S01.E05: Student Transfer

[peachmangosteen]

Quote

After a negative teacher review, Janine gets a confidence boost when a student gets transferred from Melissa’s class into hers, but it turns out the student proves to be too much to handle. While trying to forge a friendship with an uninterested Gregory, it is revealed that Jacob is constantly getting roasted by his students. The two bond after Gregory unintentionally gives Jacob the idea to incorporate the roasts in an educational way.

Airs January 25th.

[choclatechip45]

My favorite episode by far. 

[BAForever]

Long time teacher here. I wanted to get my hands on Courtney. The lack of respect is every teacher's nightmare. Really great ensemble cast.

[Phebemarie]

I wish I had a dollar for every time I gave the “you’re a leader” talk.

I felt so bad for Jacob. Too many beginning teachers don’t get support (or don’t ask for help) to work through discipline issues.  
 

 

[meatball77]

I've taught so many Courtney's.  They keep you on your toes.  The entire class saying the pledge to Courtney cracked me up.

Jacob having the kids playing a roast game was awesome.

[DearEvette]

This was such a well crafted and funny episode.

- Janine is usually so sweet and earnest and I like that this episode we saw some of her hubris and flaws.  I knew the minute she refused to read Courtney's file she was in for it. Also her being so pressed by the (minor) bad "grade" she received on that teacher eval site was also bad news.  My husband NEVER read those sorts of evals.  He said they were soul killers. And he is a college professor.  LOL

- I loved her entire interaction with Melissa.  It was a great episode for Melissa.  I loved in the end how she put everything into perspective for Janine so Janine could see how badly she had mismanaged everything.

- Janine's continued hero-worship of Barbara is lovely and Barbara's vote of confidence for her in the end was as lovely

-Courtney!  Holy cow what a little terrorist!  I laughed so hard.  I like how there didn't seem to be any real malice or any tangible disrespect toward Janine  in the way she was portrayed, but she took control so effortlessly with such a sweet smile.  I loved that when Janine finally read Courtney's "thicka than a snicka" file, the first thing she saw was 'Psychological Warfare'.  I honestly hope we see Courtney again.  The show has bee great with one-off characters.

-Good for Jacob for figuring out how to turn the Dozens into a learning opportunity.  His kids are older so his issues are a bit different than Janine's and it is nice to see the contrast.

- Ava remains hysterical.

-Nobody does the 'look straight at the camera' reaction shot better than Gregory.  His looks are always hysterical.

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, meatball77 said:

Jacob having the kids playing a roast game was awesome.

I thought that was so clever!

”One, they’re five. Two, they respect me. Three, what would they even say?” I LOVE MRS. HOWARD.

[AuxArx]

I think my favorite part was the beginning, when Mrs. Howard had no idea who that former student was. I taught for 30+ years and when some middle-aged person comes up to me and says they were a student of mine, I’ve finally gotten to the point where I just have to say, “OK, refresh my memory”. Come on! They were teenagers when I last knew them; now they’re in their 40s or 50s! Totally relatable.

 

[BoogieBurns]

4 hours ago, meatball77 said:

I've taught so many Courtney's.  They keep you on your toes.  The entire class saying the pledge to Courtney cracked me up.

I was the Courtney of my class. Admin kept trying to make me skip a grade, but I liked my friends too much. And yes, I corrected my teacher's math when she was wrong. She was mad and embarrassed, so she told my parents and they go "but was [Boogie] right?" Poor teacher! She wanted me to behave so badly, but I never did.

Of course my math was right. Btw.

[funnygirl]

God Bless teachers. 

This show keeps getting better and better. 

[LydiaMoon1]

9 hours ago, BoogieBurns said:

I was the Courtney of my class. Admin kept trying to make me skip a grade, but I liked my friends too much.

Interesting that you made this comment. Watching the episode, it was obvious that Courtney was bored academically. I kept wondering why she wasn't promoted to a higher grade instead of just transferred to another class. 

ETA: I'm glad the resolution at the end of the show was to advance Courtney.  Not surprised that Ava (and Essence Fest) was the reason Courtney wasn't promoted sooner.

The child actors on this show are VERY impressive.

I enjoy this show so much. I look forward to it every week.

