Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman. Short summary

5 seconds

Sylvia Barrett, a young teacher, comes to a new school. She is appointed to lead a class with difficult children. The students disobey and torment the new teacher in every way.

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Young teacher Sylvia Barrett comes to New York City’s Calvin Coolidge School to teach English and literature. The girl becomes the leader of a class of difficult children. The students constantly disrupt lessons, disobey and contradict Miss Barrett.

In addition, the teacher fills a lot of papers and reports every day. Helping the young teacher is the only person — a colleague Beatrice. She advises her friend to be more relaxed about her work. Miss Barrett has no office of her own and she has to «wander» from class to class.

The last straw is the death of one of the students in her class with whom Miss Barrett could not speak. The girl had unsuccessfully attempted an abortion. The young woman looks for a new job.

At this time, the school is preparing a play, and during one rehearsal, a door falls on Sylvia. The teacher is hospitalized with a fracture. The students write touching letters to their teacher, wishing her recovery and begging her to return to them. Miss Barrett returns to school.