Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire - The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56

Zusatztext "Esquith is a modern-day Thoreau! preaching the value of good work! honest self- reflection! and the courage to go one's own way." - Newsday "Politicians! burbling over how to educate the underclass! would do well to stop by Rafe Esquith's fifth-grade class." - Time "The most interesting and influential classroom teacher in the country." - The Washington Post Informationen zum Autor Rafe Esquith has taught at Hobart Elementary School for twenty-two years. He is the only teacher in history to receive the National Medal of Arts. He has also been made a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. His many other honors include the American Teacher Award, Parents magazine’s As You Grow Award, Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, and the Compassion in Action Award from the Dalai Lama. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Tong. Read CBS's news story on Rafe Esquith. Klappentext Read Rafe Esquith's posts on the Penguin Blog. The New York Times bestseller that is revolutionizing the way Americans educate their kids-"Rafe Esquith is a genius and a saint" ( The New York Times ) Perhaps the most famous fifth-grade teacher in America, Rafe Esquith has won numerous awards and even honorary citizenship in the British Empire for his outstandingly successful methods. In his Los Angeles public school classroom, he helps impoverished immigrant children understand Shakespeare, play Vivaldi, and become happy, self-confident people. This bestseller gives any teacher or parent all the techniques, exercises, and innovations that have made its author an educational icon, from personal codes of behavior to tips on tackling literature and algebra. The result is a powerful book for anyone concerned about the future of our children.PROLOGUE Fire in the Classroom     It is a strange feeling to write this book. I am painfully aware that I am not superhuman. I do the same job as thousands of other dedicated teachers who try to make a difference. Like all real teachers, I fail constantly. I don’t get enough sleep. I lie awake in the early-morning hours, agonizing over a kid I was unable to reach. Being a teacher can be painful. For almost a quarter of a century, I have spent the majority of my time in a tiny, leaky classroom in central Los Angeles. Because of a little talent and a lot of luck, I have been fortunate to receive some recognition for my work. Not a day goes by when I do not feel overwhelmed by the attention. I doubt that any book can truly capture the Hobart Shakespeareans. However, it is certainly possible to share some of the things I’ve learned over the years that have helped me grow as a teacher, parent, and person. For almost twelve hours a day, six days a week, forty-eight weeks a year, my fifth-graders and I are crowded into our woefully insufficient space, immersed in a world of Shakespeare, algebra, and rock ’n’ roll. For the rest of the year, the kids and I are on the road. While my wife believes me to be eccentric, good friends of mine have not been so gentle, going as far as to label me quixotic at best and certifiable at worst. I don’t claim to have all the answers; at times it doesn’t feel as if I’m reaching as many students as I succeed with. I’m here only to share some of the ideas I have found useful. Some of them are just plain common sense, and others touch on insanity. But there is a method to this madness. It is my hope that some parents and teachers out there will agree with me that our culture is a disaster. In a world that considers athletes and pop stars more important than research scientists and firefighters, it has become practically impossible to develop kind and brilliant individuals. And yet we’ve created a different world in Room 56. It’s a world where character matters, hard work is respected, humility is valued, and suppor...

List of contents

Teach Like Your Hair's On FirePrologue: Fire in the Classroom
Part One: There's No Place Like Home

One: Gimme Some Truth
Two: Searching for Level VI

Part Two: The Method

Three: Reading for Life
Four: Writing
Five: Add It Up
Six: We Won't Get Fooled Again
Seven: What a Wonderful World
Eight: Rocket Man
Nine: Art Lover
Ten: Put Me In, Coach
Eleven: Taxman

Part Three: The Madness

Twelve: Think for Yourself
Thirteen: Celluloid Heroes
Fourteen: Goin' Mobile
Fifteen: It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (but I Like It)
Sixteen: Do They Know It's Christmas?
Seventeen: Will Power

Epilogue: Rest in Peace

Acknowledgments
Appendixes

Report

"Esquith is a modern-day Thoreau, preaching the value of good work, honest self- reflection, and the courage to go one's own way."
-Newsday

"Politicians, burbling over how to educate the underclass, would do well to stop by Rafe Esquith's fifth-grade class."
-Time

"The most interesting and influential classroom teacher in the country."
-The Washington Post

Product details

• Authors: Rafe Esquith
• Publisher: Penguin Books USA
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 18.12.2007
• EAN: 9780143112860
• ISBN: 978-0-14-311286-0
• No. of pages: 272
• Dimensions: 131 mm x 197 mm x 15 mm
• Subjects: Guides > Self-help, everyday life > Family; Humanities, art, music > Education > Education system; Education / Teaching, EDUCATION / Classroom Management