American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom - Hardcover

Katrina Fried

4.69

13 ratings by Goodreads

9781599621272: American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1599621274 ISBN 13: 9781599621272

Publisher: Welcome Enterprises, Inc, 2013

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Celebrating educators, who go far above and beyond the call of duty, American Teacher shines a spotlight on one of the most underappreciated, undercompensated, yet critically important professions in the world. Over the course of two years, Katrina Fried has interviewed and written the stories of 50 extraordinary teachers from kindergarten through 12th grade, selected from public and charter schools across the United States. The result is a collection of inspiring and informative first person-narratives accompanied by heartfelt letters from students and captivating portraits taken by celebrated photographers from around the country such as Peter Feldstein, Roman Cho, Paul Natkin and Laura Straus.

American Teacher introduces us to classroom heroes like Stephen Ritz of NYC's South Bronx, who uses sustainable agriculture as a tool to engage and inspire his neighborhood's most at-risk special-needs students; Rafe Esquith, a trail-blazing, multi-award-winning educator and author, who has spent 31years teaching 5th grade from within the same four walls at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles; and Iowan Sarah Brown Wessling who's unique "learner-centered" approach to teaching high school English earned her the 2010 National Teacher of the Year award.

These are our most unsung heroes, the men and women responsible for molding and preparing our children to meet the challenges of the 21st century. In the face of increasing class sizes, insufficient resources, and budget cuts, many of our teachers are dipping into their own pockets and personal time to bridge the gap for their students; they are finding innovative and engaging solutions to institutional problems and changing the outcome of countless lives in the process. Hear their stories, see their faces, and join us as we pay tribute to their passion and sacrifice.

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Review:

I want to go back to class!" - Mika Brzezinski, about the book on Morning Joe (MSNBC) with author Katrina Fried and teacher Michael Goodwin, December 4, 2013In "American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom," Katrina Fried's subjects inspire optimism for the future. Her homage to 50 classroom mentors is an appropriately weighty volume, featuring interviews, stories and full-page photos of educators and their students. All teach in public or charter public schools, and their classroom experience ranges from two to 52 years. Some came from privilege, others from poverty; all are committed to teaching. From the "Rappin' Mathematician" of Escondido, Calif., to the multimedia teacher in South Burlington, Vt., they can all boast of highly successful students. Most have won formal recognition, from "Teacher of the Year" in their districts or states, to a Presidential Award for Excellence and the National Medal for the Arts. You'll want to give a favorite teacher this book--and you'll wish you could enroll in one of these classrooms yourself. - Cheryl Krocker McKeon, bookseller, Book Passage, San Francisco for Shelf Awareness, November 29, 2013"I am excited to see the work of such an inspiring group of teachers celebrated in "American Teacher." Our country cannot thank teachers enough for the work that they do. And of course it is wonderful to see Suney Park from Eastside Prep featured in this book. She gives so much of herself to her students and in opening her classroom to the Khan Academy team has also taught us more than we could have ever anticipated." --Sal Khan, Founder & Executive Director of Khan Academy "As with many of the best books about education, this is a wonderful cookbook. It's filled with a variety of recipes, and the reader will certainly find something exciting on the menu. Good teachers will get even better by adopting some of the ideas featured in American Teacher. How nice to have a positive light shone on public schools and some of the thousands of individuals who make a difference every day." --Rafe Esquith, teacher and author "It is an absolute honor to be included with so many outstanding educators. Reading the stories of these fine individuals makes one thing abundantly clear to me: we are a nation filled with exceptional educators who are helping guide some of the world's most talented youth. This book may be about specific educators, but its message is about the work that is being done at the schools in your community." --Jeffrey Charbonneau, "2013 Teacher of the Year," Zillah High School, Zillah, Washington "It is an inspirational book with beautiful photographs showing amazing teachers and the love they have for their students and their work. Every policymaker in the country should have a copy." --Esther Wojcicki, "2011 Charles R. O'Malley Award for Excellence in Journalism, Columbia University, Chair of Creative Commons" ""American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom" adds significant weight to the argument that teaching is an art form. Great teachers are not the byproduct of effective state or federal policy, and they cannot be formed from the ribs of staff development. Great teachers, like great athletes, artists, and surgeons, possess an innate talent and a passion for their craft that cannot be replicated in the laboratories of policymaking, assessment, or reform." --Josh Anderson, "2007 Kansas State Teacher of the Year, "Olathe Northwest High School, Olathe, Kansas "Teachers live on islands disconnected from fresh ideas & innovation that the school across the country might be testing as impressively as her neighbor across the hall. "American Teacher: Heroes in the Classroom" brings her Rafe Esquith and 49 others who found a niche of healing, a gift of academia. Now we all have the p --Sarah Brown Wessling, "2010 National Teacher of the Year," Johnston High School, Johnston, Iowa

About the Author:

Katrina Fried has previously written Everyday Heroes: 50 Americans Changing The World One Nonprofit At A Time, American Farmer, and as Senior Editor and Assoc. Publisher of Welcome Books has edited or produced numerous award-winning and bestselling titles including: Artists in Love, The Oxford Project, Gay in America, The Last Good War, Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town, Cooking with Italian Grandmothers, Primal Cuts, On The Street, and Red Carpet. Creating unique visual narratives that push the boundaries and traditional limitations of illustrated books is her greatest passion. She lives and works in NYC and Northern CA. Foreword writer Parker J. Palmer is a writer, speaker and activist who focuses on issues in education, community, leadership, spirituality and social change. He is the founder and Senior Partner of the Center for Courage & Renewal, which oversees long-term retreat programs for people in the serving professions. Palmer holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley as well as eleven honorary doctorates, two Distinguished Achievement Awards from the National Educational Press Association, and an Award of Excellence from the Associated Church Press. He is the author of nine books, which have sold more than half a million copies, including several best-selling and award-winning titles: "The Courage to Teach," "Let Your Life Speak," "Healing the Heart of Democracy," "A Hidden Wholeness," "To Know As We Are Known," "The Active Life," and "The Heart of Higher Education" (with Arthur Zajonc). In 2011, the Utne Reader named him one of 25 visionaries on its annual list of "People Who are Changing the World." He lives in Madison, Wisconsin.

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