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A review by ofthegarza
Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56 by Rafe Esquith
2.0
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME BASEBALL?!
I was given this book as a congratulatory gift when I received my degree in elementary education in 2007. I ultimately decided not to follow through with student teaching and put this book in a box to be forgotten about along with my former career aspirations. Earlier this year I became a new parent and rediscovered this in the same old box, looking just as new as the day I received it. My child is nowhere near school age but she'll be there before long and the author claims this is just as useful a guide for parents as it is teachers, so I finally decided to read it.
This definitely more for teachers. It contains useful ideas for parents - you may have to read between the lines - to supplement their child's education because 99% of classroom teachers will not be able to provide a fraction of what Esquith's Room 56 offers. It's unrealistic, a utopia.
In a sense, Room 56 offers the type of education all kids deserve with every subject reinforcing each other, truly educational field trips, and robust music education. Esquith's students learn that hard work is the only sure path to success so he provides voluntary overtime. His students can spend up to 12 hours a day in the classroom if they so choose, improving their math and problem solving skills and practicing Shakespeare. It seems a bit much but if my child wanted to excel and do more schooling, I wouldn't have a good reason to say no that wouldn't come off as selfish.
I agree with so much of the heart and motivation behind the methods described within this book and I don't doubt that Esquith has helped hundreds of children succeed, but I think this book is only about half-honest with its premise. I had a difficult time getting past the author's personal biases and hypocrisy. He comes off as much self-promotional as he does inspirational; he promotes humility while being self-congratulatory; he derides pop stars while teaching his students to play songs by some of the most popular musicians of all time. And he really really really loves baseball.
Lastly, and maybe it's just me, but the anecdotes don't come off as believable. The dialogue in nearly every one reads as though he's having a conversation with himself. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
⭐⭐ (I was going to give it 3 before I realized his best advice was borrowed from someone else)
I was given this book as a congratulatory gift when I received my degree in elementary education in 2007. I ultimately decided not to follow through with student teaching and put this book in a box to be forgotten about along with my former career aspirations. Earlier this year I became a new parent and rediscovered this in the same old box, looking just as new as the day I received it. My child is nowhere near school age but she'll be there before long and the author claims this is just as useful a guide for parents as it is teachers, so I finally decided to read it.
This definitely more for teachers. It contains useful ideas for parents - you may have to read between the lines - to supplement their child's education because 99% of classroom teachers will not be able to provide a fraction of what Esquith's Room 56 offers. It's unrealistic, a utopia.
In a sense, Room 56 offers the type of education all kids deserve with every subject reinforcing each other, truly educational field trips, and robust music education. Esquith's students learn that hard work is the only sure path to success so he provides voluntary overtime. His students can spend up to 12 hours a day in the classroom if they so choose, improving their math and problem solving skills and practicing Shakespeare. It seems a bit much but if my child wanted to excel and do more schooling, I wouldn't have a good reason to say no that wouldn't come off as selfish.
I agree with so much of the heart and motivation behind the methods described within this book and I don't doubt that Esquith has helped hundreds of children succeed, but I think this book is only about half-honest with its premise. I had a difficult time getting past the author's personal biases and hypocrisy. He comes off as much self-promotional as he does inspirational; he promotes humility while being self-congratulatory; he derides pop stars while teaching his students to play songs by some of the most popular musicians of all time. And he really really really loves baseball.
Lastly, and maybe it's just me, but the anecdotes don't come off as believable. The dialogue in nearly every one reads as though he's having a conversation with himself. I couldn't help but roll my eyes.
⭐⭐ (I was going to give it 3 before I realized his best advice was borrowed from someone else)