Rating: 
Summary: A Man In Search Of His Self-Worth
Review: I was extremely disappointed with this book. Instead of characterizing Mr. Esquith as a teacher who is committed to his students and their success, I would describe him as someone who never really felt good about himself unless he could present a list of accomplishments to you.
Mr. Esquith's approach to teaching is unusual, and most definitely impractical for most teachers and schools districts. If you read the book, you will come to understand that he has ready access to his school year-round, since the district is on a year-round teaching schedule. Therefore, the physical buildings are open when his class is on vacation, and he can utilize the facility for continued education of his students. Very few teachers can do the same. It is also apparent that Mr. Esquith has no personal life - his entire world is that school. Now I wouldn't knock that necessarily for a celibate monk, but this man is married and has children - what kind of lesson is he teaching his students about the value of marriage and children by staying away from his own?
I also perceived a move toward a specific selection of students, and gifted ones at that. He clearly states in the book that teachers from his school would choose students to be in his class because they thought these kids had the best chance of overcoming the many obstacles of the neighborhood. Nowhere did I find a statement that his classes were just a "roll of the dice". So he is clearly working with some advantages here, not the least of which is parental support.
Mr. Esquith also has no discussion of working with kids who have significant learning differences, and how he handles that. He only slightly mentions giving an easier part in the Shakespeare play to a kid who is shy or cannot read as well. What would he do with a child who cannot hear half the phonetic sounds, and so has great difficulty reading? What does he do with kids who have dysgraphia and cannot write the many compositions he talks about?
I also noticed that his "dinners out" never contained all of his class. 15 out of 40 kids is less than 50% of the class. Yes, he mentions that some kids are not ready to go out, YET. And that is true. But, does he select the diners or are they the kids who are available to go? I wondered a lot about that, because he always made his outings sound as if it were his entire class.
Speaking of his fellow teachers, I found his attitude toward them extremely arrogant and rude. Yes, there are some very incompetent teachers out there. But, his philosophy seemed to be that if you as a teacher were not putting in 14 hour days, 6 days a week, 50 weeks a year, then you were scum. Would he have a teacher who is a single mother keep the same schedule? Would he have a teacher who has a new baby follow his lead? Would he classify an excellent teacher who had fibromyalgia and could not keep such a grueling schedule as a slacker? His attitude was definitely not very generous or kind, despite his continued attempt to convince the reader of his amazing kindness! By the way, I am a parent, not a teacher, and I have seen plenty of bad teachers, but also many excellent ones, and they did not keep the same kind of schedule.
It should also be pointed out that he is giving his services away for free - the parents have free daycare for the extra time he spends with them, free tutoring, free everything. I do not begrudge them that at all - families in poverty deserve all of that and more. BUT, by providing all of those services for free, he enables the very system he blasts to continue to treat teachers as slave labor. So it is not as wonderful as he makes it out to be, because it perpetuates low salaries for teachers, which in turn prevents excellent people from entering/staying in the profession because they can't afford to teach and feed their families. And yes, teaching is a ministry, and so should not go to the highest bidder, but you have to be somewhat realistic.
The issue of liability crossed my mind several times as well as I read. How many school districts would allow a teacher to take students out by him/herself? That's a scary thought as the truth of sexual abuse toward children is revealed in various aspects of our society.
Esquith has some good points, but they are so far buried under his drive to prove to himself (and perhaps his late father) that he is a valuable human being, that they get lost. He pats himself on the back way too much for my taste.
I also did not get any sense that he teaches his kids about service to others. There was a little bit in the book, but his focus is truly self-achievement, measured by how much stuff he can cram into their little heads in one year. Achievement and value for just being is a fine balance, but Esquith never really discusses that. In some ways, his students seemed to me to be not clearly individuals valued for themselves, but commodities he needs to makes himself a success. Yikes.
I would love to have seen some statistics on his classes' future successes, as well as immediate successes. How many eventually drop out of school vs. how many go to college and complete it? I suppose, though, that he would only take credit for the successes, and place the blame for the failures on his successors.
