Book club book "Educating Esme"

In the book “Educating Esme,” there were so many passages the author used that were quit compelling. Even from the start I could tell this brand new teacher was going to make a difference. Two passages that I liked were:

“Unless we are moving the children forward, we aren’t doing work.”

“I wanted to teach so I could lead, not follow.”

Esme truly stood by to what she said. She was all about working hard for the students benefit and making sure they actually succeeded, each one of her 31 students. What really shocked me was how she was so independent and demanding as a first year teacher. She new what she wanted and how to teach her students, therefore that’s exactly what she did. She was not exactly a rule follower; she had her own rules that she chose to follow. That’s where the second quote comes in. Her principle Mr. Turner was fussing at her for not following the rules, calling her stubborn. She did not want to follow some other person’s rules because she was a leader. However even though the principle thought she was stubborn he respected her. He said, “you are stubborn, but in a lovable way. No matter what you do, I can’t seem to stay angry.”

There were so many activities she created where I was blown away. I truly believe Esme is a terrific role model for all teachers. Remember this was her first year, so brave, so creative, and free spirited. She astounded me with some of the things her students would say; they were so smart. It showed they truly looked up to her and trusted her, which is exactly what she wanted. It was very difficult to gain these students trust because she was teaching in an inner-city public school in Chicago. She was strong, it seemed she was even stronger than teachers who had been teaching for years. I will definitely be taking some of her ideas with me to my future classroom.


Questions:
1. After reading “Educating Esme” how do you think she compares or contrast to other teachers; the “normal” teachers?
For one she is definitely not your “normal” teacher. What I mean by that is she does not follow the rules and standards for teaching. Yes she teaches what she is supposed to but with creativity and fun. She differs with her creative activities. One of my favorite activities was when her class was learning about inventors. She decided to dress up with things such as rubber bands, gum, cookies, and light bulbs. With each item she had a tag attached which said who invented that item. The real thrill of it all was that she wore roller skates; this really got the students attention. Even though it may have had nothing to do with the lesson she made learning fun and exciting to where the students wanted to learn.

2. What do you think about the way Esme teaches? And do you agree?
Esmes teaching style influenced me. She taught what she was supposed to teach and more. With all the problems the school had with the children she was always able to engage them. When it came to reading Esme bought her own books and did not use the books that were assigned for the class. The kids had to provide collateral if wanted to borrow a book. This is how she kept track of them. She was stern but kind to the kids, never letting them back down. Esme always provided roles every student could complete and learn from.

3. Why or how could this book be significant to present and future teachers?
This book can give teachers ideas and strategies for dealing with problem children. Esme worked with these children everyday. I felt she always new what to do or say. One extreme example was when one of her students had no respect for Esme saying he hated her. Esme responding by saying, “You can hate me all you want. That’s your prerogative, your choice. But no matter how you feel about me, I will always love you.” Then the next day she made him teach the class to see just how hard it was to be one her side of the desk. This seemed to do the job. Another example is when one of her students came into class late for the fourth day in a row. Before yelling at her like she wanted, she simply reminded herself “I promised myself to try not to single children out for public humiliation, but to talk and listen privately instead.” What kid likes to be yelled at in front of the whole class? I have noticed this strategy (yelling) to usually be unsuccessful.