To Teach: The Journey, in Comics

by William Ayers, Ryan Alexander-Tanner, Jonathan Kozol (Foreword)

This graphic novel brings to life William Ayers’s bestselling memoir To The Journey of a Teacher, Third Edition . From Ayers’s early days teaching kindergarten, readers follow this renowned educational theorist on his “voyage of discovery and surprise.” We meet fellow travelers from schools across the country and watch students grow across a year and a lifetime. To Teach is a vivid, honest portrayal of the everyday magic of teaching, and what it means to be a “good” teacher―debunking myths perpetuated on film and other starry-eyed hero/teacher fictions. Illuminated by the evocative and wry drawings of Ryan Alexander-Tanner, this literary comics memoir is both engaging and insightful. These illustrated stories remind us how curiosity, a sense of adventure, and a healthy dose of reflection can guide us all to learn the most from this world. This dynamic book will speak to comic fans, memoir readers, and educators of all stripes.

Genres: Education, Graphic Novels, Teaching, Nonfiction, Comics, Professional Development, School

144 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2010

About the author

William Ayers is Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago (retired), education activist, and bestselling author of Teaching the Taboo: Courage and Imagination in the Classroom (with Rick Ayers), To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher, Third Edition, and To Teach: The Journey, in Comics (with Ryan Alexander-Tanner).

Reviews

[Diz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educator William Ayers, accompanied by comic artist Ryan Alexander-Tanner, presents his ideas on what teaching means in comics format. There is quite a lot of criticism of standards and standardized testing, as Ayers believes that there is no one set standard that would be applicable to all students. Rather than checking objectives off of a list, he promotes the idea that different students have different needs and that teachers should be reactive to these needs. Through the stories in these comics, he shows how learning can come from problem solving and the exploration of ideas based on student questions and interests. Learning in this way can unlock a sense of discovery and wonder in students. While not all teachers will be able to wholeheartedly embrace this, there are some things that they can bring away from these stories that can make their classrooms more human.

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up because I wanted to learn about the conundrums and difficulties of teaching from the inside, which graphic novels are often quite good at expressing. I felt that this book taught me nothing that I didn't already know or could idealize on my own though. Kids are people too. Labels shouldn't replace looking at the whole child. Perceived weaknesses are often strengths in a different environment. Et cetera. It's all true, but it could all be said in less space, perhaps leaving room for the dilemma of teachers being both admired by society while being crucified by parents and the media for not doing enough. Too much burden is put on teachers. They are a single leg in a three-legged chair, the other supports being the kid and the parents themselves. It's easy to say, "This is how it should be." I was more interested in learning why it isn't that way, why that's easier said than done, and the unfiltered version of what it's really like. Education is a complex issue and I wanted to hear it from the trenches, not from the top of the mountain.

[Jenell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading this more the second time around!

[Brian Charest · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book. Ayers takes many of the key passages from the original and reimagines them as graphic stories about real teachers and students facing the tough questions in schools (What's worth knowing and doing?).

This books stands for everything that learning could be (i.e., inquiry based, student centered, interest driven), if education leaders and union leadership had the courage to demand that we support and provide for students and teachers in every community.

The truth is that the ideas in this book are hardly new and that elite schools serving the most privileged have for a long time and will continue to support the teaching and learning models described in this great book. Why not give every child this type of education?

[Kaisla Kuu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olen hirveän onnellinen, että sain opinnoissani tehtäväksi analysoida pätkää tästä kasvatustieteellisestä sarjakuvasta, muuten en välttämättä olisi löytänyt tätä. "Oppimisen ihanuudesta" on täsmälleen kaikkea sitä, mitä toivoinkin. Se yhdistää vaivattomasti erilaisia teoreettisia lähtökohtia arvokeskusteluun, osoittaa osuvasti sekä ristiriitoja että ratkaisuja käytännön työhön, ja inspiroi sekä liikuttaa todella voimakkaasti. Uskomatonta kyllä, yhdysvaltalaisen koulumaailman sisältä käsin se onnistuu osumaan täsmälleen niihin asioihin ja ongelmiin, jotka ovat samanlaisia ja tärkeitä aiheita käsiteltäväksi myös suomalaiskoulujärjestelmässä, kaikista valtavista rakenteellisista eroista huolimatta. Ja siksi tämä olikin ehkäpä tärkein ja koskettavin kaikista koskaan lukemistani kasvatustieteellisistä oppaista.

