Rating: 
Summary: Among Schoolchildren review
Review: I had to read this book for my education class, and I did not like the book very much. The book was too easy to read and the teacher Mrs. Zajac is idolized through out the book. When writing about any person, including a teacher, there should be some demonstration of mistakes they made and how they learned from them. This teacher was just to perfect for me to believe. However, I did like some of her teaching styles and found them useful.
Rating: 
Summary: The many memories students give teachers.
Review: This book shows how teachers care for their students. Mrs. Zajac wanted to improve the lifes of all her students. She tried hard dealing with Clareance and Robert. She wanted the best for each student as if they were her bilogical children. A student teacher relationship is desribed so well in this book. Upcoming teachers who read this book will read about how everyday activities are carried out in the classroom. They may start off teaching a little rough but after a couple of years of experience everything will work out.
Rating: 
Summary: Among Schoolchildren review
Review: I'm an education major at Macon State College in Macon, Ga, and I read this book for one of my classes. I thought it was pretty good, and although it was very easy to read, at times I thought it would be more appropriate for a middle schooler. It gave a good insight as to where Mrs. Zajak's fifth grade students were from, and why they acted like they did, instead of just showing them as gifted or problematic kids. It pointed out many problems in the public school system, and gave good examples of what we, as future teachers, will have to deal with. I don't know exactly how good this book will help me in my future career, but it gave a real account of the trials and joys of teaching, and really showed what the average day (or year)for a teacher is really like.
Rating:
Summary: Good book; ultimately disturbing.
Review: The writing was absorbing, like most of Kidder's writing. But despite the dedication and perseverance of Mrs. Zajac, I was left feeling that -- contrary to what some reviewers here have maintained -- she didn't have all that much lasting influence on the children's lives. The kids are now in their early 20's; don't you suspect Clarence has been in trouble with the law many times by now? That Robert has had serious problems as well? That Alice is probably in college or a recent graduate, with good prospects ahead? How would any of those outcomes be different without Mrs. Zajac?Don't take this as criticism of Mrs. Zajac! I would be pleased to have her teach my kids. I just think the odds are stacked high against her because of the system in which she works (or worked). One reader review from a teacher made me laugh --something to the effect that Kidder can't provide a good picture of public education because he hasn't worked in it! The reviewer is making the classic teachers' union claim, that only teachers understand education. In fact, though there are many good teachers, there are also many, many poor ones (another teacher/reviewer's message contained grammatical errors). Those unqualified teachers are part of the huge problem that is public education in the United States.
Rating:
Summary: Among Schoolchildren
Review: I am a college student majoring in education and I read this book as a class assignment. I was very impressed with it's contents. This book gives a great account of what being a teacher is really like. You get to see the teachers triumphs, struggles, fears, and joys. The book was easy to read and really kept your attention. Other than a few accounts of obscene language, it was a great book. It will give great insight to any education major.
Rating:
Summary: Education Student
Review: I am a college student at Macon State College, and I read this book for my Education 2000 course. Among School Children was a great book that focuses on the life of a fifth grade teacher. I feel that this book would benefit teachers who are teaching early childhood education. This book can also be read by other teachers because of the teaching techniques used by the teacher, Mrs. Zajac. I would recommend this book to anyone who was thinking about majoring in Education because it gives a good insight into the life of one teacher and her classroom.
Rating:
Summary: Visiting a Place You Left Behind Long Ago
Review: Kidder's examination of a 5th grade classroom is a fascinating study of the complex little societies that every child interacts with every day. His descriptions of the dynamics of Mrs. Zajac's class brought me back to my own elementary school days and the familiar roles that the children here seem to have-- the troublemakers, the smart students, the space cadets... Until, that is, his close observation of the children's behavior reveals how complex each of these young people actually is. Mrs. Zajac, as the ruler of this mini-society, is a fascinating character in herself. Her tough-love compassion for her students and her attempt to address all of their needs provides a fascinating up-close look at the way a teacher with the best of intentions can both draw out students or send them hurtling back into their shell. The well-documented phenomenon of teachers spending much more time with their male students is seen here-- clearly an unconscious thing on her part because she mentions her desire to interact with all of her students consistently throughout the book. In short, a fascinating text for anyone interested in education or in child psychology. The minute observations that Kidder makes of the various reactions the students have to events in the classroom are fascinating. My only criticism-- he sometimes seems to tend toward large generalizations and sometimes to interpret a little too liberally what the students might be thinking and experiencing. When he allows the children to speak for themselves the text is much more engaging.
Rating: 
Summary: Inspiring....
Review: I first read this book about 6 years ago when I decided that I wanted to go into teaching. It has held fast as my inspiration for the profession. One never realizes the responsibility teachers carry on their shoulders on a day to day basis. Kidder fantastically shows this courage, compassion, and love for children that teachers need in order to go into such a powerful profession. After digesting this book, I reflected on what teaching actually entailed. I knew then that this was what I would like to do. You are not only a teacher to children, but you are in many way their only positive role-model. Sometimes you are the only adult they see for the majority of the day and their greatest influence in those early years of their lives. But you are not only their teacher, but their nurse, their confidant, their disciplinarian, and the role-model in which they learn what is acceptable behavior in society. This book is a wonderful reflection on what happens in the American classroom. I really appreciated reading it.
Rating:
Summary: The Art and Science of Teaching
Review: Among Schoolchildren vividly depicts the daily challenges and rewards of teaching a diverse group of students. Tracy Kidder debunks the myth that anyone can teach by inviting the reader into a real fifth-grade classroom. From effective teaching to classroom management, Among Schoolchildren is an emotional journey into discovering how one teacher can take a group of students who have so much stacked against them and make a huge difference in their lives. As a future teacher, Among Schoolchildren puts the art and science of teaching into perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to experience the true meaning of the teaching profession!
Rating:
Summary: Could have been better...
Review: The book was very easy reading, however not very challenging. Also, I had a hard time with an author writing a book about "education" that is not involved with schools (less the nine months he spent in the classroom). Would I recomend this book to a friend? Possibly. Would I highly recomend this book to a friend? Absolutly NOT! I would not recommend this book to an instuctor teaching about education, however, to a classmate...it was a nice book, so I'll say "sure, if you don't have anything better to do read this book. Criket
| 
