Self-serving, but entertaining and educational...

books:


	• There Are No Shortcuts Rafe Esquith Anchor, 2004 - 224 pages average customer review:based on 79 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

There Are No Shortcuts review

Wow. This guy is amazing. I would recommend this book to anyone aspiring to be a teacher because his teaching methods are truly inspirational. I'm planning to use many of his methods in my classroom when I start teaching. Wonderful book. I'd highly recommend getting his other book "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire." Both great books. Enjoy!! =]

Self-serving, but entertaining and educational...

This book is clearly written by a teacher who is proud of his noteworthy achievements and who invests an immense amount of time and effort in his job. As his first book, it suffers from some self-centeredness and a desire to share stories of failures and successes within the public school system with his readers. The anecdotes are generally interesting, but he doesn't go far beyond them into specific classroom methods. Most discussion of methods happens at a high level. His second book, "Teach Like your Hair's on Fire," is much more interesting to read overall, but I'm glad to have read both.

As a private school teacher myself, he makes it sound like public school teachers must be masochists to put up with the many obstacles keeping them from success in the classroom. I have experienced precious few of the obstacles he describes, but my public school teacher wife assures me that his stories are ever so representative. This book is likely more applicable to public school teachers, especially new ones to the profession.

The audio version of this book is, unfortunately, not aided by the author reading it himself. It makes an already self-centered text come across as almost arrogant, at times. His intonation is somewhat monotone and his rhythm is strangely strained for such a stalwart shakespeare fan.

for more information click here

Awesome book, Awesome person!

As a teacher, I highly reccomend Rafe's first book. His life story is truly inspiring and encouraging for those of us in the trenches of the classroom. I think it is a mistake to criticize his way of life or dedication, but rather look at your own situation, and see what you can learn from his experience. For instance, I applied his economic system (discussed in detail in the book) and my students loved it and learned so much from it.
On a personal note, Rafe, as busy as he is, has always taken the time to try and answer my questions regarding teaching. He truly practices what he preaches, "Be Nice, Work Hard." He came at the right time in life, when I was wondering whether I had chosen the wrong profession. My wife noticed how he helped change my attitude.
This man has dedicated his life to improving education, his student lives and now teacher's lives, as he travels the country speaking and writing. He puts the proceeds from his books into his classroom's non-profit group, which pays for student trips, etc. So by purchasing the book, you are not just helping him, but are helping the kids he teaches in the poor sections of L.A.
Thank you.

for more information click here

will probably be helpful for some

I read Rafe Esquith's newer book (Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56) and loved it. So I started reading this book as soon as I could get my hands on it.

Having so enjoyed his other book and getting so much practical advice out of it, this book was quite a disappointment. Since writing this book, Mr. Esquith has obviously learned how to sound humble - one of the things I loved about Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire was that he wrote with humility - he was lucky and wanted to share what had happened to work for him in his class. In this book he constantly lists the habits and beliefs of "people who think they're good teachers" and then immediately explains that they are, in fact, not good at all. It can be hard to pick out the kernels of good advice that ARE present in this book when you're feeling that your hard work and sacrifice are being judged and insulted by someone you've never met.

Another thing I loved about Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire was that it contained very practical advice that "real" teachers could actually - if with some difficulty - put into use in their classrooms. This book is more theoretical and focuses more on feelings and goals and the journey to becoming a good teacher.

I have to say the thing that bothers me the most about this author is that he completely ignores the world of amazing children's literature that exists especially in this country. He may have success reading Steinbeck and Shakespeare with his 5th graders, but the truth is that most teachers will not meet with the same results. There is nothing wrong or shameful about using Mr. Esquith's methods and philosophy with truly high-quality, meaningful children's literature, yet he does not even concede this fact.

for more information click here

reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Year after year, Rafe Esquith?s fifth-grade students excel. They read passionately, far above their grade level; tackle algebra; and stage Shakespeare so professionally that they often wow the great Shakespearen actor himself, Sir Ian McKellen. Yet Esquith teaches at an L.A. innercity school known as the Jungle, where few of his students speak English at home, and many are from poor or troubled families. What?s his winning recipe? A diet of intensive learning mixed with a lot of kindness and fun. His kids attend class from 6:30 A.M. until well after 4:00 P.M., right through most of their vacations. They take field trips to Europe and Yosemite. They play rock and roll. Mediocrity has no place in their classroom. And the results follow them for life, as they go on to colleges such as Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford.
Possessed by a fierce idealism, Esquith works even harder than his students. As an outspoken maverick of public education (his heroes include Huck Finn and Atticus Finch), he admits to significant mistakes and heated fights with administrators and colleagues. We all?teachers, parents, citizens?have much to learn from his candor and uncompromising vision.

for more information click here

hot

not?

What's your opinion?

Write a review and share your thoughts!

recommendations

2006 NYPL Books for the Teen Age (Working)
Essential Items for the Motivated Teacher
So you want to be a teacher?
Teachers' Stories

are

Where the Wild Things Are
From Belly Fat to Belly Flat: How Your Hormones Are Adding Inches to ...
The Success Principles(TM): How to Get from Where You Are to Where ...
Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths That Are ...
When You Are Engulfed in Flames

search for books
there are no, are, shortcuts, there

Impressum / about us