My Weird School - Miss Daisy Is Crazy! — Chapter 2

About This Passage

This passage layers multiple ironies: A.J. has 'tried hard not to learn' (an absurd effort), his reasoning comes from Billy (established in Chapter 1 as a comically unreliable source), and the premise that rich people hire readers reveals a child's garbled understanding of how the world works. The casual, confident delivery makes the irony richer. Satisfies criteria B (compound sentences with cause-and-effect logic), C (dramatic irony), and D (thematic weight about the value of literacy).

Narration Prompt

In your own words, tell the story of this chapter. What were the most important moments? What made them important — and how do you know?

Discussion Questions

1. In Chapter 1, Miss Daisy said she hated school. In Chapter 2, she claims she cannot do arithmetic or even spell 'read.' A pattern is developing. What does this pattern reveal about Miss Daisy's strategy, and is that strategy honest or dishonest?
2. When the children try to teach Miss Daisy multiplication, they use crayons and pencils as physical tools. By the end, the kids have practiced math extensively — without realizing it. What does this suggest about the relationship between teaching and learning?

+ 3 more questions in the complete study guide