There Are No Shortcuts by Esquith, Rafe unknown Edition [Paperback(2004)]

by Rafe Esquith

The book is brand new and will be shipped from US.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, Parenting, Memoir, Adult, Read For School

Unknown Binding

First published March 17, 2003

Reviews

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rafe Esquith writes about his experience teaching 5th graders at a school in urban LA he dubs "The Jungle" (aka Hobart Elementary). First the positive: he is dedicated, passionate, optimistic and tireless- all necessary attributes for a successful and inspiring teacher. The book stands on its own detailing the journey from newbie teacher to seasoned professional. For those who are not familiar with the challenges in education, it evenly distributes the responsibility (and blame) for the current state of U.S. schools. Parents, young teachers, those who are thinking about becoming educators and those who want to know more about teachers' working conditions will get the most from this book.

Now the critical: Reading the story around the ego is difficult, I find the attempts at humility to be just that- attempts that don't actually succeed at being humble. Granted, he sounds like a wonderful teacher, but his near constant criticism of fellow teachers is pretty tiring. (accompanied by nicknames "Miss Megabyte" "Miss Hummingbird" "Miss Busy-as-a-Bee"- really, had the names been disguised as "Miss Jones, Miss Smith, Miss Davids" we would have gotten the point without the additional dose of snarkiness.)
He spends at least 12-18 hours in the classroom and working extra jobs to pay for classroom supplies. He goes into major credit card debt sponsoring class activities and trips. Great for the kids- but he has no life, no financial viability and he ends up putting the kids in danger during a camping trip when he falls ill and has to leave them alone, in a forest, while he has to go to the hospital (he's spitting up blood all over himself). It was hard to read around his ego at times and I'm sorry, but anyone who writes the kind of nasty note that he admits giving to a 6th grade former student should have his head checked. As with psychologists, I would imagine that teachers might have to maintain some professional distance in order to preserve sanity and professionalism.

Teachers should not have to martyr themselves on the pyre of public education for them to be considered good or great teachers. He gave 200% but he completely sacrificed himself. (Luckily, it doesn't sound like his wife opposed his unbelievable hours and it dosesn't sound like they have children. I also imagine he didn't help his wife around the house much). Most teachers are humans- with families, personal responsibilities and an aversion to thousands of dollars of credit card debt when they usually make $35,000 a year. 99% could not replicate what he has done working a very respectable 9-10 hour work day and limiting personal spending of classroom supplies to the usual couple hundred dollars. (Almost all teachers spend hundreds of dollars of their own money to purchase necessary classroom supplies.) This is not an apology for the few teachers who do as little as possible to get by- this is in defense of those who give everything they can, but at the end of the day have to return home to their own children and families. "Hero" should not be a job requirement- you will not have enough qualified people to fill all the job openings, replication is nearly impossible; so it is not a long term solution and it is not viable over a large population.

The formula for success that he describes in the book is not rocket science- hard work, discipline, dedication & drive will carry you a long way. At the end of the day though, anyone who says lack of money is not a problem is full of $#@*. It is not the ONLY thing you need, but having money for books, copies, trips & supplies is necessary. Large amounts of money are being directed to education, but (as Rafe notes) much of that money is captured by the upper level administers who have nothing to do with the classrooms. Teachers are the retail workers of the education world. As he notes, the school day should be longer- but instead of having teachers like Rafe stay from 6am to 7pm, perhaps we should have 2 shifts of teachers. (for every $100k administrator we get rid of we could hire 2 teachers for a respectable $50k a year). Teachers will be less likely to burn out, will have more energy and more time to focus on planning lessons & providing meaningful feedback on class work. /rant

In the end, I found the material interesting, his tone at times maddening, his logic a little simple- but it is not an in-depth data analysis that he has written, it is a collection of personal anecdotes, stories and opinions. It's a good place to start when reading about education, but I wouldn't make it the cornerstone of my library.

[Dest · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rafe Esquith is a brilliant teacher and an incredibly hard-working public servant, but despite all that, he comes off as a total (excuse my language) asshole. The vitriol! The narcissism! The disdainful, self-righteous mockery of anyone who doesn't share his talents and beliefs!

This is not what I expected from Mr. Esquith. And, to be fair, in the book he acknowledges that he's not perfect and still strives to be kind to others. I'd like to think that this, his first book, was a kind of exorcism of his frustrations, and that he has since let go of some of his anger and spite. I hope he's made a lot of money and isn't struggling so much financially, because I'm well aware of how financial struggle can wear away your peace of mind and make you feel like the world is against you. Esquith certainly seems to believe that even some of the people who believe in him are only interested in wasting his time or getting in his way.

