Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year

Rating:
Summary: It is a Must Read
Review: I feel Educating Esme is a must read for future teachers, new teachers, and old teachers alike. Since this book is written in the form of a diary it is a day by day encounter that creates a constant picture of what is occurring during Esme's first year of teaching. Esme shares with the reader some of her creative ideas such as: a reading time machine, the trouble basket, and a talking stone. She also explains some of the power struggles she encounters with the principal, Mr. Turner and some of the other older experienced teachers. Besides that she also shares issues that are dealt with on a daily basis in the classroom. I personally would not recommend this book if you are looking for a scientific read, but if you want a good laugh and some cute ideas for the classroom then this is a must read.

Rating:
Summary: Educating Esme: Educating Me
Review: Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year, by Esme Codell, is a book fulfilling its title. It provides a thoughtful witness to the experiences of a first year teacher thus providing a valuable reference for those ready to enter the field of education, or those contemplating a career in education. As a result, Educating Esme creates an atmosphere in which many of us can relate. Codell's reactions, both positive and negative, prove how a job can become a lifestyle-a specific way of thinking. Written in a journal format, Codell is able to convincingly write about her successes in her classroom and her disappointment as a teacher. She validates some of her successes when she acknowledges the achievements of her students after state testing.
Time after time, Codell is concerned with her students. She brings them into her home, supplements classroom items wither her own money, and puts many hours into the events and activities in which her students benefit. I am discouraged that administration can stand in the way of such a creative spirit and can dampen such an outlook to the point of leaving the teaching field. I believe that many will benefit from her literature; however I feel saddened that countless students will not benefit from such a caring teacher. Despite the dismal outlook Codell expresses at times, her overall cheerful manner makes her private story an enjoyable read!

Rating:
Summary: Educating Esme is perfect
Review: Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year is the best book I have ever read. When I came to the end, I cried because it was over. Esme Codell is a defiant, tell-it-like-it-is, awe-inspiring, creative and brilliant first year teacher in an inner-city classroom of Chicago and gives her first-hand account of the ups and downs of her fifth grade class. The book is heartwarming and hearbreaking, laugh-out-loud funny and bring tears to your eyes sad, and above all else - inspiring. From someone who is currently applying for her first teaching position, I loved every word Esme put into her diary. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

Rating:
Summary: Like being in the teacher's lounge
Review: Of course this book is self-absorbed, it's a diary, not a how-to book. When I read it, I wasn't under the impression that it was written to tell other teachers how to teach, it was written to share her experience. I heard Esme speak in person and she said the diary was unabridged and that she herself knew she didn't come off that well, but if she changed it around it would't be a real diary anymore. She published it to serve as a battle cry to help other teachers value their own anecdotes and start a dialogue about what works and doesn't work in education. I appreciated the the honesty of the voice, she was either brave or crazy to publish it. Use this book to look inside one inner-city classroom, and into one teacher's soul. Those people who criticize this book for not being something that it never proported to be, like Harry Wong's The First Days of School, are unfair. Don't read this if you are looking for someone to tell you what to do. Even if you don't find much pretention or insight, you're bound to laugh a lot, and I mean A LOT. What teacher couldn't use a dose of that?

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Summary: spunk is good medicine
Review: I picked up Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year and was enthralled. I am also a teacher -- this will be my 26th year and reading this book was like reliving my own first rollercoaster year. It was great to be reminded that a sense of humor is the best antidote to woes ( and there will always be a multitude.) This book is a winner in that it reminds us to honor the spirit of creativity, the humanity of each person and the possibilities of the human spirit. I can't figure out why anyone would not be inspired to do a better, more soulful job after seeing this young woman's artful and inspirational wrestling job that first year. I just finished reading it again -- I've got to get ready to teach soon and wanted that rush of excitement. If you are a teacher or want to be a teacher -- read this. It is reality with stars and moons and a big dollop of something that smells suspiciously like earthy verisimilitude. Breathe in and go forth! By the way, I would love to sit in that Time Machine and read - what an inspired way to make kids relove learning. (yes, relove - they forget how much fun it is too!)

