I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had

My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High

By: Tony Danza

Narrated by: Tony Danza

Length: 6 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

Long before he starred on some of television’s most beloved and long-running series such as Taxi and Who’s the Boss? and went on to distinguish himself in a variety of film and stage roles, Tony Danza was a walking contradiction: an indifferent student who dreamed of being a teacher. Inspiring a classroom of students was an aspiration he put aside for decades until one day it seemed that the most meaningful thing he could do was give his dream a shot.

What followed was a year spent teaching 10th-grade English at Northeast High - Philadelphia’s largest high school with 3,600 students. Entering Northeast’s crowded halls in September 2009, Tony found his way to a classroom filled with 26 students who were determined not to cut him any slack. They cared nothing about “Mr. Danza’s” showbiz credentials, and they immediately put him on the hot seat.

It was only after experiencing abject terror for several weeks - and even dissolving into tears on several occasions - that Tony began to pick up the tricks of how to get kids to learn.

Featuring indelible portraits of students and teachers alike, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had reveals just how hard it is to keep today’s technologically savvy - and often alienated - students engaged, how impressively committed most teachers are, and the outsized role counseling plays in a teacher’s day, given the psychological burdens many students carry. The audiobook also makes vivid how a modern high school works, showing Tony in a myriad of roles - from lecturing on To Kill a Mockingbird to coaching the football team, organizing a talent show, leading far-flung field trips, and hosting teacher gripe sessions.

Inevitably, Tony’s students steal their way into our hearts - in a way that always feels authentic. A surprisingly poignant account, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny but is mostly filled with hard-won wisdom and feel-good tears.

©2012 Tony Danza (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Loved it from start to finish! Tony Danza gets an A+++!

This is the 2nd time I’ve listened to this audiobook, and I think I loved it even more this time around. Tony Danza is fantastic as narrator, and as teacher, he’s all heart and soul. The shining light of all this (as if I could name only one, there are so many) is that Tony Danza isn’t afraid to bare his countless uncertainties and daily foibles as any new teacher of a inner city high school is bound to have. Honest and heartbreaking, painful and triumphant, I found myself crying and cheering alongside “Mr. Danza.” He has the ability to bring life to all his students that were blessed to know him, and by the end of the book, I felt I knew them all personally. While I liked Tony Danza before this, I was never a major fan, but he is terrific, engaging, and warm.

Mesmerized!

My husband was a shop teacher for 32 years. Many of those years were in an area of underprivileged kids with a pathetic home life. The shop teacher is often one of the most loved teachers in the school. He, like Mr. Danza, was faced with the especially troubled students in the school. Unfortunately, my husband is not willing to listen to this book, he experienced too many heartbreaking situations and is not interesting in being reminded of those students with troubled lives. I was hooked by this book within the first few minutes and was sad when it ended. I ache for kids who do not have a loving home life. The school was lucky to have Mr. Danza for a year and it was too bad that he was not able to stay longer. I am so glad that he shared his raw experiences in this book.

Impactful, DEFINITELY worth a listen

What did you love best about I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had?

I most enjoyed the emotion and the personal impact on Danza's life from a year of teaching.

I choose this book hoping it would influence my decision to enter teaching in my 50s, as Dnaza did, more or less. I will give it a try based on how he described the profound impact teaching had on his life.

Would you be willing to try another book from Tony Danza? Why or why not?

Doubtful. I only listened to this one because of the subject matter.

Have you listened to any of Tony Danza’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Any additional comments?

Danza deserves credit for the most unusual quality of this author-narrated book. Most STINK! This one is decent.

Danza shares truth and conviction

Would you listen to I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had again? Why?

I would listen again because of his connection with his students.

What was one of the most memorable moments of I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had?

I don't think there was one memorable moment but many that built on each other to point out the importance of education and how each individual, both students and teachers have strength and dignity to share with each other.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me do both. Tony Danza shared the realities of the classroom and a teacher's struggle to reach each student very well.

Any additional comments?

I was glad that we heard Tony Danza's own voice telling this story.

Excellent book

Tony Danza shares his passion for teaching and his concern for his students. I commend him for returning to CA to be with his family; however I think he did an amazing job during his year at Northeast. It's really a shame the show wasn't given a prime time viewing slot. I think teachers will over the country would have enjoyed it. It shows a side of Tony most of us have never seen.

making a dream come true - with unexpected results

I enjoyed listening to the story of "Mr. Danza". Skepticism gave way as the stories of the student, teachers and Tony's experience progressed. Tony's drive and dedication shone through as did the apparent results.

An interesting insight into people who care in a system that sometimes seems not to.

A light interesting listen that was worth the time.

Entertaining and Enlightening

I loved this book. it was a joy to listen to and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. I also feel much more informed about what teachers go through! They are educating and partially raising the people in our country on a stressed out pittance. I was on awe of the dedication of some of the teachers and feel moved to make a difference myself. I would recommend this book to anyone!

Great listen even for non-teachers!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It opened my eyes to the struggles that teachers face. The narration by Mr. Danza makes the stories seem more like an in-person discussion rather than a mere audio book.

we all had teachers that we played practicl jokes

Any additional comments?

I do not usually get a book that the author has read which means you get a poor quality book. This one has broke all the sterotypes all teachers should read this one Mr Danza sense of humor comes thru. Yes I would listen to it again
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A touching and funny look at high school teaching

Tony Danza chronicles his year as a part-time high school teacher in this funny and touching memoir. Long after he achieves fame as an actor, Danza answers his longtime calling to be a classroom teacher. He ends out teaching one class of 25 students in an urban public high school in Philadelphia. The deal includes teaching a double block each day, with a TV crew filming for a possible reality series. Danza makes it clear that he is there to serve his students, and the television piece is secondary. It becomes clear that he means that as he wades through his first year of teaching, full of mistakes, successes, humor, and constant up-and-down emotions. I am a high school teacher myself, and really enjoyed this book. Danza is exhausted physically and emotionally by his experience, and uplifted as well. He readily admits that with one class of 25 kids, he is not a "real teacher" and wonders how they do it. This book is from the heart and sheds great light on so many real issues in the field of education. Whether you are a teacher, high school student, or former high school student, I think you may enjoy Danza's humorous, emotional, and insightful journey through his year as a teacher.