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

This guy inspires fifth grade kids from immigrant families to read and perform Shakespeare. He teaches self-respect by example and actually gets kids to think responsibly.
For him, teaching is a vocation, not a job. And his public school children learn through non-traditional but effective methods.
I borrowed this book from a friend who let me keep it after I raved about it. I just bought three more copies to give to teachers I know who could use a little hope.

I have seen a few reviews that characterize the teacher as arrogant. It's untrue. Reading this book reminded me of why I got into teaching. I want kids to feel empowered and learn because they want to do it for themselves even in circumstances that don't allow them the same starting place in life as many more privileged children.

This book gives you ideas and makes you feel hopeful that you too can help children realize that they can feel powerful and be rapidly successful.

Rafe uses humor and his own personal opinions of his failures to remind fellow teachers of the struggle teachers often find themselves fighting against.

I recommend this book to any teacher who is commited to the profession and loves to create! If you want the guidelines for creating your own unique classroom and teaching that works - this book is for you!

Rafe Esquith does an incredible job of sharing his experiences as a teacher, both good and bad. In addition, he
shares his "little secrets' as far as -- keeping your sanity when it comes to new methods for teaching, proposals,
and all the required testing that accompanies the life of an educator. It gave me just "the lift' I needed in order
to return to the classroom with a fresh attitude and a few new things in my "bag of tricks..."

I love all writings and music than have expanded my mind and opened my heart to Love and Peace = GOD.I can feel the generosity of Spirit in many of those wonderfull boo-friends and music-lovers. I think I would have long committed suicide without these beloved "friends and lovers" (books and music).
So; Big THANK YOU to the store and all the providers and
Blessed Holy - days and a M A G I C A L 2 0 1 3

With love and gratitude - Renate Stern

This is the most inspirational book on teaching I have read in years. The man is master teacher who really knows how to teach so kids succeed. I recommend it highly to everyone who cares abut teaching.

Esquith shares many insights and experiences and anecdotes that will thrill and inform a wide range of teachers. Even though I teach adults, I love reading about other teachers' experiences of working with kids. Esquith's title reminds me of our physics teacher whose hair really did catch fire. Beautiful image Rafe Esquith - may your own hair continue to grow !

Rafe Esquith writes humorous stories about his experiences in the classroom and offers practical tips and routines for new as well as experienced teachers. I have been teaching only three years, but find myself in a poverty environment for the first time without the knowledge to reach my students. Mr. Esquith has assisted me in this challenge. A fun and easy narrative read for parents as well.

I'm a teacher at a public continuation high school in California. I heard about this book on my afternoon commute home listening to NPR. I'm always looking for material to inspire me to become a better teacher. Liking what I heard on the radio, I ordered the book. I was not dissapointed. I resonate with Rafe's passion for teaching and I found many useful ideas in this book even though the students I teach are at the end of their public school journey and his are in the fifth grade. I would recomment this book to any teacher or parent who wants to light their little ones' hearts on fire with a love of learning. His enthusiasm is contagious and is a wonderful "shot in the arm" to any teacher who is struggling in the trenches. I found Mr. Esquith's writing to be upbeat, informative, and when there was blame, it was evenly spread amongst the government, administrators, teachers, and parents-- all whom have a say in how our kids are educated. California is inundated with English learners, yet this book touts a "no holds barred" strategy for having all our kids striving for excellence: no excuses! And he's right in claiming to be "an actual teacher." Many pundits hit the road with their book, abandoning the field to hawk their book and theories, not so with this teacher apparently. You can still find him in room 56. Thanks. Mahalo. I mean it. Two thumbs up. Rock on! Garth.

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.

