This essay considers what happens in the English classroom when teaching the same lesson to two classes considered to be of different levels of 'ability'. It explores what happens during a discussion about the fate of Eva Smith in "An Inspector Calls" when students' reading of a text diverges. I consider what teachers do when students' readings of a text goes against our expectations and accepted critical norms of both the teacher and the National Curriculum. Finally, I explore the potential problems with using retrieval practice as a way to manage divergent readings and interpretations in classroom discussion.