Chapter 2 really focused on the children that Conroy would be teaching on the island of Yamacraw. The chapter started with Conroy meeting Bennington and going over to the island. After getting to the island Conroy met Mrs. Brown, a prized possession of Yamacraw according to Bennington. As the reader of this book, it seems as though Bennington and Mrs. Brown are among the few in the surrounding community that actually care about the kids in Yamacraw. Conroy described the school and Mrs. Brown, but he still had no inclinations of what to expect from the children he would be teaching.
There was one sentence that stood out to me in this chapter. Although it may not be the best written, to me it captured the honest first thoughts of the fifth-eighth grader students that Conroy was supposed to teach. "Sweet little Jesus, I thought, as I weaved between the desks, these kids don't know crap."
Conroy seemed taken back and somewhat shocked by the lack of knowledge that these children had. Although he had been warned about how bad this teaching job would be, he really was unsure of what to expect. That first day on the job he spent trying to get to know the students. But, the students seemed to not even know themselves.
Conroy's book keeps my attention and, I constantly find myself wanting to read more so that I can find out what happens to these children. I love the way he has written this book and how easy it is to put myself in his shoes and to think about what I would have done if I had been in his position as the teacher to these students.
I really like the sentence you chose. When I read that particular sentence, it truly surprised me by its honesty. I cannot imagine how surprised Conroy must have been when he realized how much his new students did not know. I am sure that he was overwhelmed by the idea of having to start from the beginning in teaching his students. It probably would have taken me a while to figure out the best way to even start teaching. I like how Conroy handled the situation. He started out by getting to know the students, and then started his teaching by just talking with them.
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