Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire

By: Rafe Esquith

Narrated by: James Yaegashi

Best-selling author Rafe Esquith, the only teacher to receive the National Medal of Arts, has garnered the American Teacher Award and numerous other honors. Still teaching fifth graders in a small, leaky classroom in downtown Los Angeles, Esquith fosters a wholesome climate where character, humility, and diligence matter and support is unconditional. For his mostly poor and Hispanic students, Esquith models two maxims: Be nice and work hard, and There are no shortcuts. And his students thrive!©2007 Rafe Esquith (P)2007 Recorded Books

Not really for high school teachers

There's a part about character development that is interesting and, as a high school English teacher, I found that part the part discussing English slightly helpful.

Inspirational Listen

If you could sum up Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire in three words, what would they be?

This book is inspiring and hopeful. While not all teachers will reach Rafe's level of commitment, they do exist and they are reaching many youth.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

I liked hearing about what these students went on to do with their adult lives. Rafe doesn't claim to reach all of his students, but he has been instrumental in many of their lives and they, in turn, are spreading his values, giving to their communities, and generally being positive, productive people.

Any additional comments?

I particularly liked his advice to young teachers. His program was built over years and was not without issues. It is a very inspiring read, with lots of good ideas, but he never says

Best for elementary teachers

This is a book that might benefit elementary school teachers most as the author goes into details about teaching each subject to a group of well-behaved 5th graders. What I found most inspiring was the 6 principles Rafe mentioned at beginning and he clearly carried out those principles through his teaching.

I wish I had read this book at college.

Rafe takes you through a magical and captivating journey that will inspire the mind and touch the heart. What a book!!!

What works but no path from what doesn't

The author approaches the confounding crisis of the American education system with creativity and urgency. He talks at length about the doors he opens and the children who venture to walk through them. I found myself repeatedly wondering about the ones who didn't or couldn't.

Perhaps I count myself among those who haven't crossed the threshold. The picture he paints seems an impossible fantasy. For an effective classroom, be someone who has taught for 20 years. For all you first year teachers... good luck. Mr. Esquith briefly acknowledges the difficult realities of his classroom environment in the epilogue but rarely anywhere else. Repeatedly telling about only the successes makes it seem less believable not more. I appreciate the 6 levels of morality and his efforts to transform all of their time together into teachable moments.

This title being 13 years old it is not surprising that 95% of the book, movie, and lit titles are authored by white men. Perhaps I am yearning for this to be a different book.