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A Room for Learning: The Making of a School in Vermont
“Sometimes I have thought that this school is like the only place where the lilies are considered at all…” In this stirring account of a teacher and his fourteen students tucked away in the Green Mountains of Vermont, educator Tal Birdsey fervently documents the founding year of his small junior high school with wit and humility. Part memoir, part meditation on the power of art and poetry, and part criticism of standardized education, A Room for Learning evokes a spirit of change, in which students were allowed a hand in their own education. With no set curriculum, no prior history, and limited resources, the students delve deep into the poetry of Yeats and Bukowski, the music of Coltrane, the art of Caravaggio, and the emotional landscape of Elie Wiesel’s “Night”, with each student learning to offer his or her own personal insights. But they also take time out, to be outside amidst the pinecones and fresh air, to be the kids that they still sometimes are and to learn from one another. Isolated from mainstream culture and constantly on the brink of apathy, this diverse group of kids and a teacher created a literary community and celebrated learning and themselves. A Room for Learning is the poignant true story of how one small school demonstrated that a classroom can be a place of transformative power.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 31, 2009
I was lucky enough to have Tal as my teacher for seventh and eighth grade at the Paideia School in Atlanta. Reading "A Room for Learning" was a wonderful way for me to remember finding and accepting my own voice as a learner. To the outsider unfamiliar with the North Branch School or Paideia, Tal's educational approach probably seems crazy. It has a sizable dose of crazy, but embedded within the crazy is an empowering and revolutionary approach to education that actually works. The emphasis on creative writing and the classroom as a community allows middle school age students to develop self-awareness, confidence, and ownership of their feelings during a time in their lives when the forces of puberty, schoolyard politics, and the end of childhood conspire against all of those important qualities. I carry with me the experiences of learning with Tal, and they prepared me to succeed in ways I am still discovering twelve years after I left his classroom.
The book is personally and professionally inspiring to me, particularly because I work at a public university with over 50,000 students. I believe strongly in the tenets of the North Branch School and its educational approach, so my challenge is to understand how it can live and thrive among the endless regulations, restrictions, and conformities of a huge university. There is a real need for college students to have opportunities for self-directed learning, personal reflection, and hands-on education like the experiences of the NBS students. In my small slice of influence, I hope to play a part in advocating for and facilitating these opportunities.
The book is personally and professionally inspiring to me, particularly because I work at a public university with over 50,000 students. I believe strongly in the tenets of the North Branch School and its educational approach, so my challenge is to understand how it can live and thrive among the endless regulations, restrictions, and conformities of a huge university. There is a real need for college students to have opportunities for self-directed learning, personal reflection, and hands-on education like the experiences of the NBS students. In my small slice of influence, I hope to play a part in advocating for and facilitating these opportunities.
May 26, 2011
I would give this a 3 1/2, if I could. This story of a teacher (Tal) who sets up a very small private middle school in rural VT is a particularly interesting read from the perspective of a homeschooling parent. Tal's educational philosophy meshes perfectly with homeschooling in terms of finding what speaks to each child, allowing them the freedom to find their own voice, etc., and it made me question whether or not I, as a parent, could achieve that level of open and honest dialogue with my own children. Sometimes it is helpful, I think especially when a child is dealing with some very heavy issues, to have a trusted adult outside of one's own family.
Maybe I'm more conservative than I think, but the names Tal called the kids and his frequent swearing bothered me just a little bit. It could sometimes seem like he was trying a little too hard to have the kids relate to him as a peer rather than as their teacher.
From a literary perspective, the book is a great read. More like reading poetry, really, as that is Tal's background and he does insert a tremendous amount of poetry and often uses that as a stepping off point for analyzing what he and his students are experiencing.
Maybe I'm more conservative than I think, but the names Tal called the kids and his frequent swearing bothered me just a little bit. It could sometimes seem like he was trying a little too hard to have the kids relate to him as a peer rather than as their teacher.
From a literary perspective, the book is a great read. More like reading poetry, really, as that is Tal's background and he does insert a tremendous amount of poetry and often uses that as a stepping off point for analyzing what he and his students are experiencing.
June 4, 2011
So... hmm.
On the one hand, I think that the author's vision and school are pretty cool. It sounds like the kind of school that a lot of kids would benefit from.
On the other hand, it was hard to know how much to take seriously. The author's - very frequent - swearing sometimes felt like he needed to prove that he was alternative/hip, and while I can see the value in developing the school on its own schedule, there was so little by way of pedagogy that it really was hard to figure out what those kids were learning. (I assume, of course, that it was much clearer to people who were actually involved.)
