Everything you need to understand or teach The Unteachables by Gordon Korman.
Gordon Korman's The Unteachables is a middle-grade novel about a jaded teacher and his terrible students. Mr. Kermit is on the verge of retirement and looks forward to nothing so much as finishing his final year of teaching. His mortal enemy, Dr. Thaddeus, decides to give him the worst class in the district in an effort to force Mr. Kermit into quitting and forfeiting his retirement. To Dr. Thaddeus's chagrin, Mr. Kermit and his students form an incredible bond that changes all of their lives for the better. The novel explores stigma, rumor, memory, identity, and love.
Gordon Korman