Inside Mrs. B.'s Classroom

Chicago's public school system in the 1980sand '90s was a stark symbol of the nation's educational crisis. Grim reflections of their poverty-stricken neighborhoods, the city's schools were saddled with severe drug problems and the inevitable violence that results. Veteran Chicago Sun-Times journalist Leslie Baldacci was an expert on the subject. She wrote regularly on the school system's woes, calling on the mayor and other city officials to save the decaying system. Then, one day, she decided to do something about it. Baldacci traded in her press pass for a teaching certificate, and never looked back.
With high ideals and great expectations, the author was soon teaching in one of Chicago's toughest South Side neighborhoods--and quickly learned that noble ideas would go only so far. "In reality, my classroom was just one deck chair on the Titanic," she comments. Overcrowded classrooms, little if any infrastructure, and more than enough derision and contempt to go around added up to a problem extending well beyond her educational training. It would take determination, persistence, and, perhaps above all, a sense of humor to make a practical difference in the lives of these students.
Inside Mrs. B's Classroom is Baldacci's extraordinary memoir of life in the trenches of inner-city teaching. She takes us inside the classroom, and introduces us to a colorful cast of characters--both students and teachers alike. With wry wit and a sharp sense of irony, Baldacci relates her story with the grace and ease one needs to manage the days in a classroom such as hers. Developing strong (and absolutely essential) bonds with her fellow teachers proves to be her saving grace, but surprisingly, her students become her greatest inspiration. "Leaving school to walk home after gunfire had spit bullets through the neighborhood . . . they were my role models. As long as they kept coming to school, so would I," she says.
Inside Mrs. B's Classroom is gritty and realistic, yet refreshingly funny and positive. Baldacci's dual career makes for an entertaining, informative tale, which weaves together her teacher's knowledge of the system and reporter's eye for detail. We're treated to an inspiring story of success, and come away with the conviction that one person can make a difference.
An Inside Look at the Daily Grind in Chicago's Inner-City Schools
Chicago Sun-Times reporter Leslie Baldacci gave up her lucrative career to teach in her city's decaying public school system, certain that she'd be able to conquer this challenging new world. As she later commented, "I thought I knew rough. I thought I had answers. I didn't know jack."
But despite the difficulties she faced, including overpopulated classrooms, little to no faculty support, and a demanding workload that pushed her to her limit, Baldacci dove into her work, persevered, and eventually triumphed. She learned to catch the imagination and enthusiasm of students--and got to know these children better--children who often faced incredible challenges outside the school walls.
Along the way she used her journalistic eye to observe and analyze the workings of the Chicago Public School system from the front lines. The result is an informed, insightful work that takes into account both the very human element of the children and their teachers--as well as the red tape that surround them. She shares the unrealistic expectations, the surprises, and the individuals who make up education today. And above all, she shows how one dedicated person can make a difference.

List of contents

ContentsChapter 1: The Mad Crapper......................................1Chapter 2: Welcome to the Neighborhood................7Chapter 3: "Bring Two No. 2 Pencils"........................13Chapter 4: My Assignment........................................24Chapter 5: The Farewell Tour....................................27Chapter 6: The Belly of the Beast...............................33Chapter 7: Nesting.................................................37Chapter 8: The Seventh Graders Arrive..................50Chapter 9: Getting to Know Them...........................57Chapter 10: Al Gore Visits the Billy Goat....................65Chapter 11: The Kids Are All Right, but the Teachers Are Wrecks......69Chapter 12: Violence.............................................78Chapter 13: A Five-Week Reorganization...........88Chapter 14: Learning.........................................91Chapter 15: An Observation...............................108Chapter 16: Crime and Punishment...................111Chapter 17: Thanksgiving Break...................118Chapter 18: An Intervention............................121Chapter 19: The Bathroom Incident................126Chapter 20: A Winning Streak............................133Chapter 21: So Far....................................141Chapter 22: The Mid-Winter Lull..............144Chapter 23: The Second Half.................148Chapter 24: Hip Hop 101.........................154Chapter 25: Bottoming Out......................160Chapter 26: No Coincidences.....................169Chapter 27: Pierre.................................172Chapter 28: Spring Planting...................176Chapter 29: Bad Things Happen in Threes...180Chapter 30: "Remediation".................................187Chapter 31: Assumptions............................193Chapter 32: Livin' on the Edge..............198Chapter 33: The End of Seventh Grade...203Chapter 34: Fairyland.................................209Chapter 35: The More Things Change........223Chapter 36: Cult of Personality.....................232Chapter 37: Trouble.................................236Chapter 38: Dance Africa..........................241Chapter 39: Loving Louis............................246Chapter 40: The Downside..................................252Chapter 41: Another Christmas...................257Chapter 42: Cruel January...........................265Chapter 43: A Prayer in School...................275Chapter 44: Recess!......................................279Chapter 45: The Teacher Certification Test...283Chapter 46: Midnight Catches a Snake............287Chapter 47: Lost Parents.............................291Chapter 48: Mother's Day..............................293Chapter 49: Guns of Summer.........................297Chapter 50: Going From Here..................................300Chapter 51: Graduation....................................305

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Summary

Presents a narrative of the inner-city school system that aims to address one of society's most critical issues. This book ranges from the unrealistic expectations to the surprises - good and bad - that make up education in modern times. It also shows how an individual can make a difference in the lives of American children.

Product details

• Authors: Leslie Baldacci, Baldacci Leslie
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 16.11.2003
• EAN: 9780071417358
• ISBN: 978-0-07-141735-8
• Dimensions: 158 mm x 231 mm x 20 mm
• Weight: 499 g
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > School education, didactics, methodology; Social sciences, law, business > Business > Management; Biography: general, Illinois, EDUCATION / Administration / General, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Educators, Organization & management of education, Secondary Schools, Educational administration and organization, Biography: philosophy and social sciences, EDUCATION / Schools / Levels / Secondary