Annie's desire to go to school was strong. But her horrible experiences in the poorhouse made adjusting to "a normal life" difficult. She rebelled against her teachers and many times was asked to leave the classroom. Two teachers, Miss Newton and Miss Moore, saw Annie's potential. They took her under their wing. Eventually, Annie came around. Years later, Annie said, "Gradually, I began to accept things as they were, and rebel less and less. The realization came to me that I could not alter anything but myself. I must accept the conventional order of society if I were to succeed in anything. I must bend to the inevitable, and govern my life by experience, not by might-have-beens."