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Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56
by
Rafe Esquith
The New York Times bestseller that is revolutionizing the way Americans educate their kids-"Rafe Esquith is a genius and a saint" (The New York Times)
Perhaps the most famous fifth-grade teacher in America, Rafe Esquith has won numerous awards and even honorary citizenship in the British Empire for his outstandingly successful methods. In his Los Angeles public ...more
Perhaps the most famous fifth-grade teacher in America, Rafe Esquith has won numerous awards and even honorary citizenship in the British Empire for his outstandingly successful methods. In his Los Angeles public ...more
Paperback, 244 pages
Published
December 18th 2007
by Penguin (Non-Classics)
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You know those students who, when studying, highlight nearly every sentence in the textbook? Well, that's how I was with Rafe Esquith's outstanding teaching book. I set out to flag the pages containing suggestions I found particularly helpful and quickly ended up abandoning that idea when I realized I would do far better flagging the pages that weren't pertinent. Especially of interest to me was his method of discipline, the area I find most difficult. The discipline methods I have researched ru...more
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This was pretty much a There Are No Shortcuts Part II...which I certainly welcomed, and Esquith goes into more detail about his unique and exhausting teaching methods. My only hesitation after reading the two books and watching The Hobart Shakespeareans is that he, at times, makes petty comments about his colleagues who fail where he succeeds. He seems to want to give his students this "I'm the only person who will care about you" mentality. Maybe it's just me (I'm often prone to co...more
Teacher books are either, how to books that include lesson plans, methods, etc. or "inspirational" books about how a teacher succeeded in tough situations. This is a combination of both I feel. On the positive, it is not as dry as most methods books, and not as sappy as most inspirational books. The problem though is because it is a hybrid, I feel it doesn't cover nearly enough of either section. I love many of his concepts though, and to take this as a book that gives you a better...more
I really wanted to like this book. At the roots, he means well, and does some amazing things with his kids. Things that should be applauded. However, his tone, shameless self-promotion, and absence of the humility he insists he imparts on his kids were hard for me to get past.
Though this is about an elementary school teacher, there are a few strategies that are applicable to high school teachers as well.
And now it's time for a rant.
I'm sure the author is a great teacher and his kids learn a lot from him.
But--and this is very important--this is yet another book which describes a teacher as a saint, with sanctified kids, who sacrifices his entire life for his students.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing, and certainly Rafe Es...more
And now it's time for a rant.
I'm sure the author is a great teacher and his kids learn a lot from him.
But--and this is very important--this is yet another book which describes a teacher as a saint, with sanctified kids, who sacrifices his entire life for his students.
I'm not saying it's a bad thing, and certainly Rafe Es...more
This is an incredibly inspiring book for parents and teachers who want to bring out the best in their charges. I have to admit that my awe is tinged with just a bit of cynicism however. In "twenty-odd" years (times 30+ kids) of teaching, Rafe has "never" had a discipline problem? The implication is that someone who does have discipline problems is doing something wrong -- or more precisely isn't doing something right. That may be true in most cases but unless Rafe is Mida...more
In the year I started second grade, Rafe Esquith started teaching. Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire contains what he has learned about teaching and why being a teacher is his calling in life.
He divides the book into three parts: There's No Place Like Home, The Method, and finally, The Madness. The first part describes how to earn the trust of students and help them think beyond themselves. Chapter Two, "Searching for Level VI" is especially interesting and useful for anyone ...more
He divides the book into three parts: There's No Place Like Home, The Method, and finally, The Madness. The first part describes how to earn the trust of students and help them think beyond themselves. Chapter Two, "Searching for Level VI" is especially interesting and useful for anyone ...more
Anyone who is involved in the education process or who wants to step into the world of truly excellent teaching should pick up Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire by Rafe Esquith. Mr. Esquith teaches in inner-city Los Angeles and is the leader of the famous Hobart Shakespeareans. I had heard a spot on them on NPR not too long ago, and I was pleased to receive this book for Valentine's Day from my husband. If anyone believes that one person cannot truly make a difference in this world, please read thi...more
I stayed up late for several nights reading it. I have found it helpful personally, with my children and with teaching Primary. The first section explains important principles of teaching. His 6 principles of motivation reminded Pete and I of a talk by Dallin H. Oaks. The second section outlines different subject areas and lessons/materials/projects that have worked for him. I will be buying this book for this section, especially the chapters on problem solving, art, and Shakespeare. There are m...more
Natasha
rated it
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review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants to inspire learning
Recommended to Natasha by:
Melissa
Shelves:
education
Wow! I couldn't put this book down once I got my hands on it. Is room 56 for real? I believe inspiring students to love to learn can be done and Rafe shares many great ideas on how to achieve success in education.
I appreciate that he started out with Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development. Does exposure to Atticus Finch really inspire kids en masse to behave at higher moral levels? It's worth a try. (By the way, I also liked his list of recommended readings/viewings.)
