Ms. Jackson: Oh, Tavares, come here, I’m gonna see if you can sound this one out, while we’re waiting to get our take-homes. Get ready.

Tavares: Rrrr-aaaa-mmmm.

Ms. Jackson: I’m so proud of you. What word?

Tavares: Ram!

Ms. Jackson: You’re reading! (Ms. Kemp laughs) You’re reading! We haven’t been over that! Ahh! (laughs)

Ms. Kemp: See? And that’s something new, huh?

Ms. Jackson: ou’re reading!

MS. JACKSON KNOWS THE PROGRAM INSIDE OUT… AND SHE KNOWS A FEW TRICKS FOR MOTIVATING LITTLE BOYS.

Ms. Jackson: Tavares, you’re the teacher.

Cameron: And then I’m gonna go?

Ms. Jackson: We’ll see. I don’t know, yet. You’re not sitting quietly. You’re not paying attention.

Tavares: Shhhh. I’m the teacher. I want you to know I’m the teacher.

Ms. Jackson: Okay. You need some help with the book? It’s heavy, Tavares. Okay. Here we go.

Tavares: Get ready.

Reading group: di

Tavares: Yes, di. Get ready.

Reading group: di

Tavares: Yes, di. Get ready.

Reading group: rrrrrrrssssss

Tavares: Start all over.

BY EARLY OCTOBER, THE PROMISE OF THOSE FIRST FEW LESSONS IS FADING. TAVARES MISSED A WHOLE WEEK OF SCHOOL WHEN HIS FATHER'S CAR BROKE DOWN. AND DESPITE HIS PROGRESS WITH MS. JACKSON, TAVARES STILL CAN’T KEEP UP WITH HIS FIRST GRADE CLASSMATES.

Ms. Morgan: Now, Ms. Morgan wants you to, I want you to write a pumpkin story. And what do we like to do when we’re writing our stories? Turn on our what?

Kids: Music…thinking…

Ms. Morgan: Turn on our thinking music. We have some thinking music. Just a little bit of thinking music.

TAVARES TRIES TO COPY SOME WORDS FROM THE BOARD, BUT TURNING THEM INTO A STORY IS WELL BEYOND HIM.

Ms. Morgan: Okay, next we’ll hear from Tavares. I know he’s excited about his story. We have to get you up front.

TAVARES SCANS HIS PAPER … AND THEN — INSTEAD OF READING IT — HE JUST MAKES UP A STORY.

Tavares: One day the kid was sitting on the pumpkin. He…he… the kid is, put a seed down in the dirt.

AFTER TWO MONTHS OF INTENSIVE PHONICS, TAVARES DOESN’T EVEN TRY TO SOUND OUT THE WORDS HE’S JUST WRITTEN. THE KIDS APPLAUD HIS EFFORT, BUT TAVARES IS WAY BEHIND, AND HIS TEACHERS WONDER IF HE’LL EVER CATCH UP.

Act 2 New Teacher in Town

Bearden Elementary Sumner, Mississippi August

Ms. Todd: Does everybody feel good? Are you excited? Today’s your first day of school in second grade. I want to welcome you to second grade. We’re going to do a lot fun things this year. My name is Ms. Todd.

HERE IN SUMNER, MISSISSIPPI, FIRST YEAR TEACHER JILL TODD IS EAGER TO GET STARTED.

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Photo Credit for Bearden Elementary: Maude Schuyler Clay
Photo Credit for Walton Elementary: Chris Hamilton