Edited January 27, 2022 by LydiaMoon1

[Empress1]

2 hours ago, AuxArx said:

I think my favorite part was the beginning, when Mrs. Howard had no idea who that former student was. I taught for 30+ years and when some middle-aged person comes up to me and says they were a student of mine, I’ve finally gotten to the point where I just have to say, “OK, refresh my memory”. Come on! They were teenagers when I last knew them; now they’re in their 40s or 50s! Totally relatable.

Especially since Mrs. Howard teaches kindergarten! A lot of people look very different in adulthood than they did when they were five!

[readster]

2 minutes ago, Empress1 said:

Especially since Mrs. Howard teaches kindergarten! A lot of people look very different in adulthood than they did when they were five!

I agree, I talked to a former student of mine who is now 17 year. She looks like her aunt, but outside the hair color and nose, I would never recognize her. 

[Crashcourse]

Courtney terrorized me and I was sitting on my sofa, safely away from her, LOL.

[gesundheit]

What casting director found that child who played Courtney? That kid was amazing.

[tennisgurl]

"Ava, you do NOT want to owe me money." Don't mess with Mrs. Howard, Woman of God. 

Janine is normally so sweet, I liked seeing more of her flaws, like with Barbara in the last episode. It makes the characters seem a lot more real, they have depth to them. Like Jacob turning his students roasting him into a teaching tool, his well meaning bumbling is usually played for laughs, but that really was a clever idea to get his class back on track. The only character who seems to be mostly what you see is what you get is Ava, who is...Ava.

Courtney: Would be a good cult leader. Oh yeah, I remember a few Courtney's in my classes growing up, bless my poor teachers for having to deal with them. I love this show, it makes me want to call my dad, a public school teacher, as well as every teacher I ever had, and thank them for their service. 

[Moose135]

10 hours ago, DearEvette said:

-Nobody does the 'look straight at the camera' reaction shot better than Gregory.  His looks are always hysterical.

Yes! I get the Jim Halpert vibe from him.

[Empress1]

1 hour ago, tennisgurl said:

"Ava, you do NOT want to owe me money." Don't mess with Mrs. Howard, Woman of God. 

You already know! She may be a woman of God but she don't play about her money.

56 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

Yes! I get the Jim Halpert vibe from him.

I think Greg's looks are better.

[hula-la]

12 hours ago, AuxArx said:

I think my favorite part was the beginning, when Mrs. Howard had no idea who that former student was. I taught for 30+ years and when some middle-aged person comes up to me and says they were a student of mine, I’ve finally gotten to the point where I just have to say, “OK, refresh my memory”. Come on! They were teenagers when I last knew them; now they’re in their 40s or 50s! Totally relatable.

 

I have been teaching high school for over 20 years, so a greater chance of students looking the same when they’re older, but man, I still forget some faces! I knew when she she was talking that she didn’t know who the student was, because that’s exactly how I talk when I do. 

[Constant Viewer]

13 hours ago, AuxArx said:

I think my favorite part was the beginning, when Mrs. Howard had no idea who that former student was. I taught for 30+ years and when some middle-aged person comes up to me and says they were a student of mine, I’ve finally gotten to the point where I just have to say, “OK, refresh my memory”. Come on! They were teenagers when I last knew them; now they’re in their 40s or 50s! Totally relatable.

Mrs. Howard's response was a master class in how to handle that situation. Luckily a lot of my ex students I see working so I can sneak a glance at their nametag.

[possibilities]

30 kids a year, times all the years she's been teaching... even if they did look the same, it would be a lot to ask of her to remember all of their names. But it's sweet that she has such an impact on them. That should give her some pleasure, even if she doesn't remember them the way they remember her.

I remember my kindergarten and first grade teachers, but I'm sure they don't remember me. I think a teacher has hundreds of students but a student only has a few. It's an asymmetric relationship not only in numbers but also in influence.

Really love how the show represented that dynamic so clearly. 

[LydiaMoon1]

I'm so pleased that the ratings for this show are doing so well. It's such a welcome break form Hollywood's current obsession with dark, edgy characters and elevating the villain in every movie and TV show. How nice to watch sweet people doing their best to do good in the world. It's so refreshing.

