Educating Esmé

Diary of a Teacher's First Year

By: Esmé Raji Codell

Narrated by: Esmé Raji Codell

Esmé Raji Codell has come to teach, and she's not going to let incompetent administrators, abusive parents, gang members, or her own insecurities get in the way. As she puts it, she has "Thirty-one children. Thirty-one chances. Thirty-one futures, our futures. Everything they become, I also become." Codell's portrait of an inner-city elementary school is funny, poignant, and inspiring. Her struggle to maintain individuality in the face of bureaucracy and her defiant stand against mediocrity will reverberate in companies as well as classrooms everywhere.©1999 Esmé (P)1999 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

• Alex Award Winner, 2000

"I was hooked by this fearless, feisty young teacher who managed to cut through all the pedagogic red tape." (Bel Kaufman, author of Up the Down Staircase)

beautiful, every teacher should read it

I've been teaching for 11 years and I plan to teach teachers soon. I will make this book a required non-mandatory mandate haha!

Great teacher documentary!

I encouraged my college students to read this as they are moving through their teacher Ed program. I felt like this was a great story to help educate future educators.

great for aspiring teachers

I really enjoyed this book. Esme is funny, smart and rambunctious; giving a real perspective of what teaching elementary is like. Great read and even better listen.

Laughing, crying and nodding my head

This is my 12th year teaching and I finally FINALLY read/listened to this book. It is absolutely perfect. I work for the Chicago Public Schools and I have seen and dealt with things I never imagined I would deal with as a teacher. This is the fuel I needed to let me know I am not alone. I am not crazy. I am not the only one who feels the way I feel. Thank you thank you thank you Esme for writing this book!!!!

Relevant yesterday, today, and tomorrow!

Listening to this book over and over for the past four years has been a journey of epic proportion. Every time I listen to it something new comes from it. 15 years a high school teacher, and after earning my doctorate, I am now a professor of education. I use this book with both graduate and undergraduate education majors. I require that they listen to it rather than read it. Amazing writing combined with amazing narration!