But I'm not telling you skip this book. In reading it, try to do something I think Rafe Esquith didn't do in writing it: give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that, even though his attitude can be appalling, he still has good ideas and is worth listening to.

[Philip · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's suprising how many of these stories I can relate to, or stories that I have penciled in the initials of other teachers in my building.

"I went home too angry to cry, and terrified at the thought of never teaching again. I had spent too much of my life planning to be a teacher and now had to consider the possiblity that because of this stupid incident I might have to do something truly awful like go to law school."

Mr. Esquith is definitely a powerful teacher. He has had to overcome the problems that all teachers have had to overcome: administrational frustrations, colleague incompetence, unrealistic budgets, and well-intentioned people who think teaching would be better off if run like a business.

Most of the points he makes, any decent teacher should already know... "... it's perfectly understandable for a beginning teacher to struggle; his mission is solely to survive the day and please others. However, the good teachers eventually take their instruction to another level and consider what it is that they really want to accomplish..." Or, "A film is a nice supplement, but can never be a substitute." Or, "If we want Johnny to calculate better, we need to hire better teachers, not buy newer textbooks."

The biggest point that I'll take away from the book is that teachers need to suck it up and be sacrificial. It sucks, but if we want kids to learn, we're gonna fork over the little money we make and reinvest it into the students. I think most teachers do this already too. His ingenuity at coming up with funding for his projects seems endless.

REALITIES: It WOULD be easier to buy books for students if I only had 40. I have 153. He spends time after school working with the students, I already do that too by coaching chess and volleyball. He doesn't mention any benefits to sports at all. He has the kids all day, I have them for 45 minutes. I know he extends class time, but I don't know how feasible it is to bring 153 kids in before school. I do have some come in during lunch. He also has the priviledge of working with Gifted and Talented students. The expectations should be higher.

PROBLEMS: I didn't have too many problems. There were more toward the end of the book. Here's one from the beginning: pages 56-58, "I Separate Church and State." So do I. We all do, it's the law. Esquith tells the sad story of Alex, who's all alone on the playground during the summer. It seems his teacher invited all his friends to VBS, but he didn't get asked because he is a Jehovah's Witness. Esquith goes on to say how horrible this is. (Hear me out before you stop reading.)
1. The students weren't in school anymore.
2. It's impossible to completely separate who you are in the front of the classroom with who you are outside of the classroom. You can't tell a teacher, "You can't be a Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist... while you're in front of the class." He's right, that will turn off lots of students. But it's also good to be sincere with them with what you believe. And if you have built a certain rapport with many students and their families and want to invite them to VBS during your off time, go for it. Esquith ends the section with, "There are no infidels in my classroom." Great, but if outside the classroom a Muslim person thought they had the way to paradise, and didn't share it with me, I'd be more offened by that.
3. HE DOES THE SAME THING! He makes a big deal about not ostracizing students based on belief, then on page 67 when he's talking about all the ways he's forking over his own money to the kids he quietly adds in, "On Christmas Day, I would go to the home of every Christian child and leave a present on the door." I hope he didn't have the Jehovah's Witness kid in class THAT year... he'd feel REALLY bad.

I'm writing too much. And I'm writing too much about the problems with the book. It's a great read. Teachers, read it. Parents, don't expect all teachers to be Esquiths. We're not. At least he's given us something to aspire to.

PROBLEMS

[Rachael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, Esquith's story was just as discouraging as it was inspiring. Not everyone has the skills, determination, and unique ideas that he has. Many of his solutions and practices, while apparently and understandably effective and amazing, are impractical for all teachers to hope to implement.
The wonderful things he was able to do with his classes, the great opportunities that he provided for his students, and the outstanding young people he encountered are very admirable and fascinating to read about.
The less-capable, enthusiastic, and caring individuals that Esquith encountered as well as his many harsh evaluations of the public school system are discouraging to read about. There is only so much parents can do when their children are part of a poor school system, and most educators will never reach Esquith's level of near-perfection.
I do not mean to imply that this is not a good book, or that I do not admire Esquith. I wish all teachers could be like him. I only mean to warn that you should not except this to be a plan as to how you should operate a classroom, or as a description of the kind of teacher you should expect your children to have. If you view it instead as more of a guide, with suggestions that you can tweak to your needs and capabilities, it will surely inspire you to make some changes to your classroom. If you are a parent or guardian, perhaps this teacher's story will encourage you to become more involved with the school system, the PTA/PTO, or even with fund-raising for the school.

