Until I was about twelve I wanted to be a teacher. More recently I've felt otherwise, thinking that in order to create real change in education I needed to be in a position of greater power. But I was reminded of the unbelievable impact that a single good teacher can make after reading the story of Rafe Esquith, a classroom teacher in a tough Los Angeles neigborhood.
His second book, "Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire" tells the stories of his years of teaching, intertwining inspiring anecdotes with education theory, psychological theory and lesson plans. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to become a teacher, a parent or work with kids in any way.
Rafe Esquith is one of those rare teachers who honestly would "do it for free." And rest assured, he already does a lot for free. He comes to school over an hour before the official day begins, only to be greeted by a huge group of students anxious to work on math problems. He stays late after school every day to show educational films, and to rehearse for the rock/Shakespeare production students put on at the end of the year. He takes kids on overnight trips during school vacations, takes former students to visit colleges during their breaks, and has students come in on Saturdays to prepare for their trips in order to get the most out of them. All students who come in for extra school or trips do it voluntarily, and no one is penalized for not participating.
It is not just the insane amount of effort that sets Rafe apart from other teachers, its also his philosophy and his ability to stick to it. His four core ideas about teaching are: "Replace fear with trust," "children depend on us, so be dependable," "discipline must be logical," and, "you are a role model." He also discusses the reasons why students do things (mainly out of fear or want of a reward), and encourages his students to strive for a "level 6: I have a personal code of behavior and I follow it (the Atticus Finch level)." For Rafe, it's not just talk. Through 25 or so years of teaching, he has found a way to apply all these ideas into his teaching. His classroom is a place that is full of trust, honesty and commitment. He introduces his students to characters such as Harper Lee's Atticus Finch so that they learn to strive for a truly moral existence. And you can tell that he is successful a huge percent of the time: He teaches his students for life.
Rafe is not a young radical who earns his students' love by burning standardized tests. (His students do well on tests, though Rafe offers his own analysis of the problems with testing in our system.) He is, pure and simple, a teacher who pushes himself and his students to do more, mentally, physically and emotionally -- and sees it pay off, year after year.
If I ran teacher training, I would definitely make this book required reading.
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