The book I read was Teacher Man by Frank McCourt. For 30 years Frank McCourt taught a high school English class in New York City. As a teacher Frank McCourt thought of himself as a fraud; he wasn't sure of what was his purpose for teaching. His book illustrates the public school system of the fifties and sixties. Frank McCourt always had different teaching methods that other teachers didn't always agree on. He used personal stories to go along with his lessons. McCourt's focused was the students. McCourt used student's slag words, and unique dialect to have a better interaction with them. By his actions he was able to inspire many of his student to look forward to the future. McCourt's purpose for writing this book is to illustrate his struggles and achievements as a teacher in the American public school system. His point is clearly illustrated throughout his novel.
The book is well organized. It begins with his childhood in Ireland and then develops into his school life then this teaching career . From his first year of teaching and so on. The structure of the book was very helpful to fully understand the novel. Because of the layout of the book you could understand why McCourt wanted to become a teacher. Also understand why McCourt used the different teaching strategies that others didn't agree on. Why he didn't stick with teaching from the books but instead to involve a little anecdote to go along with every lesson so his students could interact and understand the lesson better. The layout was very effect to the understanding of the novel.
The author is Frank McCourt, he has also written a very popular book titled Angela's Ashes. Publisher Weekly said: "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...should be mandatory reading for every teacher in America. And it wouldn't hurt some politicians to read it, too." Teacher Man has received very good reviews from the critics.
The main point of the novel is to illustrate to the public how education works. Show everyone the struggle of teachers and the influence they have on their students. From reading this book novel I've learned that teaching methods don't have to be conventional. The assignment that McCourt gave to his student that stood out the most to me was to write and excused note from Adam or Eve to God. This was interesting because its not an assignment people receive often.
This book tied to my topic because it is based on the American education system and how it can be changed to help the students. This novel help me understand or see that one teacher or classroom can make and impact on the way you learn. One teacher influenced lots of his students by being more interactive with them and helping comprehend everything clearly and in a way that is fun and that they will remember for the rest of their lives.