[Clickety · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esquith is VERY passionate about his work; with him it's clearly a calling, not just a career. I did notice that he and his wife have no children! There are some great ideas in both of his books, but he presents them as "this is how people should teach" and ignores the fact that not everyone is like him, nor should they be.

[Irene · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I agree with Esquith's theme that all children will succeed if teachers expect that of them, he is high on himself. The man constantly works in his classroom. Yes, he's pushing those children and helping them in ways that their parents either can not or will not. But he's sacrificing time away from his own family, away from friends and other activities that help any human lead a balanced life. While this book may be viewed as inspirational, the underlying message is that the American public education system is responsible, almost solely, for the overall development of children. He writes about taking some of his students to a restaurant where they learned a great deal about table manners and etiquette. I'm all for teaching good manners, but why is a public school teacher doing it? Parents should be responsible for that lesson. Schools should help reinforce that kind of lesson with certain procedures for the cafeteria because parents, teachers, administrators and students should be working together as a community. And that's where I think this book is dangerous. People start hearing about teachers like him who sacrifice their own lives to raise someone else's children and then all teachers have to work like indentured servants. While the majority of teachers I've had and the majority who I know are wonderful role models, do we actually want to turn over the raising of our children to people who have fingerprint clearance cards and college degrees, but who knows what kind of value system?

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a Teacher I appreciate Rafe's message, passion, and dedication. I felt conflict over my decision to merit "There Are No Shortcuts" a mere two star rating. This has more to do with Rafe not finding the right voice as a writer. With all his support, recognition, and awards; I'm certain he translates better in person. Although he had many beautiful things to say, it felt as though he used this script to settle a few vendettas with fellow teachers, administrators, and institutions. This ruined the message for me.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

There Are No Shortcuts is an extraordinarily good book. As soon as I picked it up and read the first page, I could not put it down until I had finished it. While this was assigned reading for a teaching course, I’ve since read it twice through completely and read certain chapters multiple times. Needless to say, my new book has a rather tattered spine. His style includes a mix of narrations and tidbits of advice. He details his experiences, both good and bad; his mistakes; his triumphs; his relationships with his students, faculty, and parents; and a few of his specific lesson plans. This book is a gold mine for teachers, both new and old. Parents and administrators may also appreciate a different perspective.
Rafe Esquith’s voice is honest and blunt, without losing a kind tone. He has his fair share of criticisms of the educational system, but he does not seek revenge on those who have wronged him in his district. Rather, he praises those who deserve it and states things the way he sees them. I appreciate his straightforward narrative and honest, but not unnecessarily harsh, tone. He picks out not only what is wrong with the system but also what is right.
Esquith mentions his heroes throughout the book. He changes from Huck Finn to a baseball player to Atticus Finch. They are his lighthouses in a sea of mediocrity. He begs teachers to find their own heroes and missions. I truly believe Rafe’s intentions throughout this book are to inspire educators to be the best they can be and save us from the mediocre. Regardless of his actual intentions, I found this book to be inspirational and well-written.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a profound respect, even reverence for Rafe and his work. I've visited his classroom in person and read all of his books. This book, like his other books, is filled with wisdom and anecdotes which are both entertaining and useful. It is truly a wonder that he achieves so much with these students, and the actual classroom is every bit as wonderful as he describes it.

My one critique, and the reason for the 4/5 stars, is that Rafe's pride in his noble achievements often comes across as self aggrandizement rather than as a humble account of the events and lessons from room 56. Like a father, Rafe is proud of his kids, and enjoys sharing their transformation under his direction.

As a teacher myself, I dream of having the impact on my students that Rafe clearly does. Not only did I witness them in action in their own classroom for an entire day, I also attended a presentation by Rafe and some of his students in Atlanta. I have never witnessed such self-control and spontaneous ingenuity. In addition to respectfully listening to the adults speak prior to their presentation, they spontaneously adjusted their routine when one of the two microphones they had received proved to be out of service.

[Peyton Carter · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started out really liking this book, began to really hate it, and came out thinking it’s not too bad..? I give it four stars because it’s captivating and stimulating, but if you are a new teacher like myself, I would go for the practical, research based books first. “There Are No Shortcuts” is good for a bit of a morale boost, maybe, but at its core is more of a self-congratulation than anything truly productive.