I bought this book based on the recommendation of a co-worker. I had trouble finishing it. I found Esquith s constant criticisms of co-workers to be very distracting. After going on about building trust and a community of respect in his classroom, he gives his students a "hate letter" from a co-worker to revise and edit. While writing something that could be described as a hate letter is unprofessional, passing said letter out to students is just as unprofessional if not even more so. If you are trying to teach students to respect others, this certainly is not the way to go about it. Mr. Esquith is self-righteous throughout the book. He consistently puts down his co-workers in order to show how fabulous he is. The book would have been a far better read without the constant criticisms. I can't understand why the editors didn't fix the problem.

I love teaching. I think about teaching all the time. I spend quite a bit of my free time looking for new ideas to use with my 5th graders. I am well aware that teaching is not an 8 to 4 job. That being said, I have to have balance in my life. Esquith admittedly spends 12 hours a day six days a week at work. He states in the book that many of his methods will only work if you have no time constraints. That extreme dedication would not work for the vast majority of teachers. It would most definitely not work for my family. Had I known he puts in so many hours a week, I would not have purchased this book.

While Esquith's passion for teaching is inspiring, I cannot recommend this book to anyone else.

This was a great read. I took away some excellent ideas from this book. I think I took about six pages of notes with ideas, projects, and little phrases to remind me why I teach students for a living. This guy does it all. He is an amazing teacher and has done some really great things with his students. Teachers like him are not typical. I kept reading the book thinking that this project would be great or I could tweak this idea and to this. At the end I had to step back because I already do a lot. I have more projects going on right now than probably what I should. This guy goes above and beyond. Honestly, he must spend almost all of his time doing these projects. That is the problem. I don't have from 6:30 - 5:00 every single day to be at school like this guy. Now I put in way too many hours as is because I will be working from home on my computer late into the night getting things ready, emailing students, working on projects, etc.

One quote that stood out to me was, "Children do not mind a tough teacher, but they despise an unfair one." This is so true. Students don't lie. Just listen to them talk in the hallways and you will be able to identify the status of teachers. Every school has them. Those teachers that are bias. Don't think for a minute students don't recognize it. Many times they recognize things that the teachers don't.

I liked the chapter on Lawrence Kohlberg's Six Level of Moral Development. This really caught my eye and I want to study more on this and move my class atmosphere more towards level six.

This is a read that will provide some good ideas and projects. Don't compare yourself, but reflect on what you can do better. Rafe is his own and we have to be our teacher with our own style and our own unique way of teaching. Teach like your hair is on fire. Don't lose your passion and never forget why we do what we do every single day even when people don't give us enough credit and days seem hopeless. Thanks Rafe for a book that helped me to remind myself that we must continue to reach out to all of our students.

This book by National Medal of the Arts winner Rafe Esquith will probably be a bitter pill for many school teachers to swallow. Frankly, when I finished the book, I was wondering if he does anything else in his life except being involved in creative activities with his students or preparing for them. Does the guy ever stop to take a breather? Does he ever spend any leisure time with adult friends? Does he take a bathroom break now and then? His account of his teaching practices often appears to be the educational enterprise on steroids! But I will say I was impressed with his dedication and his abilities and might suggest that with more teachers like him, we might not have the "problems" we do in our current public school system.

I spent seventeen years in the public school system as a teacher and administrator. So I know something about how the system works. I am also aware that many of my views regarding the public schools were then and still are controversial and today most likely "politically incorrect." While I find nothing wrong with Esquith's general teaching methods, curricular ideas, or classroom management techniques, there is one thing -- and only this one thing -- of which I would be critical. Never would I have permitted a student to call me by my first name or, for that matter, allowed the teachers or other school workers I supervised to engage in such a practice. Call me old-fashioned or just not "with it," but I think that sort of familiarity is just not conducive to good classroom management.

However, when Esquith gets into the issue of testing, there I am with him completely if I understand his opinions. Mass standardized testing for the purpose of comparing schools or measuring one school district against others or whatever, is, in my considered opinion, very destructive and mostly deceptive. Testing or measuring or what is often generally called "educational evaluation" is important to be sure. The problem involves the purpose or purposes for which such evaluation is done. In a school where I was the administrator for seven years, we tested the kids twice a year -- at the beginning of the year and in the final week of the school year -- using a standardized test called the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. At the time I thought this was the best instrument to test those basic skills every child ought to learn in order to actually learn, either in school or on his or her own.

