Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

Anyone going to read it? It's about his 30-year teaching career

From Amazon.com

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. This final memoir in the trilogy that started with Angela's Ashes and continued in 'Tis focuses almost exclusively on McCourt's 30-year teaching career in New York City's public high schools, which began at McKee Vocational and Technical in 1958. His first day in class, a fight broke out and a sandwich was hurled in anger. McCourt immediately picked it up and ate it. On the second day of class, McCourt's retort about the Irish and their sheep brought the wrath of the principal down on him. All McCourt wanted to do was teach, which wasn't easy in the jumbled bureaucracy of the New York City school system. Pretty soon he realized the system wasn't run by teachers but by sterile functionaries. "I was uncomfortable with the bureaucrats, the higher-ups, who had escaped classrooms only to turn and bother the occupants of those classrooms, teachers and students. I never wanted to fill out their forms, follow their guidelines, administer their examinations, tolerate their snooping, adjust myself to their programs and courses of study." As McCourt matured in his job, he found ingenious ways to motivate the kids: have them write "excuse notes" from Adam and Eve to God; use parts of a pen to define parts of a sentence; use cookbook recipes to get the students to think creatively. A particularly warming and enlightening lesson concerns a class of black girls at Seward Park High School who felt slighted when they were not invited to see a performance of Hamlet, and how they taught McCourt never to have diminished expectations about any of his students. McCourt throws down the gauntlet on education, asserting that teaching is more than achieving high test scores. It's about educating, about forming intellects, about getting people to think. McCourt's many fans will of course love this book, but it also should be mandatory reading for every teacher in America. And it wouldn't hurt some politicians to read it, too. (Nov. 15)
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Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

I still haven't read "Tis" so I think if I do, I will wait until after I read that one. My friend told me she didn't like Tis as much as Angela's Ashes, so that was why I haven't gotten to it yet. Comments anyone?

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

I'm reading it now. (only on page 17)
It's really good and funny.

Loved Angela's Ashes. Didn't care for 'Tis too much.

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

It took me forever to get through 'Tis.

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

Yea, I wasn't a big fan of 'Tis, but this one looks like it'll be stories about his teaching career. It might be good.

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

oooo I love his books! As a teacher I definitely have to read this!

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

I'm reading it now...it's good.

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

I'm a high school English teacher and I got this book for Christmas...looking forward to reading it. Also, I'm in the minority here, I really liked 'Tis!

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

DH got me it for Christmas. I am very excited to read it!! I am reading Angela's Ashes now, and I am enjoying it.

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

I just finished it this weekend, and enjoyed it.

Re: Teacher Man by Frank McCourt

Count me into those that received it for Christmas.

I enjoyed both his books and his brothers book.

I have about half way through, and all i can say so far is that is OK.
I haven't put it down yet but I also find that I dont really look forward to reading it the way I usally do with a good book. (most of my reading is done on my train ride home)