Rafe Esquith writes engagingly and overall dispenses useful considerations; however, many of his examples and stories really skirt the boundaries of reality and practicality. Did he really leave students in a national forest with a park ranger, begin to cough up blood as he raced down the highway to reach the hospital, and climb out a hospital window to get back to them ? I don’t know and I wouldn’t really care if the lesson of that story were pertinent. The major flaw of this book is that sometimes Esquith’s advice emerges so disjointedly and under such extreme circumstances that what I come away with is ludicrous. I constantly wanted to take away something from his vision and success, but it’s like trying to model oneself after a mythic figure. This collection paints a series of vignettes that honestly caused me to question whether Esquith isn’t an insane and prolific liar, more of a charismatic leader than a pedagogue.

Majorly, I was frustrated by these things:

1. Esquith never quite tells you how he achieves his success. He simply repeats over and over that his students are incredibly successful. Sometimes he gets painfully close to delivering a concrete example, but then he diverts into more pithy romanticism about how good he is. Feels like snake oil. I really want to give my students these same successes, but unless I can become a superhuman, nothing he does seems transferable.
2. Esquith’s standard is unachievable and ridden with guilt. This becomes even more clear when he writes about his lowest points and they are times that students didn’t appreciate him enough. Came across as egotistical. If you aren’t doing as much as Rafe, you’re lumped in with apathy and mediocrity.
3. Esquith places all blame on teachers when it comes to failing schools and encourages penalizing and firing bad teacher rather than supporting and mentoring them. This book might be 50% shitting on colleagues and that made me feel like it was a revenge book in some ways, although he insists it isn’t. Esquith often approaches self-awareness, but firmly shoos it away.
4. Perhaps with the least direct evidence (because I don’t want to dig back into it) but firmest conviction, I find that Esquith writes uncritically of himself, and frames everything to remind the reader that he is the most selfless human being in the world. It’s like reading a protagonist with no flaws. He is always clever, always one step ahead; everything he does is unbelievably self-sacrificing. He never sleeps, he is always doing ten times what is necessary. His only struggles and only flaws he will admit are those that emerge from being TOO GOOD. He spends too much time working for the good of the kids, he spends too much money on his students, he never takes days off even when students beg. He will make incredibly annoying comments like (making this up from my memory), “Well, I decided to be a little selfish that day and got to work on preparing the next day’s lesson. I was that dedicated!” Like I said, I don’t want to dig back through, but there was a common pattern of just... over the top, falsely humble self-congratulation.

Additional thoughts

There is something to be said for the fact that nearly every chapter spends some time condemning other teachers and recounting his heroic triumphs over his colleagues and administration. I never trust a teacher—or anybody—who thinks they’re always right. Esquith sounds like a bulldozer and I often empathized with the people he painted as ridiculous and unreasonable as they begged him to take their perspective into consideration. They might have been wrong, but in the way people are wrong every day or for purely “I’m sorry, but this is my job” reasons. You can tell he takes petty liberties with dialogue and omits context so he can end stories with gotcha remarks like “What else was I supposed to do?”

Whenever Esquith writes about students or things other people said, the students seem uncommonly wise and people he doesn’t like seem uncommonly stupid. I know it’s his humor and hyperbole for the sake of memoir, perhaps, but there were so many times I thought to myself, “That did not happen.” Like a middle schooler telling the class he met a celebrity on a cruise when you know this kid never even went to the coast—it smells like B.S.

I am glad Esquith is pro-union and nuanced in his thoughts there, but that essay is an inconclusive mind wander. It ends with a dig at some administrator who couldn’t teach his class during a strike. I suppose the point was that teachers are highly qualified, more so than some administrators, and should therefore be paid more for their work, but this is clouded by the statement earlier in the chapter that what he has learning in all his experience is that teachers will never be paid what they’re worth. So the sentiment becomes, be grateful for unions and do the work for the sake of it, but give up hope about achieving a fair compensation. Oddly pessimistic. Couple that with the section in which Esquith thinly veiled his annoyance at the union’s effort to support new teachers and, from what I can tell, engage in the fair labor practice of affirmative action. He claims to be apolitical, making education his issue, but Esquith is quite self-righteously of a certain mind about his politics.

