I just finished reading a really good secular book by an actual classroom teacher.  His name is Rafe Esquith and he has taught in the inner city of Los Angeles at Hobart Elementary School for twenty-two years.  He has won many awards for his teaching and after reading this book I can see why!  If all public teachers were as dedicated and creative as Rafe, our schools wouldn't be in as bad a shape as they are now.

He has received the National Medal of Arts (the only teacher to have ever received this award), and has been made a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth.  He also won the American Teacher Award, and Parents magazine's As You Grow Award.  Oprah Winfrey gave him a Use Your Life Award and the Dalai Lama gave him the Compassion in Action Award.  (Not that it matters a mite to me what the Dalai Lama or Oprah thinks!)

The book is called TEACH LIKE YOUR HAIR'S ON FIRE:  The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56.  I got it from my library but I plan to purchase it and put it on my shelf along with my other teaching method books and refer to it often.

Rafe is a teacher who spends 12 hours a day teaching (like us!).  He has a passion for it.  He brings out remarkable things in his students.  The most remarkable, I think, are the Hobart Shakespeareans.  (For more information see http://www.hobartshakespeareans.org/ .)

My favorite chapters include "Art Lover," "Tax Man," and "Do They Know its Christmas?."  Homeschoolers will enjoy this teacher's enthusiasm for multi-media, hands-on learning and FIELD TRIPS! 

I don't necessarily agree with everything he exposes his students to, but there is plenty of good stuff to glean from this outstanding educator.

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Posted by CommunicationFUNdamentals

Hey...come on over to my blog today for some fun! Embrace Your Inner Weirdness!

JoJo

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Posted by Anonymous

I can't help but respond to your comment about Rafe Esquith: "If all public teachers were as dedicated and creative as Rafe, our schools wouldn't be in as bad a shape as they are now." I happen to be a public teacher and I am very dedicated and creative. However, I am not able to take my students on field trips where we fly across the country, stay in hotels, and eat in restaurants. In order to go on a field trip across town, I need 1 chaperone for every 8 students, and a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a bus. I'm curious to know how Rafe pays for all of the things that he does -- he certainly doesn't do it on a teacher's salary. Rafe is too good to be true -- unfortunately, the big issue is money, or lack thereof.

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Posted by KarlaKAkins

I agree with you that too often it all boils down to money. I also agree that there are still very good teachers out there. Rafe is the exception to the rule. In his book he admits that he obsesses about teaching and that he puts in 12 hour days and sacrifices a lot of time away from his family to do it. As far as I know he is not a father.

However, I do believe he is funded by fund raising and grant writing. Not everyone can get the kind of grants he probably can because he is an inner city school teacher. I don't know. I do know that I have my own cottage school and we take a field trip every other week. It does cost a lot of money and the parents pitch in and help. I'm planning a big out of town trip and I have asked for help from the parents, people I know, and businesses to make it happen.

You have not because you ask not. Where there's a will there's a way. And with God all things are possible.

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