Michael James D'Amato

Michael James D'Amato is a middle school Social Studies teacher in New Jersey. He is a former Teacher of the Year and author of four bestselling books. His work has been highlighted in academic journals, magazines, newspapers, radio, and television. In 2009, D'Amato was nominated for GQ Magazine's "Better Men, Better World" award. He has spent the past seven summers helping bring teachers and students to the Dominican Republic for social justice tours.

Bill Bigelow of Rethinking Schools magazine on "The Dominican Experiment" -"Affectionate, humorous, and insightful... (an) alert to the contradictions inherent whenever rich and poor worlds collide."

Historian Howard Zinn on "The Classroom" - "...full of imaginative, original, and very practical advice for teachers. It is fun to read, and if applied by teachers all over the country it would make classrooms much more interesting and students better educated."

Sheryl Swoopes, 3-Time WNBA League MVP, on the book D'Amato coauthored, "Dream Real" - "a must for any young athlete who is serious about going to the next level."

Dr. Karie Mize of Western Oregon University, Dept. of International and Multicultural Education, on "Roam Italy" - "D'Amato conveys the transformative nature of traveling to a foreign country, especially at a time when xenophobia and ethnocentrism are exceedingly prevalent. Humorous anecdotes about living with an Italian family are interlaced with historical tidbits and insights about cultural traditions."