We did not, however, use the results of the testing to determine how we compared with other schools or districts, either locally or nationwide. The results were never openly published. The results were used for only two purposes: (1) individual pupil diagnoses to determine what that individual was already proficient at and what weaknesses needed to be addressed during the school year; and (2) a diagnosis of our current curriculum and teaching methodologies to see where and what we as educators needed to improve. The entire professional staff was involved in evaluating the progress of our school and suggesting improvements. Even though our school was located in an isolated rural area and over 90% of our school's pupils were officially designated as "culturally and economically disadvantaged," there was not a single child reading or doing arithmetic below grade-level at the end of seven years when I left for another position in the system.

There is much that teachers might learn from Esquith's book. Certainly the success of his Hobart Shakespeareans cannot be ignored or dismissed. They are, after all, world famous. Esquith deserves the credit he is due for that. Virtually all of his teaching techniques are right on the money. As well as his general management style and the way in which he relates with his students. His emphasis on art and music education needs to be pondered by school boards everywhere. (I have never understood why art and music are the first things usually cut out by school boards when money is tight. These are the most humane of studies and yet athletics is considered more important. Oh, well...)

I recommend this book to all readers, but especially to teachers and school administrators. It will open your eyes while you watch a "master teacher" at work in that most critical of enterprises, the preparation of the next generation of human beings for a life well lived.

Award winning LA educator of ESL students Rafe Esquith provides a how to guide on "The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56." Based on the book, Esquith is an extremely dedicated, hardworking, tremendous teacher who has high expectations for all (including himself and his colleagues). In Part One: There's No Place Like Home, he explains his philosophy for classroom management (Replace Fear with Trust; Children Depend on Us, So Be Dependable; Discipline Must Be Logical; and You Are a Role Model) and explains Lawrence Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development. Part Two: The Method includes one chapter each about the subjects he teaches: reading, writing (including the importance of teaching grammar and a few ideas like, Essay of the Week, a Monthly Book Report, and The Young Authors Project) math (including an explanation of his morning problems, group work, and some sample problems), test taking, history/social studies, science, art (including four neat projects), PE, and his classroom's economic system (children choose jobs, perform them certain days, and are rewarded for their services). Part Three: The Madness contains: strategies for problem solving, recommended movies and how to incorporate their use into teaching, the importance of field trips, more about music, community service activities, and an explanation of his world famous group the Hobart Shakespeareans. The Appendix contains a list of movies, a sample DC Field Trip itinerary, info on Shakespeare's Plays, his Class schedule (7:00am-5:00pm!), and Seven Ways Parents Can Help Their Children Beyond or Outside the Classroom. He also provides information on several educational websites and special educators.

Notable quotables: xii "...true excellence takes sacrifice, mistakes and enormous amounts of effort;" (p 31) "Powerful forces of mediocrity have combined to prevent perfectly competent children from learning to love reading. These forces include television, video games, poor teaching, poverty, the breakup of the family, and a general lack of adult guidance;" (p 34) "Children-even very bright ones-need guidance;" (p 44) "This I believe: If young people develop a love of reading, they will have better lives;" (p 125) "The good news is that, as teachers, we can get better;" and (p 224) "Many of your administrators have sold their souls years before." Hmm...

Although I'd have gone with a different title, I think that in Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, Rafe Esquith provides an interesting, informational, inspirational account of how he helps his students achieve success in academics and often, in life. Great stuff for teachers, homeschoolers and parents of public school students alike. Important companion reads: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and There Are No Shortcuts by Rafe Esquith.

From the touching story about why teaching is the best profession on Earth found on page 26, to "rebel" teacher experiences that show why outside reform movements don't work (quite an interesting collection dating from 1982 to 2004) Rafe's book above all shows us how to create a classroom where kids come first. It is refreshing.

