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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What happened to a young substitute who came to Kelly School for the first time?
(a) He became a fifth grade teacher.
(b) He lost control of the class, and the principal sent him home.
(c) He wrote a book about his experiences substituting at Kelly School.
(d) He asked Mrs. Zajac for help.

2. What was Mrs. Zajac's husband's name?
(a) Tom.
(b) Will.
(c) Bob.
(d) Bill.

3. What happened to the Flats in the 1980's?
(a) Michelin Tire Co. opened a factory there.
(b) Rehab companies built high rises.
(c) The city turned it into green space.
(d) People set fire to abandoned buildings.

4. What quality did Mrs. Zajac think Pam displayed that was most important for a new teacher?
(a) The emotion she brought to the job.
(b) Her determination to get through her assigned work.
(c) Her detachment from the children.
(d) The sense of order she wanted to have.

5. What are "cumes"?
(a) Detention lists.
(b) Student cumulative reports.
(c) Lesson plans.
(d) Student hall passes.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did Pedro's mother write on the bottom of his permission slip for the core evaluation?

2. What were the two smells in Mrs. Zajac's class at the beginning of the school year?

3. What did Clarence say on his way out of his after-school meeting with Mrs. Zajac on Friday afternoon?

4. Where did Mrs. Zajac eat lunch every day and with whom?

5. Who came to the school to help the teachers learn how to teach the new math?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened in the 1970's to the town of Holyoke? How did this affect the town and its economy? What plans did the state and local governments come up with to renew Holyoke?

2. What was Mrs. Zajac's favorite saying, or mantra, to her students? What does she want her students to understand about learning?

3. Where was Mrs. Zajac born, and where did she grow up? What did her father do for a living? What was a unique quality about the town in which she was born?

4. What were the demographics of Kelly School? Were they in line with the demographics of the community? What else do we know about the families attending Kelly School?

5. What were the afternoons like for Mrs. Zajac? Why were they easier for her?

6. What was math class like for Mrs. Zajac? Why did they provide a particular challenge for her? How did she meet the challenge?

7. How did Clarence's behavior change in the first three days of school? What was Mrs. Zajac's reaction? What were Clarence's consequences for his behavior? What does Mrs. Zajac finally decide to do?

8. In the first chapter, what does the reader learn about Mrs. Zajac? How old is she? How long has she been a teacher? Does she have a family?

9. What were the work conditions for female teachers of the late 19th and 20th centuries?

10. When and where did Mrs. Zajac have time to grade her social studies papers? What trend did Mrs. Zajac see in her students' performance? Who in particular had made real strides in class and homework? Who had not done so well?

(see the answer keys)

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