Rating:
Summary: Educating Esme is perfect
Review: Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year is one of the best books I have ever read. When I came to the end, I cried because it was over. Esme Codell is a defiant, tell-it-like-it-is, awe-inspiring, creative and brilliant first year teacher in an inner-city classroom of Chicago and gives her first-hand account of the ups and downs of her fifth grade class. The book is heartwarming and heartbreaking, laugh out loud funny and bring tears to your eyes sad, and above all else - inspiring. From someone who is currently applying for her first teaching position, I loved every word Esme put into her diary. I highly recommend this book to anyone!

Rating:
Summary: Good, but not GREAT!
Review: Educating Esmé by Esmé Raji Codell is a diary of the author's trials and tribulations during her first year teaching. She learns that sometimes everyone doesn't like "her" way of doing things in this inner city Chicago school. She never gives up though, due to her extraordinary will to succeed. Madame Esmé, as she likes to be called, talks as though she is the only teacher in the school. She writes about being the only one in her school that really cares about the students, and she is the lone one who tries to connect with them.
This book was good, but not great. I wouldn't read it again, and I would only recommend it to someone going into teaching. I believe that I wasn't too interested in it merely because I'm not into teaching. This book is full of details, but none seem to go anywhere. Nothing eventful happens in this book that makes readers want to keep going to find out what happens next; every event is predictable. Overall, I enjoyed the reading experience, but would not read this book again.

Rating:
Summary: Witty, lacking substance
Review: Why should you read this book? It is a funny, quick read, about the ups and downs of being a first year teacher. Madame Esme has some great ideas for making her 5th grade classroom an exciting place to be a student. For those of us thinking of entering the teaching profession, she is inspiring: it is possible to be a witty, bright teacher set on doing what you feel is best for the students. We would all like to be a bit more like her, would we not? She has great ideas which she is capable of seeing through, even though she lacks support.

Why should you approach this book with concern? Madame Esme, as she presents herself in her diary, shares more in common with college students than any of the professional teachers I have met. I hope she goes back into teaching and writes another book on the same subject after more becoming more mature. Afterall, what is she telling us? What are the real issues? I wish she had worried less about her name - who cares? - and more about the really important thing: teaching students in a system where all the odds are against the children within that system. While I realize that this is by no means a how-to book, I would prefer to spend my time reading from the diary of a witty professional who stayed in the system and learned from her first year.

Rating:
Summary: Madam Esme: An In Your Face Teacher
Review: The book Educating Emse is a diary that paints a picture of a first year teacher's experience with a classroom full of Chicago fifth graders. The author, Esme Codell, is a down to earth person that talks about her successes and failures as a teacher. Her diary talks about her interaction between her principal, coworkers, students and parents. She never claims to be perfect; however she does have a strong self-confidence that helps her to never back down from her beliefs.
Even though her students sometimes could get a bit rebellious, she never gave up on them. Her battles with her principal would often get heated or possibly professionally inappropriate. Her diary gave you an insight to real problems a first year teacher may encounter, yet she continues to argue for the respect she deserves. Other administrators and teachers criticize her, but she knows that she is doing what is best for herself and her students. She struggles with parents at times, but family moral and values are one area that she does not want to venture into. Although Esme clashed with her principal and coworkers, she had many great classroom ideas which are inspiring to me, a student who aspires to one day teach.

Rating:
Summary: Strength, Confidence, and Creativity
Review: Educating Esme, by Esme Codell
Esme has written a diary about the trials, tribulations, and emotions of being a first year teacher. She is hard headed, confident, and creative. Esme does an excellent job of letting the reader know exactly what kind of person she is by the voice she uses. She shows her feelings of anger through her use of sarcasm, smart mouth responses, and curse words. Her happiness and sadness are also well represented by her word usage.

One thing about Esme's writing style that I particularly didn't enjoy is her constant judgment of the people around her, including her students, teachers, and administrators. Esme is extremely opinionated, and there are not a lot of people who can change her mind. She believes she has the best teaching and discipline practices, and is writing to share these practices with the reader.

Esme's book is a great source for first year teachers to get creative ideas on how to get student's to learn. She spends much of her time devoted to her students as well as the school as a whole. Esme is a very successful teacher, who makes sure her students know that she loves them. Her strength, confidence, and creativity is an inspiration to all teachers. It motivates you to be the best teacher you can be, and shows you how to get started and how to keep going.