Even though he rails against the standardized test movement every chance he can, Rafe still realizes that our kids do have to take tests, and he provides tips on how to help students succeed on tests starting on page 76.

He documents how to help students be problem-solvers on page 103 where you will find this quote, "Failure only happens when students stop trying to solve a problem." If we could let that concept transform our work, what would our schools look like?

And then there is the power of using art in the classroom that he discusses on page 122. Yes, that is right, art. If you ever wanted real evidence why the arts belong in a world gone crazy with "basic skill" instruction, you will find all you need in this book--plus easy to follow art projects any non-artist teacher can do with their students.

All in all, a wonderful book. He can get grumpy at times, but he is a realist that had done really great things for kids--and he is still doing them. A true hero.

Keywords: Education, Teaching, Critical thinking, Statistics, Children, Parenting, Shakespeare
If you care about the state of education in America, then this book deserves your attention. Mr. Esquith is a national award-winning fifth-grade teacher in an inner-city public school in Los Angeles. His students seem to have all the odds stacked against them--many come from poor families, broken homes, or speak English only as a second language. Gang violence in the neighborhood is common.

Despite this, the students in Room 56 learn personal discipline, critical thinking, patience, good sports conduct, maturity, teamwork, the virtue of hard work, and civility, as well as literature, math, art appreciation, analytical thinking, civics, drama, music, and more. Many go on to win scholarships to prestigious universities. It isn't easy. Two of Room 56's mantras are "work hard" and "there are no shortcuts."

One of Mr. Esquith's teaching principles (implied, though I cannot recall that it was explicitly stated) is that everything ties together. For example, he uses sports to teach statistics and personal discipline. He uses art to teach math and teamwork. He uses drama to teach literature and problem solving. He uses rock music to enhance an appreciation of Shakespeare. And so on.

The book is peppered with anecdotes, examples, and resources for aspiring teachers and/or parents committed to obtaining the best education possible for their children. Many of these best practices may be easily incorporated into home life as well--whether or not you choose to home school--in order to build upon lessons children learn in school and so avoid the tendency to forget (such as over summer break).

Some other reviewers have commented that Mr. Esquith has an ego and accuse him of false modesty. There may be some truth to those accusations. I also noticed in his books a tendency to justify himself. However, let us be fair as well. Mr. Esquith has a near-evangelistic passion for teaching and a scathing impatience for those who would "dumb down" education and thereby short-change our children's futures for any reason, be it profit motive, political expediency, or rigid regimentation. If he thinks well of himself, then I believe that the many extra and unpaid hours that he puts in have earned him that right.

For anyone who fears that public schools are failing our children and our country, this book may both inspire and convict you. Room 56 is how it can--and should--be.
Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56

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.

Keywords: Education, Teaching, Critical thinking, Statistics, Children, Parenting, Shakespeare
If you care about the state of education in America, then this book deserves your attention. Mr. Esquith is a national award-winning fifth-grade teacher in an inner-city public school in Los Angeles. His students seem to have all the odds stacked against them--many come from poor families, broken homes, or speak English only as a second language. Gang violence in the neighborhood is common.

Despite this, the students in Room 56 learn personal discipline, critical thinking, patience, good sports conduct, maturity, teamwork, the virtue of hard work, and civility, as well as literature, math, art appreciation, analytical thinking, civics, drama, music, and more. Many go on to win scholarships to prestigious universities. It isn't easy. Two of Room 56's mantras are "work hard" and "there are no shortcuts."

One of Mr. Esquith's teaching principles (implied, though I cannot recall that it was explicitly stated) is that everything ties together. For example, he uses sports to teach statistics and personal discipline. He uses art to teach math and teamwork. He uses drama to teach literature and problem solving. He uses rock music to enhance an appreciation of Shakespeare. And so on.

