Katherine's review
Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year by Esmé Raji Codell
Katherine's review
rating:
bookshelves: adult, autobiography, nonfiction, teaching-professional
status: Read in January, 1999
rating:
bookshelves: adult, autobiography, nonfiction, teaching-professional
status: Read in January, 1999
Educating Esme was an Alex Award winner in 2001. It’s a nonfiction book that describes the first-year teaching experience of the author in an urban school. Esme Codell is passionate about teaching her fifth-grade students and thinks up innovative ways to teach them. She also describes the frustrations and road-blocks she experiences as a teacher.
Reaction: As a teacher of fifth-grade students myself, I especially enjoyed hearing someone else’s first-year teaching story. I was impressed by Esme’s passion and energy. She really seemed to have a knack for creativity and bringing out the best in her students. I picked up some good ideas for lessons from the book as well. However, it’s interesting to note that she didn’t last long as a teacher. She now writes books and calls herself a Certified Readiologist. I think her passion is really for children’s literature and she found a way to make a living that didn’t involve the pitfalls of teaching.
Reaction: As a teacher of fifth-grade students myself, I especially enjoyed hearing someone else’s first-year teaching story. I was impressed by Esme’s passion and energy. She really seemed to have a knack for creativity and bringing out the best in her students. I picked up some good ideas for lessons from the book as well. However, it’s interesting to note that she didn’t last long as a teacher. She now writes books and calls herself a Certified Readiologist. I think her passion is really for children’s literature and she found a way to make a living that didn’t involve the pitfalls of teaching.