So. Interesting book, and probably an absolutely fascinating school. Definitely a writer with an off-the-charts ability to bs his way through whatever necessary. Glad I read it, but I doubt it'll stick with me.
On the one hand, I think that the author's vision and school are pretty cool. It sounds like the kind of school that a lot of kids would benefit from.
On the other hand, it was hard to know how much to take seriously. The author's - very frequent - swearing sometimes felt like he needed to prove that he was alternative/hip, and while I can see the value in developing the school on its own schedule, there was so little by way of pedagogy that it really was hard to figure out what those kids were learning. (I assume, of course, that it was much clearer to people who were actually involved.)
So. Interesting book, and probably an absolutely fascinating school. Definitely a writer with an off-the-charts ability to bs his way through whatever necessary. Glad I read it, but I doubt it'll stick with me.
January 13, 2010
Every middle-school age child should have at least one teacher like Tal Birdsey.
January 13, 2023
The BEST book about education I've ever read. Period. Tal's an authentic guy who wants the best for as many students as possible. Very idealistic; however, it's not incredibly unattainable. Told as a narrative, this book changed how I view education and learning.
December 16, 2014
A caveat--this is longer than it ought to be, but this book is not just a story. It's an integrated philosophy of education--well written and fascinating. It will challenge almost every aspect of our thinking about educating our children.
A Room for Learning: The Making of a School in Vermont—the subtitle caught my eye. Because I had lived in Vermont and knew the culture of that state, I was absolutely sure I would appreciate the story. Because I have been a lifelong educator who has longed to be not just a knowledge dispenser, but a fire carrier, I am thrilled to see the learning/teaching process in action. I have watched Dead Poet’s Society, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Stand and Deliver, Marva Collins’ Way, To Sir with Love, and other movies numerous times because they showcase teachers who not only teach book learning but also shepherd the souls and hearts of their students. They model passion and commitment to their students in their quest to know themselves and others, to communicate truth and beauty, to make connections with all of life and learning.
Tal Birdsey’s experiment to build “a room for learning” began in 2001 in a ramshackle building on a mountainside near Ripton, VT, on the North Branch creek, with eight students who had had negative experiences in the public schools, who didn’t fit into the model of education of the 21st century with standards, tests, curriculum guides, assemblies, paperwork, IEP’s, etc. The system had failed to kindle the fire in each of them.
Innovative to the nth degree, nothing about the North Branch School is conventional, including the way Tal relates to the students. At first I was put off by Tal’s critical name-calling and his use of obscenities. However, watching the responses of the students, who weren’t put off by those things, eventually helped me “read over” those instances, as I became caught up with the transformation that was occurring in the minds and emotions of this eclectic group of young teens.
Typical middle-school teens, they were often rough, tough, shy, angry, lonely, withdrawn. Over the first school year, they learned how to dig deep inside themselves, how to think , how to own their feelings and beliefs, how to tell their stories, how to connect, how to love, how to be a community. They learned that ideas matter, that ideas have consequences, that their ideas can change the world in which they live.
Tal chooses to be transparent about his doubts and fears in venturing into the unknown ; he often decided the direction of the day as he drove to school or walked into his classroom. Once on a cold morning, he asked, “What is smell?” After silence, he went on, “When you smell something, are you smelling air loaded with some smell flavor? Are there little smell things?” Such challenges had filled the year—but the students and Tal began to see and experience life and learning in a fuller way. They read poetry—and created their own; they read history and observed art; they listened to music; they performed science experiments. They played; they laughed; they cried; they confronted hard issues and questions.
While the book ended, North Branch School did not. It has changed location, but not philosophy—and it goes on! Now 27 students are making connections between life and learning. The story is both magical and practical. If you’re just a reader, you’ll be drawn in by Tal’s charisma and his willingness to take huge risks. If you’re an educator, you’ll be challenged and inspired. You’ll be renewed by the nobility of your calling. I’d be willing to wager that you’ll be excited to enter your classroom on Monday morning—and light a fire in your students.
A Room for Learning: The Making of a School in Vermont—the subtitle caught my eye. Because I had lived in Vermont and knew the culture of that state, I was absolutely sure I would appreciate the story. Because I have been a lifelong educator who has longed to be not just a knowledge dispenser, but a fire carrier, I am thrilled to see the learning/teaching process in action. I have watched Dead Poet’s Society, Mr. Holland’s Opus, Stand and Deliver, Marva Collins’ Way, To Sir with Love, and other movies numerous times because they showcase teachers who not only teach book learning but also shepherd the souls and hearts of their students. They model passion and commitment to their students in their quest to know themselves and others, to communicate truth and beauty, to make connections with all of life and learning.
