Post 1 - Chapters 1-3 - Miss Caroline

Journal #1 by Ambar
Chapters 1-3
Perspective: Ms. Caroline

First Day of School

I printed my name on the blackboard and took a deep breath. It was my first day of school. Well, not my actual first day of school, it’s my first day of teaching here in Maycomb. I had butterflies in my stomach. I kept telling myself “I’m just teaching first graders, they hardly know anything, so why should I be nervous?” Well they were just first graders, it couldn’t be that hard trying to teach them. This was really eccentric to me. I took another deep breath and turned around with a serious look on my face.
“This says I’m Miss Caroline Fisher. I am from North Alabama, Winston County.” I said aloud to the class. “Today we’re going to read a story about cats.” The book was about fantasy. Cats were taking to each other, and they wore clothes (something that cats would never do). The story amused the class, they knew that it was complete nonsense. They all knew that cats don’t wear clothes or talk. Can’t they imagine a little bit? I finished reading the story a couple minutes later. “Oh, my, wasn’t that nice?” I asked the class, they giggled some more. I walked over to the black board telling myself that the day would be over soon and not to worry about a thing. I printed the alphabet on the board and asked “Does anybody know what these are?” A little girl named Jean Louise raised her hand and I asked her to read the alphabet for me. The little girl knew every single letter and she knew how to pronounce every one right! I was astonished. I asked her if she could read me My First Reader and quotations from The Mobile Register aloud. She read every thing I asked her to read. I couldn’t believe it. This kid was smart. It’s the first day of first grade and she already knew how to read and write. First graders aren’t supposed to know anything. They’re supposed to hardly know a thing and I’m supposed to teach them things.
“Jean, tell your father to stop teaching you to read, that’s my job, not his.” I told her. Jean chuckled at the thought, it seemed like she cared about my pronouncement “Teach me? He hasn’t taught me anything, Miss Caroline. Atticus ain’t got no time to teach me anything, why, he’s so tired at night he just sits there and reads.” She told me. I didn’t believe her. “If he didn’t teach you, who did? Somebody did. You weren’t just born reading The Mobile Register.” I told her. She started telling me all of this nonsense about this guy named Jem and how he said that she was reading ever since she was born. I thought she was lying. “This is going to be a problem” I thought to myself. “Tell your father to stop teaching you how to read. Your father does not know how to teach. You can have a seat now.” I told her. I could tell that what I just finished telling Jean irked her.
Later, I was walking around the class room watching the students work. When I walked past Jean, I saw her writing a letter. “She knows how to write too?” I thought to myself. I bent down to talk to her “Tell your father to stop teaching you Jean. Besides, we don’t write in the first grade, we print. You won’t learn to write until you’re in the third grade.” I took away her paper and walked away. I saw the look on her face after words and she looked at me as if I was malevolent or something worse. But I’ve had enough with Jean so far.
It was lunch time. “Everyone who goes home to lunch hold up your hands,” I looked around the classroom to see who was raising their hand. “Everybody who brings his lunch put it on top of his desk.” I walked over to Walter Cunningham’s desk and asked “Where’s yours?” The kid looked really sick, I felt bad. He didn’t answer “Did you forget it this morning?” I asked. Still no answer “Did you forget it this morning?” I asked again “Yeb’m” he replied. I walked over to my desk and opened my purse. “Here’s a Quarter, go and eat downtown today. You can pay me back tomorrow.” I said. “Nome thank you ma’am.” He replied. I was starting to loose it “Here Walter, come and get it.” He shook his head. Jean rose from her seat. “Ah- Miss Caroline?” she asked “What is it Jean Louise?” I asked. She started telling me that he’s a Cunningham and they don’t have that much money and they don’t accept any money that they know that they won’t be able to pay back. I felt embarrassed, it seemed like Jean was a smarty-pants and she knew everything. “Jean Louise, I’ve had about enough of you this morning,” I said impatiently “You’re starting off on the wrong foot in everyway, my dear. Hold out your hand.” She held out her hand like it was nothing and I whipped her hand. I didn’t feel indigenous at all here in Maycomb.
After lunch I screamed so loud. I was deathly afraid. I was just walking by and I saw something come out of a kid’s hair. The class said that it was just a cootie and to not be afraid. The kid’s name was Burris Ewell. He looked filthy. I couldn’t stand it. I told him to go home and wash his hair and not to come back until he was all clean. He told me that he was not going any where and he was only going to be there for one day. Another child told me their story on how they only have a father and Maycomb bends the rules for their family. After that, I couldn’t wait until the day ended.