Part I: Pages 1 through 20 Summary and Analysis

June 21: Author Codell states that a teacher-mentor named Ismene Siteles is the reason she got into teaching. Ismene recently died, and Codell attended the funeral.

Codell, twenty-four at the time of the writing, has been hired by Mr. Turner to help open a new public school. Mr. Turner conducts the briefest of interviews to hire her. Codell also has an interview session in front of a panel of educators. She replies in a sarcastic, arrogant manner, and on the way home she figures she has blown her opportunity. However, according to Mr. Turner, the panel loved her.

She is not given the opportunity to teach a classroom yet, but is merely doing administrative duties for Mr. Turner, including typing and copying.

June 6: Codell asks Mr. Turner if he could call her Ms. Esme instead of...