The words fat and skinny are on the reference sheet, but Adam still appears quizzical. Finally, Staggs writes, This is. Staggs returns to her testing, calling to a child who has been standing nearby. Adam writes and erases and finally puts down his pencil to watch the children around him. After five minutes, Staggs stops her testing to help Adam write both sentences a word at a time.
Students jump from their chairs to retrieve homework from their bookbags.
Adam rummages through his bookbag but doesn't produce any homework. Everyone got one. Adam goes back to his bookbag and unearths the homework sheet, undone. During a break, Staggs says the veterans in her class welcome newcomers and that many hope to become buddies. But she says they pay a price because newcomers typically take a disproportionate share of her time.