Is Ava finally growing up? - How Abbott Elementary Season 6 might be reshaping her character

Abbott Elementary Season 6 episode 3, Tryouts, has been released, and it features Ava learning from her mistake and changing her approach when it comes to her students. For most of the show, Ava's evolution has been gradual. While she has transformed from the woman who once blackmailed her way into the principal's role, it didn't happen overnight.

Abbott Elementary Season 6 has now featured Ava showing growth in 2 episodes back-to-back. It could be just a coincidence, or it might be a sign that the show is reshaping her character.

Ava has stepped up a lot in Abbott Elementary Season 6

Initially, Abbott Elementary portrayed Ava as vain, selfish, and often incompetent as a principal. She is known more for pursuing her side hustles than taking a genuine interest in her students. In earlier seasons, Janine, Barbara, and the other teachers had to make her understand what she should do as a principal during a crisis.

While Ava has grown considerably, I think Abbott Elementary Season 6 features her at her best. In Tryouts, the school's step dance team auditions for The Homeroom Showdown All-School Dance contest. The team is eager to do their best because if they manage to get to the regionals and then win, they will get tickets to Disneyland.

But Ava doesn't think the team stands a chance. The episode doesn't reveal much, but Ava's skepticism seems to stem from a bad experience she had when she was younger. As Abbott Elementary Season 6 episode 3 tells us, Ava had tried out for Annie but was told that she wouldn't get the role because she was Black.

She was thus racially discriminated against, had her dreams crushed, and doesn't want to encourage the step team, fearing they might have their dreams crushed too. To save the team from disappointment, Ava keeps acting like the team never had a chance even though their dance routine is pretty good.

Thanks to Mr. Johnson's advice and seeing just how good the step team really is, Ava changes her approach and supports the team. She encourages them like any good principal/teacher should, without worrying about winning. This is the second time in Abbott Elementary Season 6 that Ava has shown such growth.

In the previous episode, Check-Ins, Ava gave sound advice to Courtney, a student who was skipping classes to cope with her parents' divorce. She explained to Courtney how she cannot control her parents' relationship, but she can control her future and thus should take her education seriously.

Moreover, when Gregory was struggling to do the jobs of both a teacher and assistant principal, Ava did not outright tell him he would fail. She waited till he realized he was struggling and then offered help by giving him a binder that had details of substitute teachers he could look into until they found someone permanent.

Ava has thus shown genuine growth and concern for her teachers and students in the two latest episodes of Abbott Elementary Season 6. This suggests that the show might be shaping her character from the incompetent principal who didn't care to one who is more capable and genuinely cares about the people she leads. However, we have to wait for the future episodes of the season to know for sure if this is a plotline the show is genuinely pursuing.

Abbott Elementary Season 6 episode 3, Tryouts, is streaming on Hulu.

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