[Malbadeen]

A few pages into this I thought I was going to be in for an eye rolling walk done cynicism lane but I have to admit that I mostly agreed with the author.

On the surface it seems a little hipppy-dippy but at end of the day, I think it mostly does a good job of capturing some of the frustrations and challenges of teaching in the aftermath of Bush's NCLB without going so far overboard that it digresses into an intelligible rant like so many other anti-NCLB can easily do.

Some of the panels I especially agreed with are as follows:

"To name oneself as a teacher is to live with one foot in the muck of the world as we find it- with its conventional patterns and received wisdom - and the other foot striding toward a world that could be but isn't yet."

"Learning stuff is the easy part, and yet that's all our schools obsess about. Thinking is tough,... and that's what I'm interested in."

"The struggle is not to stockpile ideas, but to find the core values that define classroom life"

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Teach the journey, in comics is a radical vision of teaching as a journey toward a better world and teachers as fellow travelers on an adventure of discovery alongside their students. The author uses stories of creative and nurturing ways he engaged his kindergarteners and profiles of other empowering and inspiring teachers to illustrate his core values of love, seeing students as people, compassion and building relationships and a sense of community in the classroom and the world. I think presenting William Ayer’s original traditional book as a graphic novel was a brilliant idea, as the format focused on the most important concepts and the pictures kept me engaged. While I think Ayer’s vision may not always be possible, it is a beautiful ideal to work towards and reading this book inspired me to meet his challenge to be the best teachers we can imagine being. I recommend this book to all educators and anyone who wants to understand what it’s really like to be a teacher and how transformative education can be. Thank you Peter for a wonderful Christmas gift.

[Amanda K · Rating 3 out of 5]

William 'Bill' Ayers shares his teaching philosophy in To Teach: The Journey, in comics, both by elevating excellent educators in the field and critiquing the system of education. Ayers champions a social justice based curriculum as well as a nontraditional approach by decrying the use of standardized tests and advocating for more authentic, project-based learning experiences. Though Ayers makes an interesting argument, I wonder who his target audience is. Both educators and preservice teachers will likely be familiar with his pedagogical stance, and if they are not, likely won't be moved by his prescriptive tone. Still, this book presents familiar philosophy in an accessible, alternative format.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Radical and philosophical are two words I'd use to describe To Teach by William Ayers and Ryan Alexander-Tanner. It will make you question every tradition, rule, and classroom procedure we foist upon children in the name of education and discipline.

In this book, Ayers attempts to squash the notion of the mythical heroic teacher "saving" his students from their lives, but in a somewhat contradictory fashion, this book is also a kind of hero's journey in its own right, as the teacher sets out on a quest with her students and returns transformed.

Read my entire review on my blog.

[Claire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've never groaned so much at a comic. Incredibly self-satisfied, pedantic, and generally plain old annoying. I'm on the side of progressive teaching for social justice etc. but just ugh. The format made the message incredibly irritating. Never should have been put in comic form.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really appreciated an alternate format to talk about teaching, and that one of my professors selected this book for their course. But I can't really say that I learned anything that I didn't already know, thus the three stars.

[Bea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bill Ayers, Angel of my heart!! I devoured this book in a day but I’m gonna need some time with it to soak it all in. I love the fluidity of teacher and student and how much of learning is a joyful collaboration. 🌟

[Molly Klodor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved reading this book as it was a nice break from the traditional text books. While I can't agree with his argument completely, I respect the work and value Ayers' opinions.

[Kathrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

CREATIVE INSUBORDINATION. Clip the wires to the damn loudspeaker. Go Ayers!

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a teacher, are thinking about being a teacher, have a child in school or pay taxes to a school system, read Bill Ayers' and Ryan Alexander-Tanner's book, To Teach, the Journey, in comics. But be warned, school isn't like that. Some, a few schools and a few classrooms, are like that. Classrooms and schools could be like that, but, most aren't. But it's important to have an alternate perspective, especially when your child comes home crying that they hate school.
Ayers' name was weirdly familiar to me, but I couldn't think why until I read his bio at the back of the book. It turns out that this distinguished professor of education at the University of Illinois was also one of the founders of the Weather Party of the early 1970s. Way to go, Bill. He took his early idealism and channelled it into something ongoing that really helped thousands of people. Ending the Vietnam War, Ayers' earlier passion, helped millions of people too.
Anyway, this graphic non-fiction book, which I have to confess, I read because of a book challenge, chronicles Ayers' early career as a kindergarten teacher, where his students call him Bill and they engage in journeys of self discovery together. My not so rosy experiences in the classroom made my inner voice say, where are the kids who are hitting each other, or crying because someone took their cracker or running around the room because their mothers never taught them an iota of self control? Huh? Where are they, Bill?

