Serena Bobrovich - Real Talk for Real Teachers

Book:

Real Talk for Real Teachers: Advice for Teachers from Rookies to Veterans: “No Retreat, No Surrender!”

By Rafe Esquith

Summary:

In the book Real Talk for Real Teachers: Advice for Teachers from Rookies to Veterans: “No Retreat, No Surrender!” the author, Rafe Esquith, discusses his past and present experiences about teaching.  Esquith has been a teacher in the public school system for over thirty years and has used his experiences to offer insight and ideas to consider. The book is organized into three sections, ‘Once Upon a Time’, ‘Growing Up’, and ‘Master Class.’ These sections are based on life stages of teaching, which are beginning teachers, midcareer teachers, and veteran teachers.  The author discusses that at every stage of their career, teachers need differing forms of nourishment to keep inspired and improve their teaching techniques.  There are twenty-five chapters in the book and each chapter is based on different situations within teaching where Esquith describes his own experiences and how he dealt with the various occurrences.  New teachers need encouragement and Esquith explains how in each year you teach you continually grow and should take every experience as a learning opportunity.  He recognizes that it is not only new teachers that have bad days, but also veteran teachers and it is essential to learn how to turn these days into better ones. As stated by Esquith (2013), “Develop the ability to have amnesia and forget bad moments.  When a difficult parent or colleague does something insensitive or awful to you, feel bad about it for a few minutes and then move on.  Stewing about the craziness of the job won’t help you or your kids” (p. 150).

This book gives advice and ideas on how to deal with classroom management and challenge students to grow as not only learners, but also as members of society.  At the end of almost each chapter, Esquith ends with bullet points entitled “For Your Consideration” where he provides insights and ideas that teachers should consider when experiencing the situations in the topic of the chapter.  Esquith conveys the important principle that classrooms should not be where teachers are just talking, but where students are actually doing.

 Esquith does not only discuss the positives of teaching but also how hard it can be but to never give up on your students or yourself as a teacher.  Every teacher has feelings of frustration, whether it is with administration, students, parents, or curriculum but there are other teachers you can always turn to for support.  Things in the classroom do not always turn out how you planned but you can always change your lessons and teach it another day.  As stated by Esquith (2013), “Every disaster that happens is an opportunity for you to get better. Nothing feels better than teaching a great lesson that failed the year before because of what you have learned” (p. 57).  Futhermore, Esquith believes that teachers should be mindful of what they are able to achieve and not focus on what you cannot.  As noted by Esquith (2013), “Accept the fact that you do not have more influence over a student than the child’s family or economic situation. Continue to be the best teacher you can be every day for every student despite the reality that the odds are stacked against you” (p. 124).

Resources & Strategies

The author states that teachers should bring their passions into the classroom and incorporate them into lessons and discussions because your passions are what you can excel at and will always enjoy.  He believes that the best teachers are those who are able to put themselves in the classroom and smile at every chance.  Esquith’s passions are Shakespeare and baseball and he incorporates these into his classroom and also in extracurricular activities. The author feels that it is so crucial to involve students in the process of creating and maintaining the standard of the classroom and make connections to the curriculum.  The author works at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles and uses his passion for Shakespeare and incorporates it into his classroom objectives which are:

1.    Our mission: Be nice. Work hard.

2.    Our motto: There are no shortcuts.

3.    Hobart Shakespeareans are honest.

4.    Hobart Shakespeareans show initiative.

5.    Hobart Shakespeareans take responsibility for their actions.

6.    Hobart Shakespeareans are aware of time and space.

7.    Hobart Shakespeareans are never afraid to ask questions.

8.    Hobart Shakespeareans understand the importance of presentation.

9.    Hobart Shakespeareans are organized.

10.Hobart Shakespeareans are humble.

The author believes that teachers should not teach for the tests that students will have to take, but to teach for the life skills that students will need for the rest of their lives.  He has high expectations of his students, and uses various teaching methods depending on the students he has, in order to reflect the various learning styles of students in the classroom. Teachers need to be positive as their personalities reflect onto their students and that teachers need to maintain a balance in their life to remain positive.  Students need to be treated with respect and if you want students to show kindness to each other, teachers must do the same and demonstrate respectful, positive behavior.

This author has also written the following books on teaching:

There Are No Shortcuts

Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire

Lighting Their Fires

Critique:

         I believe that this book was great in the fact that the author does not only talk about the positives in teaching but also the difficulties that teachers experience, and that you are not alone.  It is encouraging to know that even veteran teachers have their struggles but that you can lean on them for support and your situation is not unique.  I appreciated the “For Your Consideration” bullets at the end of each chapter, as they gave some advice that I could relate to in my own experiences in teaching, as the chapters were about the author’s experiences.  I was able to relate some of the author’s strategies to the theories we discussed in our Psychology course.  For example, the author agrees that students should be at the center of learning and that teachers do not need to stand at the front of the room and dictate information to students.  Students can be part of their learning experience and should be given initiative to explore.

         The downfall I experienced with this book is that it is American as the teacher is an educator in California.  He discusses preparing students for state exams and standardized tests throughout the book, which is something I have not experienced in my practicum and can not relate to in my teachings thus far.  Another point the author argues that I disagree with is creating a wall of fame of former students in your classroom.  As discussed by Esquith (2013), “Create a Wall of Fame in your class.  Put up the names of former students who are now in college.  Place the names under banners of the universities they attend.  Remind kids that collage is not the top of the mountain, but a place that they might want to make a part of their life’s journey” (p. 196).  Although I feel it is a nice gesture to commemorate past students, I feel that this may lead to students feeling compared to with past students and that attending university is the top goal to strive for in life, as that is the only way to be mentioned in his classroom.  I personally would not do this in my class.  The author also notes that not every student can be reached and at some point teachers should devote their efforts to the students who want to learn.  I believe that it is our duty as educators to educate all students and that is our reason for being in the classroom. We should not let any child feel that we have given up on them. 

         Except for the American undertones, I feel that this author is influential and discusses the important impact hard work, self-reflection, and a positive attitude can have on improving your role as a teacher.

Reference:

Esquith, R. (2013). Real talk for real teachers: advice for teachers from rookies to veterans: “no retreat, no surrender!”. New York, New York : Penguin Group.