terrible because I was mean to a kid that didn’t do anything wrong but tell the truth but then he wouldn’t listen to me and this other boy stood up for Burris telling me that Burris is a hard one to talk to and to just leave him alone. The boy who stood up for him was named Little Chick Little and he intimidated to stab Burris if he didn’t sit down so the whole day got out of hand.
I was crying because of how Burris yelled at me in a furious tone and the things he said to me was so hurtful and so he just left the classroom. The other kids tried to comfort me asking me to read them a story and making me feel welcomed now that I know about everybody in my class and what they are like. We all compromised as a class, as we were reading the book.
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2 comments:
I think that you did a really good job with your post. I like how you described Ms Caroline's feelings, such as when you wrote "the fact that she could read and write was just killing me." You described pretty much everything in the chapters pretty well. Good job
I agree with charisse. I think you did a really good job of acting like ms. caroline. Also, i like how you said "the fact that she could read and write was just killing me." because that is really what was bothering her the most about Scout. I really enjoyed reading it.
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