Teacher Man

Frank McCourt has given a new dimension to teaching in this non-fictional account. He writes about teaching and learning and teaching to learn and learning to teach.

McCourt’s journey is rooted in Ireland, from where he seeks to rise in the minds and hearts of the students in New York’s public schools, through his unconventional, inspiring approach to teaching. As he explores his own identity, he accepts that teachers don’t have all the answers, and that is only human. His creative writing class reads and sings cooking recipes, his English class discusses Little Bo Peep!

Even when we don’t relate to the Irish life or the NY adolescents, we end up becoming a part of the Teacher Man phenomenon. The racy, decryptable writing makes you belong in McCourt’s classes. His humble, inquisitive approach to teaching makes you want to learn, as though it comes from choice and not force.

Great teaching, great writing and very inspirational. If you’re a student, it will give you a new perspective on learning. If you’re a teacher, you’ll want to follow in McCourt’s footsteps. If you’re neither, you’ll want to become either one. Go read it, while I try to get my hands on Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis.

RIP Frank McCourt aka Teacher Man [20th July, 09].


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7 Comments

  1. pranavb.wordpress.com

    Finally 🙂

  2. Sounds very very interesting!! I shall read it! 🙂

    happy Diwali! 🙂

  3. Very interesting. It is always true that one can learn easily when they do it out of interest rather than by force. I always believed and loved Experimental learning rather than the formal lectures and presentations.

  4. docmitasha says:

    Teacher Man is one of my solid favorites. I am in general a very big fan of McCourt, ever since I read Angela’s Ashes. I love all three of his books so much, because they make me feel so much…they take me through this whole range of emotions and drive me to think about the very simple things, like how a teacher says hello to his students. He is an amazing writer.
    Angela’s Ashes will make you cry, will make you laugh so much, and will break your heart and at the same time leave you feeling refreshed. I don’t know how, but his story is so sad yet he writes it with so much humor, wit, and poignancy. I can quote parts from that book that are hilarious, and also very thought provoking, when you think of it as a discussion of Catholicism and Catholic Ireland. Lovely. Will look forward to seeing how you feel: always get excited when I see you reading something familiar! 🙂

  5. @ Amit: Yeap, read it if you get a chance.

    @ pranavb: Finally, indeed 🙂

    @ Nikhil: you’re back 😀

    @ Dinesh Babu: Absolutely!

    @ docmitasha: haha, love to see you all excited over books. I think I must get Angela’s Ashes right away! Thanks for the inspiration 🙂

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