[DearEvette]

11 hours ago, Constant Viewer said:

Mrs. Howard's response was a master class in how to handle that situation.

Yes.  I loved her response (and his).

Barbara: "By the way how is your mother?"

Him:  "Well, that's complicated..." 😅

It is little pieces of throwaway dialogue that make this show fun too

eta:  I realize the Janitor must have bet on Janine to succeed too because he got his money back from Ava.  Also his appreciative inhale when she took the money out of her bra was a great little moment as well.

Edited January 27, 2022 by DearEvette

[Bookish Jen]

2 hours ago, LydiaMoon1 said:

I'm so pleased that the ratings for this show are doing so well. It's such a welcome break form Hollywood's current obsession with dark, edgy characters and elevating the villain in every movie and TV show. How nice to watch sweet people doing their best to do good in the world. It's so refreshing.

Same here. I got sick and tired of shows with darker/more nefarious themes, especially in this day and age, that watching a show that has it's heart in the right place, but is still so honest in depicting teaching, is soothing to my soul.

 

[Lovecat]

I loved Barbara's use of the phrase "brassiere money."

[kwnyc]

I'm definitely on board the Abbott bandwagon. I was born/grew up in Philly, though I seem to predate the term "jawn," and worked hard to lose my pronunciation of "wooder." Go, Iggles!

This, along with "Ghosts" proves to me that the half-hour broadcast sitcom is not dead. 

I hope this show receives the love & attention it deserves.

[Court]

On 1/26/2022 at 12:52 AM, Phebemarie said:

I wish I had a dollar for every time I gave the “you’re a leader” talk.

I felt so bad for Jacob. Too many beginning teachers don’t get support (or don’t ask for help) to work through discipline issues.  
 

 

I gave it today! Use your powers for good, children!

[NeenerNeener]

On 1/27/2022 at 9:08 AM, LydiaMoon1 said:

I'm so pleased that the ratings for this show are doing so well.

Me too. I work with Chris Perfetti's mom.

[Neiman]

Love Janine’s spirit and the wardrobe. I want those necklaces and pink Sherpa jacket. ❤️

One of the best parts about this episode is no mention of the boyfriend. She needs to part ways with that loser. 

[ItCouldBeWorse]

Isn't "more experienced" also a euphemism for older?  Wouldn't Janine get that?

On 1/26/2022 at 10:39 PM, hula-la said:

I have been teaching high school for over 20 years, so a greater chance of students looking the same when they’re older, but man, I still forget some faces! I knew when she she was talking that she didn’t know who the student was, because that’s exactly how I talk when I do. 

She was lucky that when she asked about his mother, he didn't have to remind her that his mother had died while he was in her class.

Edited February 2, 2022 by ItCouldBeWorse

[Catfi9ht]

Janine was a little annoying for me in this episode. In addition to her pushy optimism (which I normally hate but works for this character), her need for constant validation (while reading the reviews) switching to cocky egotism (thinking Melissa couldn't handle Courtney) was way too much in one episode for me.

I hope the show tones that down. One or two of these flaws is fine, but three in one episode is too much.

This show continues to be funny and thoughtful. Barbara and Melissa were both supportive of Janine, but because they didn't explicitly say anything, her lack of confidence got the best of her and she spiraled out of control.

[Ailianna]

15 hours ago, ItCouldBeWorse said:

Isn't "more experienced" also a euphemism for older?  Wouldn't Janine get that?

She was lucky that when she asked about his mother, he didn't have to remind her that his mother had died while he was in her class.

Although she might have a better chance of remembering a 5 year old whose mom died in her class.

[Vandy10]

7 hours ago, Ailianna said:

Although she might have a better chance of remembering a 5 year old whose mom died in her class.

Yeah, you don’t forget the kids whose parent(s) died while they were your student because 1) it’s uncommon, and 2) it’s traumatic for all involved, including the teacher and other students. I’ve experienced it twice as a teacher, and I won’t forget those 2 kids.

[ItCouldBeWorse]

On 2/2/2022 at 11:24 PM, Vandy10 said:

Yeah, you don’t forget the kids whose parent(s) died while they were your student because 1) it’s uncommon, and 2) it’s traumatic for all involved, including the teacher and other students. I’ve experienced it twice as a teacher, and I won’t forget those 2 kids.