...more
I appreciate that he started out with Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development. Does exposure to Atticus Finch really inspire kids en masse to behave at higher moral levels? It's worth a try. (By the way, I also liked his list of recommended readings/viewings.)
...more
This book was written by a man who teaches 5th grade in a poor Los Angeles public school. His students are almost all kids who have learned English as a second language. They live in a high-crime, high-poverty area.
It's clear that this is an exceptional teacher creating an exceptional experience for his students, including performing unabridged Shakespeare plays, with a rock 'n' roll soundtrack, which the kids play and sing themselves. He brings the kids on field trips to Washingt...more
It's clear that this is an exceptional teacher creating an exceptional experience for his students, including performing unabridged Shakespeare plays, with a rock 'n' roll soundtrack, which the kids play and sing themselves. He brings the kids on field trips to Washingt...more
While I can admire his desire to reach his students and spend the time required to do so, I thought his tone was self congratulatory, smug, and condescending. I agree that teaching is definitely not an 8-4 Monday-Friday job; if that is all you are willing to put in as a teacher, you probably aren't getting everything done and reaching as many students as you could be. But, I also feel that teachers, as anyone else, have a right to a personal life and that having a balance between work and life i...more
Great ideas and inspirational message that loses something occasionally when Rafe's ego gets the best of him. He doesn't really think he's the modern day equivalent to Socrates--he's a little better than that--but there's not much arguing with most of what he says...and as he points out, there is HUGE significance in the fact that he is STILL IN FRONT OF A CLASSROOM, as opposed to most purveyors of Great Educational Truths these days.
While I stand in awe of his accomplishments, I do...more
While I stand in awe of his accomplishments, I do...more
This has to be one of the best books on teaching a comprehensive curriculum that I've ever encountered. Every chapter is innovative, uncommon wisdom. There is something for teachers of almost every subject here.
Esquith appears to be one of the best teachers of our age; he vies for excellence in everything he does, to include increasingly ignored programs such as art, music, science and math.
My only criticism of the book is that he didn't have the courage to address the subject of comparative r...more
Esquith appears to be one of the best teachers of our age; he vies for excellence in everything he does, to include increasingly ignored programs such as art, music, science and math.
My only criticism of the book is that he didn't have the courage to address the subject of comparative r...more
There are definitely pros and cons to this book and while I'm at it, to Rafe as well. A lot of the negatives I hear about this book and about Rafe usually involve the reviewer exclaiming, "We don't all have the kind of time he has," or "Not all of us can commit that much." To those reviewers I say, "Get the hell out of the profession then." Yes, we are very busy, and because we have an extraordinary amount of time off, people don't seem to think we do anything. On t...more
Inspiring book about an amazing teacher. I really like his detailed descriptions of what works really well in his impressive classroom, because I can now apply his strategies to my own teaching (when I start). What bothered me: (a) I found he was condescending and sometimes would have a paragraph rant about other teachers/classrooms and disengaged students and the pop culture drivel our students inhale, including video games, pop movies, etc. The part about teachers/classrooms I don't mind as mu...more
Jill Bratcher
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review of another edition
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Recommends it for:
Teachers, Parents
Recommended to Jill by:
Helen Primus
This review is based on the audio version.
My friend kept telling me about this book and finally passed it on to me when she finished. I've been listening on my commute, and sometimes even after I pull into my parking space. :D
Rafe Esquith teaches fifth grade in Los Angeles. His "Room 56" students aren't wealthy, nor has he become so teaching them. He spends all his money on things for the classroom. His students aren't necessarily "gifted" either, but...more
My friend kept telling me about this book and finally passed it on to me when she finished. I've been listening on my commute, and sometimes even after I pull into my parking space. :D
Rafe Esquith teaches fifth grade in Los Angeles. His "Room 56" students aren't wealthy, nor has he become so teaching them. He spends all his money on things for the classroom. His students aren't necessarily "gifted" either, but...more
I read this book because I was required to by my school. So it's possible I may have started it with a slightly negative attitude. Additionally, I'm not 100% sure what I was intended (by my administration) to take away from this book. Am I supposed to be getting great ideas to use in the classroom? Because there really are some fun games and effective procedures to be found here. Or is it instead, as I more strongly suspect, meant to convey the message of, "See all the wonderful things...more
Very interesting book about education. The author is a teacher of 5th graders in inner-city Los Angeles and has achieved amazing things with his classes. But he is an exception, even to very dedicated teachers. He spends 12 hours a day at school, and works with the kids on Saturdays too. His writing includes many scathing comments about the way "they" do things, which I am sure does not endear him to the administrators and other teachers. But they cannot have a problem with his re...more
Janet, one of Esquith’s former students, and now at Notre Dame wrote about her experience as a Hobart Shakespearean, “I was first introduced to Shakespeare when I was nine years old by a teacher Rafe Esquith, who was famously known at my elementary school for directing a Shakespeare play every year… I put ‘famous’ in quotes because, at my elementary school, being asked to participate in a Shakespeare play was like being asked to join the cool and exclusive group in school.” (page 225- 6) Imagine...more
I liked this book. There were some really terrific ideas that teachers can use in their classrooms. I just wonder how he has the time to pull it all together. He is in the classroom 12 hours a day and on Saturdays, uses his lunch to teach guitar, and apparently doesn't get a planning period each day (he teaches art, music, and P.E.) I also wonder how he is able to get 5th graders who do not have English as their first language to comprehend books such as Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mocking...more
This is an inspiring and slightly crazy story-- an uber-dedicated teacher commits his whole life and all of his personal resources to the 30 5th graders who come through his classroom every year. The exceptionally high standards of excellence for himself and his students create a brilliantly nurturing, successful, and exciting classroom in a ghastly urban environment of failure-- the influence of this one year echoes across the students' lives-- they learn to read music and play instruments and ...more
This would be a tough book for anyone to write. As a teacher that goes "above and beyond," it is difficult to not write a book that just reads as page after page of "Look how great a teacher I am." It seems the author struggled with this. Yes, the author has some great ideas, and yes, he does some extraordinary things with his classroom. I found some good ideas I'm planning to implement in my own classroom.
