What is the name of the schoolteacher who reprimands Scout on her first day?

The schoolteacher who reprimands Scout on her first day is Miss Caroline Fisher. She is Scout Finch’s first-grade teacher when Scout begins school in Maycomb, Alabama.

Miss Caroline is young, new to the community, and unfamiliar with Maycomb’s customs. She becomes frustrated when Scout reveals that she already knows how to read and write. Instead of viewing Scout’s ability as a strength, Miss Caroline assumes Atticus Finch has been teaching her improperly and orders Scout not to read at home anymore.

The incident introduces a central tension in the novel: formal institutions do not always understand the knowledge children gain from family or experience. Scout’s reading ability comes largely from listening to Atticus and reading with him, making the teacher’s reprimand especially confusing to her.

Miss Caroline is often confused with Miss Maudie, a wise adult neighbor who supports the Finch family, but Miss Maudie is not Scout’s teacher. Miss Caroline appears mainly in the early school chapters.