Customer Reviews

Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56

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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.

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.

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.

Maybe because it is summer and we chose to be here. Maybe we just like one of our kind. I say that it is because he is special. Rafe Esquith was the keynote speaker today at the SSITE conference. After he spoke we gave him a standing ovation. He was inspiring. He IS inspiring.

(Note: SSITE is Samford Summer Institute for Teaching Excellence. Samford is a Baptist college in Birmingham, Alabama. My principal, who once lived in Birmingham, where she was first an elementary, then secondary school principal, celebrated this summer her twentieth time to attend SSITE. She takes some of her teachers with her every summer for these fabulous speakers, break-out sessions with instructors who provide wonderful ideas --and this summer a thumb drive containing handouts of all the presenters, as well as latest research and studies in good teaching methods and information. I utterly dislike driving long distances (across two and one-half states), yet found the conference worth the drive. Wow, did I really say that? Another speaker whose presentation gave us clues to help students break the reading comprehension code was as worthy as Rafe's talk.)

Just who is this Rafe Esquith? Author of "Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire," for one. It was a New York Times bestseller for awhile. Teacher of fifth grade students at Hobarth Elementary in a poverty-stricken area of Los Angeles. His students are immigrants or children of immigrants and largely Asian and Latino.

Rafe's (he wants his students to call him Rafe) book is basically a manifesto in how to teach like your hair's on fire, i.e., turning kids on "to the wonder of learning, the power of the imagination, and the wealth of finding oneself" (taken from a quote on the back cover). He showed us a clip of one of his students reciting, no--reliving a letter by a soldier written just days before his death in the Civil War. It's a performance I'll never forget.

Hobarth Shakespearians. That's just one of many success stories initiated by this fine teacher. He teaches a Shakespeare play each year, then the students find songs to go with the action, learn everything and go on the road with their production. One song example is "Riders in the Storm" by the Doors to open the three witches' scene in Macbeth. It's perfect! The group with the boy reciting the war letter was invited to appear before the nine judges of the Supreme Court. Instead of the Shakespeare, he had his students perform historic documents.

One thing Rafe makes clear in his book is that it took him 25 years to reach this level of excellence and describes some of his mistakes. But his successes--oh my! However, these successes come at the expense of having any life beyond the classroom and his family. A private investigator for Opray followed him for several weeks to make sure this guy was legitimate before Opray gave him one of her prestigious awards, only to discover that there was no dirt to dig up.

I bought my copy of his book back home and had read half of it prior to the conference. Having read about many of his honed successes made his presentation richer for me. Just one of many inspirations is his Film Club. He has spent several year building a film library and provides a list of 25 classics he requires his students to check out, view, review during their year with him. These films are not Disney, but ones like On the Waterfront (Special Edition), To Kill a Mockingbird (Collector's Edition), and Saving Private Ryan (Special Limited Edition). You're right--no censorship here, just good quality films. He figures they watch slasher movies, so why not good films that happen to contain violence.

Another unit that is particularly impressive is art history, as well as creating art. Another is keeping baseball statistics. Another is keeping their own account book. Why do they need one? One of his biggest lessons is about handling money, budgeting, living within it. So, how do they make money? Rafe charges rent for the seats in his class, sets up job descriptions and "hires" his students to fill them. Students always return or email to tell of their various successes they accredit to him.

I could go on. Teachers, this is a book you need to read to inspire and motivate you. No, you probably cannot emulate him (and probably wouldn't want to if you want a life), but you can learn from him and use some or many of his ideas. Remember, one or two things per year to create successes.

I waited in a long line to get Rafe's autograph. Actually, I just wanted to thank him for his inspiration. Paired with two of his ideas and several from other workshop presenters (school can be fun and joy can be part of learning), my library lessons should knock students socks off in the fall. I want to be more than a Book Goddess. I want to be like Rafe (or at least a modified version)!

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.

After reading the first two chapters, I was inspired! Esquith's motto of "We can do better" resonated within me. Yes, I thought, we CAN do better.

I bought this book hoping for inspiration that could help me reach my at-risk learners. However, most teachers will never be able to teach the way that the author does. There are many things about Esquith's practice that are unattainable for me and my colleagues. I cannot realistically ever expect to be able to purchase my own science kits, to pay for guitar lessons for my students, or to spend from 6:45 am to 7 pm at school every day (and go back on Saturdays!) and still be an enthusiastic, balanced, dedicated educator.

Instead of inspired, I felt disheartened. I recommend purchasing an alternate book that focuses on modifying classroom practices, such as Igniting a Passion for Reading, instead of this book.

TEACH LIKE YOUR HAIR'S ON FIRE was our book club's recent selection. Several members are retired teachers, and were stupified at the amount of time the author devotes to his class... and somewhat skeptical. Those of us who aren't teachers found literally dozens of fascinating, practical tips about interacting with children in a variety of situations... travel, reading, character development, dining, finances... This is a terrific book, not only because it paints a fantastic picture of possibilities and change, but also because it is infused with such enthusiasm.

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.

I was assigned to read this book for my educational psychology field experience class. It is written very well and had a nice flow to it, making it a book you could read without putting it down or wanting to put it down. The book is inspiring and full of ideas to incorporate into the classroom..or outside of the classroom. I was pretty much overwhelmed. I do not know how any teacher can get the funding or approval for half of the things Rafe enables his students to do..such as the abundance of field trips...cross country. Regardless, those are things to aspire to and learn how to make more easily accessible to your students. There are a lot of great resources throughout the book; such as: websites for material, fundraising ideas for class materials, community outreach ideas and much more. I took away from this book a way to make the classroom a place of respect while still a place of adventure and fun. A lot of the ideas still seem a bit overwhelming to me but that is why reading a book is so great, you can take from it what you will. And after reading this book, I can now apply the concepts that I see fit for my future classroom and make a safe haven of my own.

I read this book for an assignment in my Ed Psych Field Exp class at Chesapeake College. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found the methods and madness,entertaining and inspiring. I really liked Esquith's philosophy on expecting respect and greatness from all of his students, including himself. The environment that he creates in extremly condusive to learning academics as well as life skills. It was impressive. His dedication and drive are admirable, but i think not realistic for the everyday teacher (especially when they are also a spouse, parent, child or other role in the community). His ideas and examples of student behaviors and classroom strategies are awesome, but I think that they should be looked at in an ultimate goal sense, using them when you can along your way as a teacher. There are wonderful insights and spectular ideas on how to transform you classroom into the best place to compell you students to want to learn...however most public schools do not allow teachers the flexibility or the funds to do elaborate lighting or buy instruments.Some ideas and examples seem a bit far fetched, but more power to him for doing it and sharing it with the world.