But are you sure you would recognize them 20 years later?

[qtpye]

On 1/25/2022 at 10:08 PM, BAForever said:

Long time teacher here. I wanted to get my hands on Courtney. The lack of respect is every teacher's nightmare. Really great ensemble cast.

 

On 1/26/2022 at 6:19 AM, meatball77 said:

I've taught so many Courtney's.  They keep you on your toes.  The entire class saying the pledge to Courtney cracked me up.

Jacob having the kids playing a roast game was awesome.

 

On 1/26/2022 at 8:10 AM, DearEvette said:

This was such a well crafted and funny episode.

- Janine is usually so sweet and earnest and I like that this episode we saw some of her hubris and flaws.  I knew the minute she refused to read Courtney's file she was in for it. Also her being so pressed by the (minor) bad "grade" she received on that teacher eval site was also bad news.  My husband NEVER read those sorts of evals.  He said they were soul killers. And he is a college professor.  LOL

- I loved her entire interaction with Melissa.  It was a great episode for Melissa.  I loved in the end how she put everything into perspective for Janine so Janine could see how badly she had mismanaged everything.

- Janine's continued hero-worship of Barbara is lovely and Barbara's vote of confidence for her in the end was as lovely

-Courtney!  Holy cow what a little terrorist!  I laughed so hard.  I like how there didn't seem to be any real malice or any tangible disrespect toward Janine  in the way she was portrayed, but she took control so effortlessly with such a sweet smile.  I loved that when Janine finally read Courtney's "thicka than a snicka" file, the first thing she saw was 'Psychological Warfare'.  I honestly hope we see Courtney again.  The show has bee great with one-off characters.

-Good for Jacob for figuring out how to turn the Dozens into a learning opportunity.  His kids are older so his issues are a bit different than Janine's and it is nice to see the contrast.

- Ava remains hysterical.

-Nobody does the 'look straight at the camera' reaction shot better than Gregory.  His looks are always hysterical.

I think part of why Courtney gets away with so much is that she is adorable and smart...a deadly combination.

[jah1986]

Catching up with this series late, loved this episode. Especially loved Barbara’s sly look to the camera when she ran into her former student.

The janitor is becoming one of my favorite characters. 

Loved Melissa too, she’s every south Philly girl I grew up with. Calling Janine out for her insults while still supporting her was great. 

[Annber03]

On 1/26/2022 at 7:10 AM, DearEvette said:

-Nobody does the 'look straight at the camera' reaction shot better than Gregory.  His looks are always hysterical.

The expression on his face after Jacob plopped down next to him in the break room and was like, "I need to talk...to a friend..." XD. I also liked Gregory muttering that "Siskel and Ebert" line at the end, too. 

Oof. Poor Janine. But honestly, it was the best way for her to get the message. I liked them bonding over their observations about Courtney later on, though (LOL at Melissa mentioning that Courtney corrected her math...and was right about it besides :p), and I agree that advancing Courtney was the right move. Given the right outlets, she could easily harness that chaotic energy for all sorts of good things. 

Also agreed on the girl who played Courtney being a fantastic actress. I love how into everything she got, and this ending exchange cracked me up. "Courtney called me 'stupid'." "I did not, I called you 'stupendous', you idiot!" XD. The Courtney Pledge of Allegiance was amazing, too. And I love Janine giving a shoutout to Andrew for his principled stand against nationalism, too :D. 

Barbara showing her support for Janine was lovely, too. I love all the layers to her character, she's principled and supportive, but also knows how to have a bit of fun and join in the chaos, too, like with the betting. 

As for recognizing teachers, I actually ran into a former teacher from my elementary school days when I worked at the bookstore a number of years back. I remember thinking she looked so familiar when I saw her in the store, but it wasn't until I saw her name on the check she was writing that I was like, "Ohhhhh!" And she actually remembered me, too, which was a pleasant surprise. We had a nice little chat :). I don't doubt, though, that for most teachers, unless a student is particularly memorable, for better or worse, it would be hard to remember most of their students after a time. hell, given how many students some teachers have in one class alone, I'm honestly amazed sometimes that they're able to remember everyone's names while they've actually got them as students!