ABSTRACT
Ms. Cordova, the principal at McArthur Middle School, walks down the hall of the social studies department during third period. She notices the lights are off in Mr. Hanks’ classroom and, glancing in, observes that he is showing students a video. Most students are fi lling out a worksheet. Ms. Cordova is distracted by loud voices coming from the next classroom down the hall. As she approaches, she hears students reciting in unison the names of the Presidents of the United States in chronological order. Continuing down the hall, she hears the hum of voices coming from another classroom and peeks in to see students sitting in small groups studying passages on Greek city-states in their world history textbook. In the next classroom, she hears Mr. Adams, one of the most popular teachers, involved in an animated lecture on the causes of World War I. Students laugh at his exaggerated German accent. As she passes his door she sees that he is dressed in the uniform of a German offi cer. From the silence in the hall ahead, she wonders whether the next classroom is empty. But, looking in, she sees that it is full of students who sit quietly at their desks either reading their textbook and taking notes or snoozing.