So why does this still get 4 stars? I don’t know. I’m taking some off. There’s hope to be had in his sentimental send offs, but Rafe pissed me off. The Ian McKellan cameo is pretty good, although it underscores the main epiphany of this book: unless you are a miracle worker with untold charisma with kids, you will never be Rafe Esquith, and if you’re not Rafe Esquith, you’re the foundation of America’s mediocrity. Do I recommend this to new teachers? Absolutely not, except for a laugh. It cannot be taken seriously or you might just give up.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's certainly no question that Rafe Esquith is beyond extraordinary. The plethora of projects and excursions he arranges for his impoverished students is commendable. As a teacher, I found myself both inspired and chagrined by his devotion in the classroom. Yet at the same time I found his sweeping generalizations and judgment bordering on condescending. Esquith suffers from no lack of self-esteem and is quick to point out his achievements. Granted, there's nothing wrong with that, but in his rush to pat himself on the back I detected a distaste for anyone who does not share his opinions. To his credit, Esquith never fails to champion his students. Each individual child he describes receives glowing reviews,they are frequently praised for their talents. I would not hesitate to enroll my own (non-existent) child in his class.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was definitely not impressed. Rafe Esquith provides some funny stories and memorable quotes, but he represents himself with arrogance and appears totally self-absorbed. It seems that the author feels that he is the magic for the children who he has in his class for one year. All their later successes are due to his influence... no other factors made a difference. I know he is a highly effective teacher and that he truly gives of himself for the sake of his students, but in "There are No Shortcuts," Rafe Esquith represents himself with a highly immature attitude. Criticism of other teachers and schools, which is the content of most of this memoir, only adds fodder to those who disrespect public education.

I consider this memoir more and more as the school year approaches. Rafe Esquith is to be appreciated, despite that fact that I personally feel that he could have demonstrated his experiences in a different manner. He clearly made his point that teaching is worth the struggles and that the classroom is where miracles can and do occur. I can see that he wants to share that within multiple educational systems, a teacher must be dissident and/or nonconformist on behalf of their learners if they are to make a difference. He is trying to add his voice on "Civil Disobedience." Let's hope we can change systems rather than "one "classroom" at a time." That we can develop an educational system where teachers have support rather than blockades of red tape, legislation, and meaningless tests to administer to their students. It is amazing with the climate of today's society, that there are still so many teachers, like Rafe, who live and breathe their teaching, who make the impossible happen everyday in classrooms throughout our nation.

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly, this book grabbed me from the start. Rafe is passionate about his teaching and shares many of his ideas. I felt he was quick to say that his way won't work for every teacher and to find your own niche and mission. I can see how some might see him as arrogant and narcissistic; to me he came across as having a high esteem for himself and his purpose in life.

*Read your favorite books with your students; they will respond to your enthusiasm for the material. Remember: the goal is to demonstrate the joy of reading; the material used is less important than the teacher's level of excitement.

*Children need plenty of adult guidance to become good readers. Reading at home with you, the parent, will dramatically increase the odds that your child will be an excellent reader. Society is filled with the forces of mediocrity that are going to battle you for the potential that is within your child. Your time and energy are the greatest weapons against those forces.

*UCLA basketball coach John Wooden says: "The four laws of learning are explanation, demonstration, imitation, and repetition. The goal is to create a correct habit that can be produced instinctively under great pressure. To make sure this goal was achieved, I created eight laws of learning: namely, explanation, demonstration, imitation, repetition, repetition, repetition, repetition, and repetition."

*Our children today not only have forgotten how to pursue life, liberty, and happiness but unfortunately have replaced the word "pursue" with entitled.

[Mulligan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Esquith is no doubt a talented teacher. He has a lot of great ideas/principles and this book provides many stories and examples to demonstrate them. His motto is, "There are no shortcuts," and he has many other sound bites of advice throughout the book. His book is written for teachers -- specifically, "young teachers," and I recommend it (not highly) to them.

It's a fast read and it's pretty engaging. However, I found myself often annoyed with Esquith's high-regard for himself. Yes, he's a good teacher, but the way he talks about himself is sickening at times. There is a very "I'm-so-great-teach-like-me-or-be-a-lousy-failure-of-a-teacher" feeling to much of the book. His ideas and his success with kids are enough to transcend this unpleasant aspect of the book. But at the same time, his tag lines aren't anything groundbreaking or surprising. Work hard, be successful. It makes sense.

[Singalongalong · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book freshman year of highschool, when I was more vocal about my interest in teaching rather than intl development (the latter would come more forcefully later)... No Shortcuts was the first 'education' book I read and was just as impressionable as any other teacher/education related films/movies/talks I'd watched/heard growin up. Esquith has the same kind of energy, drive, and passion for excellence in youth, especially those coming from the toughest of neighborhoods, in ways that echoes the strengths of my favorite middle school teachers (ehhem, Mr. Pinckney from Belmont, 4th grade - I hope I find you one day to say thank you!). So much respect for the American public school teachers who make the impossible possible everyday in the inner city school battle fields...