The book is peppered with anecdotes, examples, and resources for aspiring teachers and/or parents committed to obtaining the best education possible for their children. Many of these best practices may be easily incorporated into home life as well--whether or not you choose to home school--in order to build upon lessons children learn in school and so avoid the tendency to forget (such as over summer break).

Some other reviewers have commented that Mr. Esquith has an ego and accuse him of false modesty. There may be some truth to those accusations. I also noticed in his books a tendency to justify himself. However, let us be fair as well. Mr. Esquith has a near-evangelistic passion for teaching and a scathing impatience for those who would "dumb down" education and thereby short-change our children's futures for any reason, be it profit motive, political expediency, or rigid regimentation. If he thinks well of himself, then I believe that the many extra and unpaid hours that he puts in have earned him that right.

For anyone who fears that public schools are failing our children and our country, this book may both inspire and convict you. Room 56 is how it can--and should--be.
Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56

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.

This book is for teachers of middle school kids. It is a 5 star book for teachers. I gave it 4 stars because the audience is too narrow. I am a parent and a teacher. As a teacher I got plenty out of the book as a parent it was limited. With just a little more thinking there could have been more gold in here for parents to use with their kids. There are some fabulous ideas and techniques for teaching in this book along with some wonderful morals to live by. A few teaching ideas can be used by parents and certainly the morals section is well worth a thoughtful cup of tea moment. ( followed by a lifetime of learning to live up to it). The entire book is a wonderful teachers resource and would make a great gift for a middle grade teacher. It was truly inspiring to see what 10 year olds are capable of given the right teacher and some dedication. I would never have considered the depth of music training Rafe offers was even possible in one year. Personally I think the art needed more but I guess most parents don't see that as an important part of their child's schooling overall.
I enjoyed it so much that I will seek Rafes other books to read, hopefully finding the gem for parents in those? Recomended for all middle years teachers and anyone with an interest in educational excellence.

When you think you know everything about education it is time to quit. Reflect on what you do and work endlessly to engage and inspire students. Rafe Esquith loves teaching and students and that comes alive in this award winning teacher's book Teach Like Your Hair is on fire. This book looks at various subjects and how to creatively grab kids.(Math, Social Studies, Science, etc.) Esquith is best known for his students who perform the classics.(The Hobart Shakespearians- they are world famous-Ian McKellan is a fan) If you are a veteran educator or just starting out, Esquith makes you think about why we do what we do in the classroom and who our most important clients are-the kids. There are weaknesses in our educational system and not everyone in it works hard but the author reminds us that dedicated professionals make a difference that can change lives.

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 enjoyed reading the book, it was certainly well-written. It's amazing what one teacher has managed to accomplish with a group of kids who otherwise would have been relegated to the future "have-nots" of America. I would love to have such a great bunch of kids in my classroom - and I do have some really sweet, caring students.

But then it got depressing. I started the year with 171 students. The idea of giving that much attention to each and every student is quite daunting. I suppose it must be easier in elementary school...but then, my husband teaches in an elementary school district and he has 40 kids in his classroom. Unfortunately, some of them have bigger problems than he can deal with in the classroom - students who are on probation for serious issues of violence, students who are already parents at age 12, etc.

What was really depressing was looking at how much time he spends to get these results. 12 hours a day? 6 days a week? If I spent that much time on raising other peoples' kids, who would raise MY kids? I want to be a great teacher, and I do my best - but I also have a husband and three kids of my own who need some attention from time to time. I'm not going to give up on being a part of their lives so I can turn out excellent students - I'd like the parents of my students to help me along the way. Sadly, many of them don't. It's the teacher's problem if they aren't behaving, and it's the teacher's responsibility to fix the problem - but you can't actually do anything to fix the problem, because the parents will sue.

I do recommend this book as an interesting read. But it's certainly not as inspirational by the time you finish it as it was in the beginning.

Haim Ginot once said that,"...the teacher is the decisive element." I must say that Rafe Esquith reflects the truth of that statement as well as any teacher that exists. I was thrilled from the beginning of his awesome book to the very end.