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

To Teach is a graphic novel about the elements of being a good teacher. There is a lot of pontificating and getting up on soap boxes, but as a teacher, I loved it.

The book is peppered with vignettes of incredible teachers and stories within the author's own classroom.

Even though I don't teach young children, I could myself identifying with so many situations and so excited to teach.

The intro to the book is material straight out of Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics, so if you find yourself enamored with concepts of how artists make meaning through the medium of graphic novels, then look that way.

For parents, administrators, and of course teachers, this book is an excellent read. And thanks to its form factor, it's also a bit easier to digest!

[Hannah Shuman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not normally a lover of comics or graphic novels, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I read it little by little throughout the school year (my first year of teaching), and it was a continual reminder of the bigger picture and the greater goals of teaching, a field in which I quickly discovered that it's very easy to get caught up in the immediate problems and frustrations. 10/10 would recommend to all teachers, whether you're just starting out your career or nearing the end, to keep you focused on what really matters as a teacher!

[Exavidreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely a fresh way of getting the message across about how we're not alone in thinking the system really is flawed and we're not alone in our efforts to fight the system in subversive ways for the sake of our children. And if we ever feel it's just not worth the fight, we should persevere because one day our children will thank us. A definite must have for all teachers, and the bonus is that it's a well-written, well-drawn, humorous book where pictures cover the pages more than the words.

[Candance Doerr-Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an inspirational read. I can see myself coming back to this again and again as a text to help me gauge my inner compass, a reminder of why I do what I do. This is a great gift book for a teacher friend.

Favorite quote:
“Good schools are places where students come to believe in their own capacity to change the world,” (p. 101)

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for Ed 101 which I’ll be teaching.

Great book about how we strive to teach and do better by our students. Loved the graphic novel approach illustrating some excellent anecdotes of real life tricky situations. However, missing some depth on why teaching gets hit by structural issues - definitely aimed at early teachers. But an inspiration for all teachers nonetheless.

[Lilly Murat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this book for LAUNCH. It ended up being the best book I've ever had to read for school. Everyone should read this. The comic format creates a thoughtful presentation of information. Reading To Teach was inspirational and thought-provoking. It was a quick read. I look forward to reading it again.

[Justin P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I take a graphic novel over text anyday, however, Ayers has one ideal teacher to show us in this comic. The comic tells a heartfelt story and its use of images is great, but a reader will need to look elsewhere to make sense of the pros and cons of the teaching method Ayers advocates. Basically, lookup existentialism pedagogy (where students make their own meaning).

[Fia Opatrny · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a future educator, I absolutely adored this graphic novel on so many different levels. When it comes to the writing style, language used, philosophy and general lessons this book simplifies the textbook-novel version so beautifully. It still touches on every important detail with great care, and the delivery is very tasteful.

[Ingrid · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got about halfway through before calling it quits. I was expecting it to be about what it's like to be a teacher, when really it's more of an illustrated telling of this guy's personal teaching philosophy. While I agree with a lot of what he's saying, it doesn't make for an interesting read.

[Brynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal read for future teachers or teachers who want to challenge what they know about teaching and change the course of their students and classroom for the better. This text was incredible and I learned so many things to take with me into my own classroom.

[Kylie Kurtz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reading this book for my one course and let me just tell you I loved it! I already had a lot of these view points already but it expanded so much on the importance of what the author was trying to convey. It was such a fun read and the format made it easy to read and stay engaged.

[Amy Galloway · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are an educator in the current "standardized testing" world of teaching, you will relate to Ayer's philosophies. The graphic novel medium makes for a fast-paced and humorous read. His stories from his days of teaching kindergartners are priceless.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a great job capturing the magic of K-12 classroom teaching.

[Mr. Smidl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good points about the practice of teaching and that good teachers never know everything. We continue to educate ourselves to educate others. Learning continues to evolve as we do.

[Chloe Glynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, simple, made me cry and encouraged me to finally enroll for my master's in education which starts this summer.