Madame Esme really shakes things up
Written: Apr 13 '00 (Updated Apr 13 '00)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Shows a fresh look at the teaching profession, gives you more respect for it
Cons: We can't all have teachers like Madame Esme
|
|
|
| Dani257's Full Review: Esme Raji Codell - Educating Esme: Diary of a Teac... |
I've had my share of good, creative teachers. But, reading Educating Esme by first year teacher Esme Raji Codell makes me envious. If only I could have had this brash, irreverent, tough but tender teacher in the fifth grade. Fractions might not be so hard now.
Esme writes a diary of her experiences teaching fifth grade in an inner city school. These kids have to deal with problems such as gang members trying to recruit them, abusive parents, and difficulties learning. But, Esme is up to the challenge. She finds a fresh way of approaching mundane topics like math and science. Who can forget how to multiply double digits after dancing out the steps to the mu-cha-cha? She also meets discipline problems with humor. When one of her students gets out of hand, his punishment is to be the teacher for the day. Esme takes his place, and is just as rowdy as he usually is.
Besides dealing with her students, Esme also has to handle the establishment, mainly represented by the principal, Mr. Turner. He's overbearing, rigid, and unimaginative. They frequently battle over Esme's choice to have her students call her Madame Esme, rather than the conventional Ms. Codell. Esme also has to fight a battle to get respect for her students. She won't buy into the idea that being black and poor means you don't have the ability to meet the highest expectations. She believes in her students. Instead of writing them off to an unjust system, she gives them the push they need to beat it.
Esme isn't a teacher's version of Mary Poppins. She's naive, argumentative, and stubborn to a fault. But, you get the feeling that it's just her way of showing that she is willing to help her students be the best they can be.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
Dani257
|
|
Member: Angela Tircuit
Location: New Orleans, La
Reviews written: 143
Trusted by: 54 members
About Me:
"I have low friends in high places"
Said by Cyril - my brother
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.