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aclopez6's review
5.0
Based on my brief handful of years in education, this book added basically nothing to the conversation about teaching as a profession. It did resonate with a lot of my experiences. The one thing that repeatedly irked me was that many teachers were portrayed as having a deficit perspective on their students' families, which can be hurtful and harmful.
drusmilford's review
5.0
EVERYONE should read this book whether you are in education or not! It is the best window into education that I have come across.
All I can say is WOW, I wish I had read this book sooner!!!!!! Teachers teach because we want the very best for our students. We want to find ways to reach all our children and help them grow, learn, overcome and succeed.
I love teaching! This book is honest and real following the lives of three teachers through a school year together with many other anecdotes from additional teachers.
This book covers the pluses and minuses in education, teachers' lives and how their work effects their personal lives.
As Dine Ravitch wrote, "Thrilling to read .... I can't remember another book that is so deeply informed about the nobility, rewards and struggles of the teaching profession. It is a beautiful testimony."
I truly did not want this book to end.
All I can say is WOW, I wish I had read this book sooner!!!!!! Teachers teach because we want the very best for our students. We want to find ways to reach all our children and help them grow, learn, overcome and succeed.
I love teaching! This book is honest and real following the lives of three teachers through a school year together with many other anecdotes from additional teachers.
This book covers the pluses and minuses in education, teachers' lives and how their work effects their personal lives.
As Dine Ravitch wrote, "Thrilling to read .... I can't remember another book that is so deeply informed about the nobility, rewards and struggles of the teaching profession. It is a beautiful testimony."
I truly did not want this book to end.
laineybarbour's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
hollydyer328's review
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
As someone who has worked closely with public schools in the past, I was surprised at my capacity to be surprised from some of the stories and testimonials shared in this book. The things that happen to teachers will make your jaw drop. Great reporting of the challenging conditions that teachers face. It certainly inspires you to get involved in some way. I found the writing style to be lacking; since this was narrative nonfiction, I think the narration of the three teacher stories was a little plain could have been bumped up with more description.
kschilke's review
4.0
A quantitative and qualitative account of challenges with teaching in America.
If you didn't already respect teachers and their profession and dedication prior to reading this text, it would be hard to imagine you wouldn't after reading. Leaders in positions of power to make decisions that impact education and teachers should definitely read this.
While the research in this book mostly focuses on K-12, and the first-hand accounts on K-5, I would have loved to see information on high school, higher education, and even daycare. Maybe those are other books in the making....
I do need to point out that I listened to this book over audiobook and the narration was really difficult to get through when the narrator chose to perform certain accents/dialect for the different teachers. I'm not sure if she received permission to try and mimic the individual's accent for narration purposes, but I found it hard to listen to. Not because it was hard to understand, but because it came across more like a caricature of sorts to the point where it seemed borderline offensive. Maybe other people listened and didn't find issue with it, but it did start to become distracting.
If you didn't already respect teachers and their profession and dedication prior to reading this text, it would be hard to imagine you wouldn't after reading. Leaders in positions of power to make decisions that impact education and teachers should definitely read this.
While the research in this book mostly focuses on K-12, and the first-hand accounts on K-5, I would have loved to see information on high school, higher education, and even daycare. Maybe those are other books in the making....
I do need to point out that I listened to this book over audiobook and the narration was really difficult to get through when the narrator chose to perform certain accents/dialect for the different teachers. I'm not sure if she received permission to try and mimic the individual's accent for narration purposes, but I found it hard to listen to. Not because it was hard to understand, but because it came across more like a caricature of sorts to the point where it seemed borderline offensive. Maybe other people listened and didn't find issue with it, but it did start to become distracting.
jessicawithabook's review against another edition
5.0
I want to be able to rate this higher… because honestly 5 stars isn’t enough. This is a beautifully researched and well written book. It’s not a bragging book to talk about how great teachers have it. It’s not a “woe is me” book.
It’s raw. It’s real. It’s inspiring. It’s heartbreaking.
Many times, with books written about teachers, it’s a lot of fluff. You don’t feel seen or understood because it’s not reality. This is reality. Teaching is hard. Being a teacher is even harder. I loved this. I loved every freaking second of this! I also loved that from the very beginning, the focus wasn’t on the pandemic. It was even started the system was broken BEFORE 2020.
I want everyone to read this. If you are a teacher, were a teacher, love a teacher, your kids are taught by a teacher, or you have interacted with a teacher GO. READ. IT.
It’s raw. It’s real. It’s inspiring. It’s heartbreaking.
Many times, with books written about teachers, it’s a lot of fluff. You don’t feel seen or understood because it’s not reality. This is reality. Teaching is hard. Being a teacher is even harder. I loved this. I loved every freaking second of this! I also loved that from the very beginning, the focus wasn’t on the pandemic. It was even started the system was broken BEFORE 2020.
I want everyone to read this. If you are a teacher, were a teacher, love a teacher, your kids are taught by a teacher, or you have interacted with a teacher GO. READ. IT.