Rafe Esquith is a fifth grade teacher in the now famous Hobart Elementary School in inner-city Los Angeles. His room (56) has become just as famous.

Esquith loves teaching like chocoholics love chocolate. He would teach for free. Actually, he does teach for free for part of the year. (He works year round.)

The kinds of things he gets his students to accomplish are nothing short of incredible. They read difficult literary works, like To Kill a Mockingbird, and virtually everything by Shakespeare. They tour and perform his plays. They learn to play musical instruments. They become excellent math students, learning advanced algebra and problem solving. They are mannerable and polite. They know all kinds of interesting facts about virtually every subject under the sun. They give their time to charitable causes. And they are only fifth graders from impoverished backgrounds!

Rafe's book has seventeen chapters and an epilogue. The book is well-written and highly readable. Rafe has a tendency to brag, sort of, but when you're that good and that confident, it sort of leaks out, so I don't hold it against him too much.

One slight downside to his methodology is the sheer enormity of time it would take to produce the kinds of results he gets. Most teachers cannot afford to work those kinds of hours year round, including weekends and holidays. It would cost them their marriages, their relationships with their children, or give them a nervous breakdown. Still, this book is extremely inspirational, and shows what all kids are capable of doing when they have a teacher like Rafe Esquith to believe in them. I wish every school had a Rafe!

During our teaching careers, most of us have experienced a few "Ah-ha" moments. For Rafe Esquith, his wake-up call was literally when his hair caught on fire during a science experiment. Why was he the last one in the class to realize his head was ablaze - because he had inadvertently reached classroom nirvana.

I think of it as being in the zone, Esquith labels it "ignoring the crap," either way, this gifted teacher had a transcendental moment that altered his educational philosophy forever and his influence is rapidly spreading into classrooms across the globe. Part quixotic and possibly part "mad," he has transformed his 5th grade class, of mainly ESL students, into Shakespeare-quoting individuals who have learned how to take charge of their own learning.

Esquith's book challenges such issues as the obsession with high-stakes testing, unresponsive administrators, ineffective professional development opportunities, and the "demons" that take away our energy and spirit. At the heart of his "cookbook" is getting students to take responsibility for their actions and to value failure as an integral part of the learning process.

Check out this book because it explores the realities of teaching difficult students, as opposed to your typical educational log of impractical theories. Pick up this book if you agree with his classroom motto of, "Be nice, work hard. There are no shortcuts." Finally, purchase this book if the biggest fear for your students is that they become ordinary.

Lastly, what really motivated me to buy this book was that Esquith hasn't been lured out of the classroom. Instead, he continues to embrace his mission of finding the different keys it takes to ignite each of his students.

Michael James D'Amato, author of "The Classroom"

This book really deserves 4.5 stars, but there isn't an option for that, so I rounded down to 4. Esquith is undoubtedly a gifted educator, and does a very good job with the writing in the book. I'd highly recommend it to anyone involved with kids in any capacity. Rafe's experiences, frequently humorous stories, and amazing accomplishments will definitely encourage and motivate the reader to do more, to go further in the pursuit of Room 56-level education.

I found the description of the 6 levels of motivation (taken from "To Kill a Mockingbird", if I recall correctly) the most germane to my life, and the most helpful no matter what the reader's situation. Pay special attention to that chapter.

Other highlights include Esquith's techniques for teaching math, and his focus on teaching his student's basic finance and money skills. Since virtually no schools (and few parents) in America teach students any practical money-management skills, that second point in particular could be put into practice by any elementary or middle-school teacher successfully.

The only negative about this book is that it may mislead a young teacher into thinking they can accomplish what Esquith has without the kinds of resources he currently has had access to. It's easy to jump right past the parts of the book where Esquith reports how difficult it was to add things to his classroom early on, and to think that anyone can purchase full studio music setups or professional-quality intruments. To his credit, Esquith quite intentionally dissuades the reader from this idea, but I don't think he goes far enough.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone involved with children or education in any capacity. It is inspiring, moving, and at times very emotional.

Rafe Esquith does not claim to be a teaching genius. He is honest about mistakes he has made over the years but his dedication to his students and his principled approach to teaching shine through on every page.

His classroom management skills are centered on Lawrence Kohlberg's Six Levels of Moral Development. As I read about his students accomplishments and challenges it occured to me that a teacher can get a lot of teaching done when students are willing to learn and will forgo disruptive behavior.

One the most moving things about Esquith's Room 56 is the fact that former students return there on Saturdays to study and learn. Esquith shares book lists and resources that he uses and is brutally honest about faculty meetings and the latest ineffective fads in reading and writing instruction.
Teachers and school administrators will be inspired by this book.

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This is an oldie-but-goodie.

"Teach Like Your Hair is on Fire" is not an instructional manual. It is the story of one teacher and his students.

Rafe Esquith is a teacher who provides flexibility within a thoughtfully-structured environment, enjoys his students, expects them to do well, and supports their learning curves with time, trust and imagination. His experiences may or may not be the same as your own, and that is OK.

Read this book for pleasure and you will find some nuggets of wisdom.

Kim Burdick
Stanton, Delaware

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.

The author provides examples of how teachers can involve students in
individual projects geared to their level of interest and understanding
of the subject. In this way, students with below average skills can
come up to the standard. One example shows how students scoring below
90% on their homeworks were required to redo them until their score
reached the 90% level.

The work criticizes over-testing students in the schools. Some educators favor tests while others don't. The work is helpful in pointing out areas where testing creates more work for teachers/administrators so that the net institutional effect is counterproductive. The testing is needed to verify basic benchmarks and promote students objectively.

A beauty of the work is that it depicts variable learning environments which elicit creative experiences from both teachers and students.
The idea that benchmarks are not needed lacks support in formal
academe.

In my own experience, formal testing should be combined with
class projects, participation, required readings, small group
discussions, films on the technical subject matter and guest
speaker engagements, where feasible.

The book supports the notion that formal standardized State tests
should not constitute the "be all" and "end all" of academic performance
measurement/evaluation. This work would be helpful for anyone teaching in
the public or private school systems in grammar, high school or
collegiate settings.

The professions mandate course content by law. Therefore, teachers have
little discretion with the subject matter of the course and the need
for students to pass rigorous licensure examinations. These licensure
examinations are comprehensive in nature and the grading rubric is
highly standardized. There is very little or no room for deviation
from the prescribed course content written into the law itself.

Primary, middle school and high school needn't require this level of
structure; however, some benchmarks should be measured to assess core
competencies. School administrators have problems with achieving
minimum levels of competence because they issue these standardized tests
too late for a meaningful assessment and corrective action. The tests
should be administered earlier in the semester so that the teachers
can adjust instruction strategies to accommodate both marginal students
and exceptional ones.

This guy sounds like he started out as an average teacher, but as the years of teaching passed by, he searched and found better ways to do things. He's got amazingly good ideas and he shares all of his tips on how he turned his ordinary classroom into something extraordinary. I don't see how incorporating his strategies could result in anything less than a classroom that is far, far above average.

This book was fun and interesting to read. It provided concrete examples of teaching techniques, web sites, and other resources for teachers and parents to use with their students/children. It also made me want to cry. My fourth grade daughter has just spent half a year with a teacher in her first year who conceals her fear through ridiculing the students, and who tells the students if they attempt to correct one of her many mistakes "not to be back seat drivers". She is the type of teacher that when confronted with a group of fourth graders who needed to brush up on multiplication skills chose to send home 100 long multiplication problems to be completed by all over the weekend including the kids who had no problems with multiplication. No creativity. No actual ability to teach children. Also she is just plain mean. Anyway- good teachers will be inspired to be better teachers from this book. Mediocre teachers will be intimidated. Bad teachers will soundly refute the book. Parents will find resources to use and have an example of what school should be in the best possible world.