In the end, I think the lesson his kids learn is that they are valuable not for themselves as people, but for what they DO. And that is a very dangerous lesson to teach;it gets us into all kinds of trouble on down the road.
Go read Dr. Mel Levine if you want to learn about kindness,the amazing qualities of kids as kids, and helping kids to succeed at school. His books are way more practical and grounded.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Easy Reader
Review: If one approaches this book as realistic fiction, it is a quick, easy read. Unfortunately, the author's hubris, which remains apparent despite several transparent passes made at appearing humble, makes it difficult to take this book seriously as a non-fiction work. The author's anecdotes consistently fall into the good-guy (the author) vs. bad-guy (anyone who dares to annoy or disagree with the author) scenario. Although breezily paced, the book is riddled with simplistic thinking and painfully awkward writing, resulting in a three-star effort at best.
Rating: 
Summary: buyer beware
Review: If you are a new teacher looking for a how-to book, this is not it. The only how-to chapter is "When Numbers Get Serious," which explains his token economy system, but you can get that kind of information from a basic search of the internet. This book is about a man looking for accolades that he feels has been denied by the district he works in. Don't be fooled by the number of 5-star reviews. After reading the book, my opinion is that those 5-star reviews were written by Esquith's friends and don't accurately reflect the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Story of one brave teacher's fight for quality education
Review: If you are concerned about and saddened by the quality of education that kids are receiving these days, Rafe Esquith's book will inspire you and give you hope for the future. His story of lessons learned and invaluable advice are relevant not just for teachers and parents, but for anyone who wants to go the extra mile and find success. It's reassuring to know that there are teachers out there, like Rafe, who fight the good fight everyday when all we hear and see is the negatives of the current educational system. Teachers are the unsung heroes of our time and Rafe Esquith's book made me appreciate the hard work and dedication they bring to their jobs on a daily basis.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful story, guidebook, and inspiration
Review: In this book, Rafe Esquith is driving a speeding vehicle and takes us for a joyride. His chapters are filled with so many intriguing stories, animated characters, and inspiring advice that it is hard to believe the book is nonfiction. If you are looking for a fun, interesting way to re-define your goals and values, read this book!
Rating: 
Summary: There are no shortcuts
Review: Inspirational reading!
I was impresed with Rafe's dedication and strong desire to instruct, assist and guide underpriviledged students to suceed. I was particularly moved by way Rafe tacle barriers to allow him to continue with his creative style of teaching 5th and 6th graders.
Rafe believes that there are no shortcuts to success; "It comes from a strong work ethic, dedication and perseverance on the part of children, teachers and parents alike. His expectations for students are high but he provides them with a rich laerning environment as well as tutoring before and after shool, during recess and lunch, Saturdays and vacations for his regular and former students.
Learning should not be mundane is his thinking. Teachers must find ways to enhance the curriculum by incorporating activities that are meaningful and joyous to their students. At the conclusion of his class reading on "Bury my heart at wounded knee"; which illustrates indian wars of the post-civil war era. Rafe traveled with his students across South Dakota, Montana,Wyoming to help students gain an understanding of native american history. I believe that such enriched style of learning is beneficial and it becomes an unforgettable life experience. As part of arithmetic section Rafe includes a class economic system in which kids learn how to fill out job applications, budget expenses and balance checkbooks. All of which are essential skills to life.
Rafe agrees with John Wooden's (UCLA basketball coach) four laws of learning: explanation,demonsttration,imitation, and repetition. Teacher's role is to explain and demonstrate and student's role is to imitate and repeat as many times needed until the concept is mastered.
My view in education is similar to Rafe's creative teaching style, Learning should be fun and interactive. Teacher's need to raise the expectation bar at the same time they provide the tools and guidance in an innovative and motivational manner.
Rating:
Summary: Spectacular
Review: Just Spectacular!! There are no words for this book. Everyone should read it. Rafe is also correct how there are no shortcuts.
