Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56
by Rafe Esquith
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rafe EsquithEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-12-18
ISBN: 0143112864
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780143112860
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56
Book Review: Dedication above and beyond
Summary: 5 Stars
Maybe because it is summer and we chose to be here. Maybe we just like one of our kind. I say that it is because he is special. Rafe Esquith was the keynote speaker today at the SSITE conference. After he spoke we gave him a standing ovation. He was inspiring. He IS inspiring.
(Note: SSITE is Samford Summer Institute for Teaching Excellence. Samford is a Baptist college in Birmingham, Alabama. My principal, who once lived in Birmingham, where she was first an elementary, then secondary school principal, celebrated this summer her twentieth time to attend SSITE. She takes some of her teachers with her every summer for these fabulous speakers, break-out sessions with instructors who provide wonderful ideas --and this summer a thumb drive containing handouts of all the presenters, as well as latest research and studies in good teaching methods and information. I utterly dislike driving long distances (across two and one-half states), yet found the conference worth the drive. Wow, did I really say that? Another speaker whose presentation gave us clues to help students break the reading comprehension code was as worthy as Rafe's talk.)
Just who is this Rafe Esquith? Author of "Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire," for one. It was a New York Times bestseller for awhile. Teacher of fifth grade students at Hobarth Elementary in a poverty-stricken area of Los Angeles. His students are immigrants or children of immigrants and largely Asian and Latino.
Rafe's (he wants his students to call him Rafe) book is basically a manifesto in how to teach like your hair's on fire, i.e., turning kids on "to the wonder of learning, the power of the imagination, and the wealth of finding oneself" (taken from a quote on the back cover). He showed us a clip of one of his students reciting, no--reliving a letter by a soldier written just days before his death in the Civil War. It's a performance I'll never forget.
Hobarth Shakespearians. That's just one of many success stories initiated by this fine teacher. He teaches a Shakespeare play each year, then the students find songs to go with the action, learn everything and go on the road with their production. One song example is "Riders in the Storm" by the Doors to open the three witches' scene in Macbeth. It's perfect! The group with the boy reciting the war letter was invited to appear before the nine judges of the Supreme Court. Instead of the Shakespeare, he had his students perform historic documents.
One thing Rafe makes clear in his book is that it took him 25 years to reach this level of excellence and describes some of his mistakes. But his successes--oh my! However, these successes come at the expense of having any life beyond the classroom and his family. A private investigator for Opray followed him for several weeks to make sure this guy was legitimate before Opray gave him one of her prestigious awards, only to discover that there was no dirt to dig up.
I bought my copy of his book back home and had read half of it prior to the conference. Having read about many of his honed successes made his presentation richer for me. Just one of many inspirations is his Film Club. He has spent several year building a film library and provides a list of 25 classics he requires his students to check out, view, review during their year with him. These films are not Disney, but ones like On the Waterfront (Special Edition), To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition), and Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition). You're right--no censorship here, just good quality films. He figures they watch slasher movies, so why not good films that happen to contain violence.
Another unit that is particularly impressive is art history, as well as creating art. Another is keeping baseball statistics. Another is keeping their own account book. Why do they need one? One of his biggest lessons is about handling money, budgeting, living within it. So, how do they make money? Rafe charges rent for the seats in his class, sets up job descriptions and "hires" his students to fill them. Students always return or email to tell of their various successes they accredit to him.
I could go on. Teachers, this is a book you need to read to inspire and motivate you. No, you probably cannot emulate him (and probably wouldn't want to if you want a life), but you can learn from him and use some or many of his ideas. Remember, one or two things per year to create successes.
I waited in a long line to get Rafe's autograph. Actually, I just wanted to thank him for his inspiration. Paired with two of his ideas and several from other workshop presenters (school can be fun and joy can be part of learning), my library lessons should knock students socks off in the fall. I want to be more than a Book Goddess. I want to be like Rafe (or at least a modified version)!
Summary of Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56
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.
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