The Unteachables

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-5

Chapters 6-8

Chapters 9-11

Chapters 12-14

Chapters 15-17

Chapters 18-20

Chapters 21-22

Chapters 23-26

Chapters 27-29

Chapters 30-32

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

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Chapters 30-32Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 30 Summary: “Aldo Braff”

Monday after the science fair, the Unteachables are upset. Their project finished second in the science fair, and it’s hitting Aldo particularly hard. He doesn’t feel bad about being angry because “sometimes mad is exactly what you’re supposed to be” (263).

Mr. Kermit doesn’t come to school, and the kids have the same substitute as the last time he wasn’t there. This time, though, they aren’t in the mood to play pranks. When the substitute asks them what’s wrong, they rant about Mr. Kermit’s situation. After listening, the substitute admits she misjudged them. Aldo doesn’t agree. They had one job, to help Mr. Kermit, and they “came up empty” (263).

Chapter 31 Summary: “Mr. Kermit”

Mr. Kermit takes Monday and Tuesday off from school to regroup and get used to his new car. When he enters the building on Wednesday, Principal Vargas meets him at the door with a copy of the Greenwich newspaper. The paper contains an article by the substitute teacher’s son criticizing Dr. Thaddeus for daring to fire Mr. Kermit after all the improvements the Unteachables have seen this semester. In the article, Jake verifies that the cheating scandal wasn’t Mr. Kermit’s fault and demands that Dr. Thaddeus remember “who our education system is supposed to serve—our children” (270). The article and accompanying publicity puts enough pressure on Dr. Thaddeus to reinstate Mr. Kermit. Overjoyed, Mr. Kermit tells Mrs. Vargas to sign him up for next year in room 117. He goes to class and he gives his students the good news.

After a mini-party, class resumes. A few minutes later, Aldo lets out a yell: At the end of his assigned book, his two favorite characters died. Mr. Kermit awards him a puffy-tail for showing empathy toward a book. Aldo tries to give the puffy-tail to Kiana to start paying back his debt, but she refuses to take it, instead telling Aldo to keep it as a gift. Aldo hugs her, and Mr. Kermit realizes he’s doing what he was always meant to: “teaching the Unteachables” (276).

Chapter 32 Summary: “Kiana Roubini”

After Kiana’s mom finishes the movie she’s currently filming, she gets another part with a bigger studio in Canada. The studio offers to hire a tutor so Kiana can learn on set, but Kiana turns down the offer. Greenwich is her home now, and she explains the decision to her mother by saying, “you don’t hire a tutor for an Unteachable like me” (279).

Chapters 30-32 Analysis

Chapters 31 and 32 wrap up conflicts and tie up character arcs. Mr. Kermit gets his old drive to teach back and regains his sense of vocation—working with the kids who need him most, the kids deemed unteachable. Kiana lets go her resentment at being a short-timer and decides to commit to Greenwich once and for all. Aldo connects with a book, which brings out his ability to empathize with others. He doesn’t understand that he’s felt empathy toward Mr. Kermit for weeks, but he understands the feelings when directed at fictional characters.

With Kiana’s last words, the term “unteachable” shifts from an insult to a badge of honor. She and the other kids of room 117 no longer let the label define them, their ability to learn, or their sense of self-worth. They are proud of their differences and feel that those differences make them unique. They don’t have to learn the same way others do or like the same things other kids like. Their ways of understanding are just as valid.