Rating:
Summary: Method to Madness?
Review: Maybe that should've been the book's title. If you are insane enough to work at school from dawn to dusk, giving up your recess and lunch, then this book could be your guide. As for the rest of us normal teachers, the book is not very useful. This book portrays the life of a dysfunctional man, who teaches mostly gifted students, some of whom go to top colleges. Where are the statistics on those who didn't make it to the top? Where are the anecdotes about how to deal with every day classroom management issues?
Rating:
Summary: Inspiration for veteran teachers
Review: Mr. Esquith clearly states why he wrote this book: "...this book is meant to be reminder OF WHAT PUBLIC EDUCATION CAN BE," in addition to giving hope to young teachers. I, too, teach in a large, urban school system (Charlotte-Mecklenburg NC) and I can identify with the rigid, top-down, "the administrators know what's right," abide-by-the-rules-and-keep-the-kids-controlled mentality. It's nice to know that I'm not alone and that someone else has prevailed. Make no mistake, Esquith IS a freak. He is passionate about teaching. Well ... GREAT! Mozart was passionate about composing, and the world is richer for it. For me, a teacher in public schools now for 8 years and previous experience as a college instructor, this book is an inspiration to NOT GIVE UP. Too often, I fall into the trap of teaching to the bright kids and give up too easily on the less able. I will work harder this year to teach every child, to not let administrators and burnt-out or cynical teachers pull me away from a dream I had in college to create greatness in students. Sometimes the worst place in the world for a teacher with hope is at the lunch table with other teachers who have given up. I came across Mr. Esquith's book by accident. Other books I've read this summer that have reinforced his message are Levine's "A Mind at a Time", Gardner's "The Unschooled Mind", and Gould's "The Biggest Job We'll Ever Have". And even though I've grown by reading and reflection, guess what? I'll still have to go to some useless In-service session and I'll get no credit for REAL professional growth. Such is the educational establishment, as Mr. Esquith so eloquently points out. No, this book is not Wong's "First Days of School." It's an inspirational book and a diary of one teacher's battle to achieve high standards against a wave of mediocrity.
Rating:
Summary: lots of distortions
Review: MR. ESQUITH REVEALS ON PAGE 151 THAT HE IS A GATE TEACHER.
tHAT MEANS THAT HE IS TEACHING GIFTED CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED OR HAVE PREVIOUSLY SCORED A "GIFTED SCORE" ON A STANDARDIZED TEST, SO THEY ARE INCLUDED WITH HIS CLASS. WHY DOES HE BOAST IN THE PRIOR PAGES ABOUT HOW HARD THEY WORK ETC.
LEADING US TO BELIEVE THAT THESE ARE AVERAGE KIDS WORKING HARD BECAUSE OF HIS INSPIRATIONAL AND DEVOTED TEACHING. THE CHARACTERS HE DESCRIBES ARE CLICHES OF THE WORST KIND.
HIS IDEAL PEOPLE ARE 'FICTIONAL CHARACTERS' - NOT REAL LIFE PEOPLE LIKE, JEFFERSON, JOHN DEWEY, MONTESSORI -real people and educators of one kind and another are absent. IAN MCKELLEN AND HAL HOLBROOK BOTH CONSUMMATE ACTORS APPRECIATE RECITATION .MR. ESQUITH'S CLASSES ARE MADE UP OF KOREAN AND HISPANIC CHILDREN - BUT ISN'T IT TRUE THAT LYNN HARRELL'S DAUGHTER WAS DRIVEN TO HIS CLASSES, SO HE JUST DIDN'T ACCIDENTALLY 'MEET MR. HARRELL AT A CONCERT'. HE ALSO HAD, LUCKY FOR HIM, OTHER MORE AFFLUENT KOREAN CHILDREN FROM OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS ENTER HIS CLASS. HIS SELF IMPORTANCE IS OVERWHELMING.shame on him for exploiting his fame for such a sham book.
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