A Teacher

Hey, do you happen to know where the faculty meeting is?

Yeah, yeah, this way. Follow me.

Oh, thanks.

I picked up my classroom keys last week,

but I still don't know my way around.

Yeah, I remember that feeling.

I'm Kathryn Sanders. I'm the French teacher.

Claire Wilson. English.

- Oh, nice to meet you. - You too.

Where were you teaching before?

I was over at Riverton Middle School.

Oh. Moving on up.

Yup.

Well, I'm excited to be here and meet everyone.

Okay, good morning, everyone. Welcome back.

I'm gonna try and keep this as brief as possible.

We have a few new faces with us this year.

Let's all please welcome Ms. Claire Wilson,

- our new English teacher. Hi, Claire.

- Hi, Claire. (chuckles)

- Claire. Welcome.

- Oh, God. - Whoo!

And Mr. Charles Hill in history.

We should get a drink sometime.

I'll give you all the good intel.

I would love nothing more.

I wish you didn't have to go on this trip.

I know. I'm sick of traveling.

And you're ovulating.

Yeah, but we could try again next month.

Although according to Instagram,

we are the only people in our 30s

without children and dogs.

Hey, I thought we were doing a no-phones thing in bed.

Right. Sorry.

Tell me something about your day.

(sighs)

Yeah?

Uh, something about my day?

- Yeah. - Okay.

Okay.

I saw some lipstick at the grocery store.

I may have stolen it.

Why?

I don't know.

I just--

I've spent so much money in that store over the years.

I just--whatever.

One lipstick? It's not a big deal.

Well, Claire, it's a little weird.

Well, I'm not gonna do it again.

It was dumb. Are you mad at me?

I didn't know I was married to a delinquent.

Oh, my God. I shouldn't have told you.

You never cease to amaze me.

Good night.

Yeah, good night.

ALL (chanting): Seniors! Seniors! Seniors!

Seniors! Seniors! Seniors!

Seniors! Seniors! Seniors!

- Hey. Hey.

Do they always do this?

Yeah, every goddamn year.

ALL (chanting): Seniors! Seniors! Seniors!

- See you at lunch? - Yeah.

ALL (chanting): Seniors! Seniors! Seniors!

Hi, you guys.

Um, I'm Ms. Wilson.

I'm your new AP English teacher.

Oh, shit.

Um, so... you guys are seniors.

(affirmative hollering, applause)

(howling)

Which is why, uh,

before we do anything else,

we are reading Dylan Thomas.

He is amazing.

And he gets real about getting older.

His work is about struggle

and the value of suffering.

Um, it's about fighting against fate,

which might seem irrational--

fighting against the inevitable--

which is maybe why I love it so much.

"Do not go gentle into that good night,

"old age should burn and rave at close of day.

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right..."

Go!

"Because their words had forked no lightning.

They do not go gentle into that good night."

Let's go. Let's fucking go.

"Good men, the last wave bye,

"crying how bright

"their frail deeds might have danced

"in a green bay.

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

"Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

"and learned, too late, they grieved it on its way.

Do not go gentle into that good night..."

Fuck yeah!

"Grave men, near death,

"who see with blinding sight.

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay."

ALL (chanting): Seniors! Seniors! Seniors!

Fuck yeah, boy!

"Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Mr. Castillo. - Hey, Eric, good to see you.

You mind if I have a seat?

Not at all. Come on in.

Thank you.

- How was your summer? - It was pretty good, you know?

I just stayed around here pretty much,

played some soccer, the usual.

There's not a surprise. That's good.

- Getting ready for the year? - Yep, yep.

Hey, I hear you made captain.

- Yeah. - Hmm?

Well, that's not a surprise after last season.

Team's looking good this year.

- Awesome. So what's up? - Uh...

Well, um, I had a question

about the, uh, Travis County Community Scholarship.

Just give me a sec. Let me pull that up.

I know it's not due until December.

I was trying to get a head start, you know?

- That's a good call. - (mouse clicking)

Okay, and here we go.

All right. "Applications accepted

for students planning to work in a medical environment."

Blah, blah, blah.

And, oh, you'll also have to get a job

while taking on a full load of courses.

- You still working at the diner? - Yes, sir.

- Keep working through the year? - Yup.

It's gonna be no problem for you, then.

All right, well, let's see here.

It looks like you're a great fit from the pre-med angle,

and they love their student athletes.

Oh, but you are going to have to score

at least 1250 on your SATs.

You have that yet?

Not yet.

Well, then I suggest you get studying, Mr. Walker.

Will do.

- Oh, come on. - Oh, come on, dude.

Put a little more heat on it, will you?

Yo, dude, who's that?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, that's Ms. Wilson. Yeah, she's new.

She teaches AP English.

She's your teacher? Yeah.

Oh, she is too hot to be a teacher.

She's all right.

She assigned us so much fucking homework.

Like, first day.

So I don't know. Jury's still out.

Man, honestly, she could tell me to do whatever she wants.

Hey, you all want anything else?

We're good, Maria. Thank you.

- Thank you, Maria. - You're welcome.

Uh, some soy, please?

Soy, yeah. Your soy.

- Thank you. - (laughs)

Yo, Alison is looking like fire, man.

- Yeah, she looks all right. - All right?

Yeah, she looks all right.

Really? She definitely was not that hot

when you guys were together.

Mm, I heard that Alison

and that dude from the other school broke up.

Yeah, of course they did.

She's annoying as hell.

She's always raving about the climate crisis or whatever.

Just fucking go to Canada if you're so worried.

- (scoffs) - Oh, shit.

What?

Okay, I'm sorry, man, but when did your sister get--

Don't fucking say it, Logan.

Oh, my God, dude. Why?

Everyone is someone's sister.

Are you f--are you serious? What is this?

- Are you following her? - Dude.

- Those girls are, like, 12. - She's 14, man.

You look like you're 30, so...

Wow.

Yo, can one of you guys give me a ride to work?

When are you gonna get your own car?

Shut the fuck up and give me a ride.

Can I have my phone back?

Jesus, you take everything so seriously.

- You better not be serious. Well, she looks good.

- Oh, my-- - Shotgun.