However, his apparent disdain for many others (teachers,...more
However, his apparent disdain for many others (teachers,...more
The idea of teaching as a "calling" rather than a career is rather old-fashioned. A recent news article touted teaching as a career that was "recession-proof." I think Rafe Esquith would disdain such an idea, because he is a soul who is truly called to teach and will do so whether he makes a penny profit or not. He probably does not, because he spends much of his own money to provide special projects & field trips for his class of 5th graders in a poor L.A. school district. ...more
Ok -- I admit, I didn't read every word...but I read the parts I wanted to. Esquith's passion is infectious. His fierceness about his students is enviable. I was especially interested in his chapters about reading and writing...and art. There's a lot of self-promotion, as there often is in these books. I hope he's still in room 56, teaching like his hair's on fire.
"This I believe: If young people develop a love of reading, they will have better lives. That objective is not listed ...more
"This I believe: If young people develop a love of reading, they will have better lives. That objective is not listed ...more
Geez, I don't quite know what to say about this book. It was inspiring, interesting, and entertaining, but it made me feel kind of bad about myself. I wish that I could be as awesome as this teacher, but I think I might be too selfish. I just don't see myself getting to school at 6:30 a.m. and staying until well after dinner time. I like to think that when I start teaching I'll be dedicated to my students but it's hard to believe that I'll be as dedicated as this guy.
The book did ma...more
The book did ma...more
Mr. Z
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Recommends it for:
All Teachers and Educators!
Recommended to Mr. Z by:
I came across it browsing at the bookstore
"We parents and teachers must remember that despite the state of our culture, it is still possible to develop lifelong readers." Rafe is a unique teacher with a unique approach to reaching students. His story about how he was in the "teaching zone" when his hair caught on fire while he was helping a student with a science experiment goes to show just how passionate he is about teaching. An important message I felt he got across was that the teaching "standards" teac...more
Rafe Esqith is without question a phenomenal teacher. He also clearly _knows_ that he's a phenomenal teacher, but honestly if my students were amazing enough to get the attention of Sir Ian McKellan and Michael York I'd be tooting my horn and their horn all over the place too.
I'm not sure how much of Rafe's advice I'd be able to apply to my own teaching, first because he's an elementary school teacher (I've seen a lot of high school students that would be way too jaded for some of his pro...more
I'm not sure how much of Rafe's advice I'd be able to apply to my own teaching, first because he's an elementary school teacher (I've seen a lot of high school students that would be way too jaded for some of his pro...more
Though it would be difficult to implement a classroom environment just like Rafe Esquith does in room 56, you can get many good ideas/hints/tips from him in this book. My personal favorites were reaching level 6 and how to critically solve problems.
I admire what Rafe Esquith is doing, and I certainly agree with his basic philosophy, but I wonder how much good this book will do. Mr. Esquith has devoted almost every waking moment of his life to his job. Granted, it is an important job, and he probably has done many children much good, but if he truly is doing all he says he does (and I have no reason to believe he isn't), he has no life other than teaching. He seems to be a man of exceptional energy, dedication and perseverance, and that is ...more
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“Never compare one student's test score to another's. Always measure a child's progress against her past performance. There will always be a better reader, mathematician, or baseball player. Our goal is to help each student become as special as she can be as an individual--not to be more special than the kid sitting next to her.”
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“There are so many charlatans in the world of education. They teach for a couple of years, come up with a few clever slogans, build their websites, and hit the lecture circuit. In this fast-food-society, simple solutions to complex problems are embraced far too often. We can do better. I hope that people who read this book realize that true excellence takes sacrifice, mistakes, and enormous amounts of effort. After all, there are no shortcuts.”
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