Tal Birdsey’s experiment to build “a room for learning” began in 2001 in a ramshackle building on a mountainside near Ripton, VT, on the North Branch creek, with eight students who had had negative experiences in the public schools, who didn’t fit into the model of education of the 21st century with standards, tests, curriculum guides, assemblies, paperwork, IEP’s, etc. The system had failed to kindle the fire in each of them.
Innovative to the nth degree, nothing about the North Branch School is conventional, including the way Tal relates to the students. At first I was put off by Tal’s critical name-calling and his use of obscenities. However, watching the responses of the students, who weren’t put off by those things, eventually helped me “read over” those instances, as I became caught up with the transformation that was occurring in the minds and emotions of this eclectic group of young teens.
Typical middle-school teens, they were often rough, tough, shy, angry, lonely, withdrawn. Over the first school year, they learned how to dig deep inside themselves, how to think , how to own their feelings and beliefs, how to tell their stories, how to connect, how to love, how to be a community. They learned that ideas matter, that ideas have consequences, that their ideas can change the world in which they live.
Tal chooses to be transparent about his doubts and fears in venturing into the unknown ; he often decided the direction of the day as he drove to school or walked into his classroom. Once on a cold morning, he asked, “What is smell?” After silence, he went on, “When you smell something, are you smelling air loaded with some smell flavor? Are there little smell things?” Such challenges had filled the year—but the students and Tal began to see and experience life and learning in a fuller way. They read poetry—and created their own; they read history and observed art; they listened to music; they performed science experiments. They played; they laughed; they cried; they confronted hard issues and questions.
While the book ended, North Branch School did not. It has changed location, but not philosophy—and it goes on! Now 27 students are making connections between life and learning. The story is both magical and practical. If you’re just a reader, you’ll be drawn in by Tal’s charisma and his willingness to take huge risks. If you’re an educator, you’ll be challenged and inspired. You’ll be renewed by the nobility of your calling. I’d be willing to wager that you’ll be excited to enter your classroom on Monday morning—and light a fire in your students.
October 18, 2017
I so wanted to love this book. It sounded like a wonderful premise. I'm all for doing things, especially school things, in an untraditional way. While I think the school sounds like a good learning experience, I did not like the way he writes. Page after page and chapter after chapter of conversations about feelings. I wanted to throw the book across the room many times.
I also did not like the way he would yell at the kids or curse at them, especially the "F" bomb. I admire him for starting a school, and really caring about the kids. I really did like their close knit ways and how he drew them as a group, close together. But I also did not get why he kept quoting Chairman Mao, as if he respects and admires him. Really? Someone who's responsible for millions upon millions of deaths and he's quoting him three times in the book?
I would have liked to hear more about all the books he used and the untraditional methods he used, maybe even for math, instead of dozens of conversations that sound like this: "Like, so we uh, like have to do it?"
I also did not like the way he would yell at the kids or curse at them, especially the "F" bomb. I admire him for starting a school, and really caring about the kids. I really did like their close knit ways and how he drew them as a group, close together. But I also did not get why he kept quoting Chairman Mao, as if he respects and admires him. Really? Someone who's responsible for millions upon millions of deaths and he's quoting him three times in the book?
I would have liked to hear more about all the books he used and the untraditional methods he used, maybe even for math, instead of dozens of conversations that sound like this: "Like, so we uh, like have to do it?"
Want to Read
May 23, 2010So far the book is so earnest that I am gritting my teeth, soooooo it has gone into Bathroom Book Status. There are many of you who likely feel quite different but as I am usually thinking thoughts that put me only one phone call away from CPS at any given moment....need I say more? We shall see on this one....
May 2, 2010
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. When I teach I am going to try my hardest to make this a must read for the classroom. Not only can it inspire teachers and future teachers, but students as well.
August 19, 2010
This book documented the creation of a middle school in Vermont focused on teaching kids to find themselves, understand who they are, and create community out of their small group. It's pretty powerful what they achieved, however the teacher/storyteller is on the cusp of hateable.
November 28, 2010
So so so good. Every middle school teacher must read this. Such courageous families and teacher. Wow. I want to do work at this school. I would write so much more on this one. This is what is right about education in the US. A candle of goodness in this bleak time in education in the US.
January 7, 2013
It is always interesting to me when I read about what people are doing to improve education. I loved the section where he described what a school should do. Some of this book was really interesting, other parts dragged on.
December 11, 2010
Excellent book for anyone interested in teaching children.
July 15, 2012
One the best books I've read in awhile, though I'm not sure I'd want Tal as a teacher
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews