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| Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56 | 
 enlarge | Author: Rafe Esquith
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $14.00
Buy New: $8.03
You Save: $5.97 (43%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  15 reviews
Sales Rank: 6012
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 4.9 x 0.5
ISBN: 0143112864
Dewey Decimal Number: 370.1
EAN: 9780143112860
ASIN: 0143112864
Publication Date: December 18, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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Product Description
The New York Times bestseller that is revolutionizing the way Americans educate their kidsRafe Esquith is a genius and a saint (The New York Times)
Perhaps the most famous fifth-grade teacher in America, Rafe Esquith has won numerous awards and even honorary citizenship in the British Empire for his outstandingly successful methods. In his Los Angeles public school classroom, he helps impoverished immigrant children understand Shakespeare, play Vivaldi, and become happy, self-confident people. This bestseller gives any teacher or parent all the techniques, exercises, and innovations that have made its author an educational icon, from personal codes of behavior to tips on tackling literature and algebra. The result is a powerful book for anyone concerned about the future of our children.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...
 A Must-Read for Every Teacher December 29, 2007
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
Rafe Esquith is vulnerable, challenging, inspiring and honest. These qualities reveal themselves in this candid look at his own teaching practices, and how he has been able to motivate fifth grade students in a rough school district of Los Angeles to succeed in glorious ways. The winner of a variety of national awards, Esquith uses his words to encourage and challenge readers to demand the best they have to offer, and to demand the same from the students they work with. I read the book cover to cover, and was inspired to become a better teacher. If you are looking for hope, inspiration and growth as a teacher or parent, then this book is for you.
 Inspirational; not realistic for most of us February 11, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This is a great read about teaching; unfortunately it is what only a few special teachers will ever achieve. For the rest of us, it's inspirational till the reality sets in that most teachers do not have the time or the money to get sponsors, make their classroom a non-profit organization, buy or get donors for equipment, and many other extras. And somehow all this is done while still doing what is expected of you by the school, the district, the testing, and the parents. I do admire his accomplishments, but would love to see someone write a book about how the "ordinary" teacher can inspire kids without sinking so much money and all their spare time and energy into their classroom.
For Teachers Who Think They Are Alone! January 9, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I am a first year teacher actually an assistant teacher. I admire the author who has received the National Medal of the Arts and an honorary M.B.E. (Member of the Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II. I bought this book and read it in one sitting. I have to say that I skimmed over the physical education and science because I teach language arts. I have three students who have failed language arts in the previous year. The worst fact is that the students today are easily bored, not disciplined at home, easily distracted, and disruptive in the classroom. It's not just in his school but in all schools. For those of us who are easily discouraged but we keep trying because we love the material but the problem might be our techniques. You keep experimenting like Esquith does with his students. I truly believe that fear is not appopriate. THe classroom should be a safe place of learning and Esquith does argue that students should not be forced to work in order to escape punishment. His students go to the best colleges around and keep in constant contact with him. He has friends like Sir Ian McKellen CBE CH, Michael York OBE, Patrick Stewart OBE, and Sir Peter Hall CBE who are amazed at the HObart Shakespearans who perform first rate productions even at 10 years old. I think we could enhance our students by teaching them to watch responsible television, study films, and read classic books instead of books that are dumbed down to their level. I cannot imagine what goes on in room 56 that has kids who are so well-behaved, refuse to miss a day of class, or so enhanced in the learning process.
Exceptional, inspirational teacher... February 16, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Rafe Esquith is an exceptional, experienced teacher, and this book helps to clarify how he teaches. As with any exceptional professional, it is unlikely that all of his methods will be valid for any other teacher, but each teacher and parent who reads this is likely to walk away with some new ideas and a renewed excitement for the wonderful potential of a 5th grade classroom to achieve substantially higher outcomes than most of us have come to expect.
Beyond providing insightful methods for teaching the various subjects, from reading to mathematics problemsolving to multiple choice testing, he inspires me by his approach to helping his students develop self-discipline and character by applying the six levels of motivation. This is a wonderful achievement, and perhaps the greatest lesson of all.
Rafe is not of the opinion that every teacher can or should emulate everything he does. Not only are most teachers not able or willing to dedicate as much time to their profession, each teacher has their own areas of expertise and passion which they should bring to bear in the classroom.
He is understandably proud of his achievements, but readily acknowledges many of his mistakes and sources of insight. Like any good teacher, he is constantly improving his methods by learning from others.
My main critique, of both the book and the author, whom I have met in person, is that he does not always respect his students to the same degree that he claims in his book. I have seen him give them backhanded compliments sarcastically in public in their presence, which contradicts his mantra of always modelling the respect of others that he wants them to attain. This does not, however, reduce the value of this book for educators and parents alike. I doubt many who read this book will finish it without a broader perspective of what is possible.
 Practical Advice for Caring Teachers April 30, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I read Rafe Esquith's Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire for an educational psychology class. I found his book to be very readable and full of practical information, but it is definitely for the most dedicated teachers.
Esquith writes in a readable style that is entertaining and informative. The title itself shows this, but the point of the story about his hair being caught on fire is how he became so engrossed in helping a student with her science experiment that he didn't even realize what was happening to him. The student was also really impacted by his concern. Esquith uses many examples from his own students and experience throughout the book. An example of this would be when he describes his field trips to Washington D.C. He details, very specifically, what works for his class and why it is important not to overwhelm the kids with so many things to do.
However, Esquith is a very exceptional teacher. He puts in over 12 hours a day, from the early morning to late at night, helping students who need additional help and providing before-school and after-school activities. It is evident that his extra time and effort is well-worth it, because he is helping under-privileged ESL students become world-renowned Hobart Shakespeareans. Many teachers will not have that time or level of dedication to commit to our careers, but I found some very practical suggestions which I could see incorporating into my classroom someday.
First, I liked his theory of packing learning into every moment of every day. From the moment his students walk into the door in the morning they are learning and Esquith keeps up the momentum throughout the day. He packs as much in by incorporating material from different subjects into one activity, even in art and music. I also learned suggestions for how to make students enjoy learning for the sake of learning. We want them to work their way up to realizing that they are responsible for their education, so it is important to do their very best at all times for themselves, not for the teacher or grade. Finally, I liked that he actually provides the links and information for where to get the materials and tools he uses, so anyone can put his theories into action.
The only thing that irritated me a little about the book was the fact that Esquith seemed to have a self-righteous tone throughout. He constantly praised his students, and indirectly himself, comparing them to other students and classrooms. In a way this praise is rightly deserved, but I felt it was used a little excessively throughout the book.
The average, even good teacher, might not have the extreme passion that Esquith displays for his profession, but for those willing to put in just a little extra time and effort this book is definitely well worth a read.
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