[Meghana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book by Esquith far more than I liked his "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire." Part memoir and part teacher guidebook, There Are No Shortcuts is extremely honest and inspirational. It's one of those books that forces teachers and parents to go back to the drawing board, reflect on their strategies, and commit to doing their very best to mould children into better adults. A thought-provoking read.

[Amanda Davenport · Rating 1 out of 5]

there are no shortcuts. Except, you know, the ones where you get to sleep at night and have fairly stable mental health

[Eric · Rating 1 out of 5]

Certainly American-Teacher Award winning, Rafe Esquith has some valuable points to make regarding the education of children.

Sadly, he didn’t write this book to do so. Although Rafe states, “I’m not telling you stories to get even with anyone…This is not a revenge book.” The book is overwhelmingly negative. Under fire are: teachers who don’t try hard enough, schools that don’t care enough, the unions that protect bad teachers, and the country that allows this all to go on.

The only real answer Rafe gives to teachers is they should: teach before school, teach through your lunch, teach after school AND teach on Saturday. No offence dude, and I appreciate your dedication, but I’ll pass.

If you teach, skip this book. It’ll leave you feeling bad about yourself and your profession. Which, is especially damning for a book written for educators.

[James Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this honest, forthright and inspiring book. it was the first book I read when I myself qualified as a teacher and it spoke to me and how I saw myself as an educator. He has an engaging and charming narrative voice that leaves you feeling that if you are not doing everything you can to help, you are not doing enough. You might as well be doing nothing at all. I can't wait to read Teach as if Your Hair Is On Fire.

[J Kir · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking for more practical tips. I picked up a few philosophies, but few tips and few how toos. So left me wanting. For example he says several times that students stay after school to work on more school but he never expl how he got kids to do this. He is an inspiring person and teacher. I just want note specifics on how I can do these things. Left me wanting to call him and ask for help.

[JJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book can be summed up in one sentence. An unrealistic approach to the American educational system written by a workaholic. The book is overly dramatized and romanticized. None of his ideas are original. I got bored about halfway through the book and skimmed read the rest.

[JTGlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many cult of personality moments, but I guess that is to be expected when you are an award winning teacher. Several accurate insights into how truly challenging teaching can be ..."if you care about what you are doing, it's one of the toughest jobs around." (184)

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspiring man, but the message I walked away with is that I (and most other) teachers don't have the capacity to help students to the extent out country needs. And I don't know how he was able to do so much with his students (like camping) and not eventually run into trouble.

[Miranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I agreed with much of what he said, I did not enjoy this author’s tone at all.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read

[Ethan Everett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book and encouraging book!

[Kendall Sajdak · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t get through the second chapter, way too narcissistic

[Nuraini · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very inspiring.

[Trace · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though this is the authors first book, I'm glad it wasn't my first introduction to him, otherwise I would probably have never made it to another of his books.

To me, this book felt like an attempt to justify previous actions and also to retaliate against some of his colleagues. Even though he specifically says in the book that its not a revenge book, it very much reads like one.

The author's pompous attitude; which I was able to detect in just the slightest bit in Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, is in full force in this book.

He is full of venom for his colleagues methods but then pages later contradicts himself. As one example, he spends quite a lengthy bit of time lambasting fellow teachers for bringing religious beliefs into the classroom and moans about how it excludes the students who don't share those beliefs. Sounds reasonable, right? Well imagine how confused I was to find out that a couple of chapters later that he was giving gifts to his Christian students on Christmas! But apparently has now stopped this because of almost running himself sick holding down 3 jobs to try and pay for his classrooms's extras. Yes, we get to hear all about that in detail as well.

For what its worth - I have tremendous respect for this teacher and give me a hope as to what public schools can become. I've become a Rafe fan indeed. If I could ensure that my son would have a teacher like Mr. Esquith, I'd be enrolling him tomorrow!! And I can only imagine how much pressure he has had to endure over the years in trying to hold true to his values and fighting the system to bring his students a superior education. But I'm not writing a review of a person or even his methods, I'm reviewing this particular book and I just think that much of this book was less about teaching and more to do with a personal agenda to explain past decisions and events.

But there are some great gems to be found in this book - one of which is his classroom economics system!! GENIUS!! And this book has given me other little ideas that I've written down in my journal. He truly is a dedicated man, serving his students in the very best way that he knows how. One cannot help loving him for that.

But I still much prefer his next book Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire!