“The main reason I became a teacher is that I like being the first one to introduce kids to words and music and people and numbers and concepts and idea that they have never heard about or thought about before. I like being the first one to tell them about Long John Silver and negative numbers and Beethoven and alliteration and "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" and similes and right angles and Ebenezer Scrooge. . . Just think about what you know today. You read. You write. You work with numbers. You solve problems. We take all these things for granted. But of course you haven't always read. You haven't always known how to write. You weren't born knowing how to subtract 199 from 600. Someone showed you. There was a moment when you moved from not knowing to knowing, from not understanding to understanding. That's why I became a teacher.”
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Jacob recommended this book to me who knows how long ago and when I started my summer reading list, I decided, well, why not. I've always had this small desire in me to teach and someday, I will probably (hope to, at least) teach- middle school English would be my dream. That said, this book is not just for aspiring teachers. It is for everyone. Why? Because we have all been through elementary school and all people (unless you're heatless) appreciate the humor that is found abundantly in children.
Phillip Done crafts a wonderful telling of his experiences teaching third grade, and he does it with humor and enthusiasm that will have you turning pages endlessly. His stories are hilarious accounts of children telling the class less-than-favorable things about their parents, procedures for the "emergencies" that arise in a third grader's life, and a love that is palpable. Maybe I just have a habit of crying when it comes to sweet things that kids do, but I definitely teared up a few times throughout the book. Done reaches out to the innocence that you forgot was inside of you in third grade; his novel is very well and simply written written as well as an easy read.
Love always,
Ems
1 comment:
I always wanted to teach high school Spanish, but I've considered switching to elementary ed from time to time. Thanks for writing this review. I think I'll have to read it!! It sounds sweet :)
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