The Unteachables

Mateo equates people in real life with TV and movie characters. He’s got a match for everyone in room 117 except Mr. Kermit, who might be the grumpy Squidward (a character from the cartoon show “SpongeBob SquarePants”) because both of them act “bored and bummed out” (52). Mateo likes to ask questions, but Mr. Kermit never gives a good answer.

On the day of the first football rally leading up to Spirit Week, Barnstorm gets mad because he isn’t allowed to be with the rest of the team. After realizing he could get rid of Barnstorm for the afternoon, Mr. Kermit calls the office and argues until they let Barnstorm participate in the rally. Mr. Kermit smiles for the first time all year, and the class leaves for the rally in good spirits. When they get there, they almost feel like part of the school.

However, the feeling is short-lived. A kid blows a vuvuzela, and Mr. Kermit flies into a rage, destroying the noisemaker. Later, Rahim Barclay falls asleep. He knocks into a girl from another class, and the Unteachables get kicked out of the rally.