Miss Moore’s Way of Teaching in “The Lesson”
In “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara, Miss Moore is a very different kind of teacher. She does not tell the children what to think. Instead, she asks questions and makes them see things for themselves.Her way of teaching is not like school lessons—it is about real life.
Miss Moore does not just say, “Life is unfair.” Instead, she takes the children to a fancy toy store where they see toys that cost more than their families’ rent. She asks them, “What do you think?” This question forces them to think about money, class, and unfairness in a way they never did before. Instead of giving answers, she helps them find the answers on their own.
Instead of talking about rich and poor people, Miss Moore makes the kids feel the difference. They go from their neighborhood, where money is tight, to a store where some people can spend $1,000 on a toy boat. This makes them uncomfortable but also curious. They start asking questions: Why do some people have so much while others have so little? This lesson is powerful because it is real.
Sylvia, the main character, does not like Miss Moore. She does not want to admit that she is learning something. But at the end of the story, she says she is “thinking this over.” This shows that Miss Moore’s lesson worked—even if Sylvia does not want to admit it. Her way of teaching is not about memorizing facts, but about making kids see the world in a new way.
Miss Moore teaches in a way that makes kids think deeply.She does not give easy answers but pushes them to question the world. Her lesson stays with Sylvia, making her wonder about money, fairness, and what she can do about it. Even though the kids do not like her teaching style at first, it opens their minds in a way a normal classroom lesson never could.
One thought on “Kadiatou Balde- Discussion 3”
I like how you portrayed Miss Moore as a teacher. Maybe the idea flew right over my head initially reading it, but I agree she is like a teacher to them. Her making them feel the difference, ends up having a stronger impact on them too. Its noticeable too that when Miss Moore does talk about things, the facts, the kids don’t necessarily like hearing it, and even make fun of the adults around them for agreeing and praising her. When she finally had the kids experience the difference in their lives compared to others by simply taking them to a place like an expensive toy store on Fifth Avenue, that’s when you really can see them take the lesson from what Miss Moore was trying to teach.