Genealogy Books - Teacher Man: A Memoir

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Summary: Third times the Charm...
Comment: I don't believe there can be much more to be said about the Charms of Frank McCourt. Even when he
is divulging his shortcomings, his wit and bare-knuckled honesty draw you in.
/>"Teacher Man" is, to me, quite different than his previous two works, but completely enjoyable
down to the last tale. I think it makes a great gift to every teacher who has ever struggled with
their profession and the demise of their idealistic vision. It stands out as a shining beacon that
you don't have to be "perfect" to make a life changing difference in the lives of a student.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Teacher Man: A Reality Check
Comment: A fellow teacher and friend recommended this book to me; I had never heard of it previously,
surprisingly. I knew I would like it just by looking at the cover and first few pages: Frank
McCourt's sense of humor and finesse with teaching really shows through with two photographs there
especially. He takes the reader easily through the span of his teaching career with a string of
hilarious anecdotes and shares invaluable, yet typical, insight along the way. McCourt really
refreshed my sense of what teaching was, is , and can be along with putting teaching situations and
education in perspective. As a teacher of high school Language Arts, I often wonder whether or not
it's me, the kids, or both. Whether he intends to or not, McCourt reassures educators like me that
educating youth is an ongoing, if not sometimes stifling, doubting, and frustrating struggle. Kids
have always been kids, so to speak, and the best teachers have always been just that too. A true
reality check for public school systems in a time of No Child Left Behind. It does a stunning and
long-lasting job of reminding us that making kids think is what we yearn for and that, sometimes, we
realize that yearning, in spite of ourselves. Thanks Mr. McCourt for revitalizing a part of me that
had been a bit bogged down!

Customer Rating:

Summary: Puzzling
Comment: I am puzzled by this book. The first paragraph stated McCourt's pride over having made something of
himself after a terrible childhood. He then proceeds to tell the story of his teaching as part of
this. He admits himself that he felt like a fraud much of the time. I can see why! Most of the
anecdotes cover stories of his childhood and he admits to not having control over the students. (He
seems to waver between intense pride and self loathing.) Although I enjoyed many of his
anecdotes(the assignments to write a suicide note, a excuse note to God from Eve, and reading
recipes to music), I spent a lot of time wondering how he could have been a wonderful teacher and
had kids flocking to the classroom. I must assume that there is something key to McCourt's charming
classroom manner that he left out.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Terribly boring and repetitive
Comment: I purchased this book with the hopes of having something fun and enjoyable to read, but ended up
struggling to finish it. I have never read Angela's Ashes or 'Tis, but at this point I don't think I
want to!

The book started off with McCourt being a teacher trying to find his way in
the teaching world and trying to figure out what works with the students, but then it seemed to stay
there. Throughout the entire book it seemed that he was more worried about the students liking him
than actually teaching them anything. And even after 30 years of teaching apparently he still has no
idea what he's doing and still just wants his students to like him.

As I haven't read
his other books I didn't mind the flashbacks to his childhood in Ireland, although he seems to
repeat the same types of situations over and over. But his stories about his students and their
parents were even more repetitive. At one point I thought i'd put my bookmark on the wrong page
because I was sure i'd read a certain part already, but, no, he was just telling a "different" story
that was exactly like the others.

As this book is only 257 pages long I expected to
finish it in a day or two but it took me almost a week because I just didn't WANT to read it. Maybe
if i was a teacher i'd find it more amusing, but I say don't waste your money buying this!

Customer Rating:

Summary: Life and Teaching Are Not Easy
Comment: I was very surprized about this book. Frank McCourt was not the jovial , funny loving man I thought
he would be. In this memoir, Mc Court writes briefly about his college education, his early years
teaching at vocational high schools, and finally with pride some interesting lessons he taught at
Stuyvesant High School.McCourt writes honestly about the difficulty of teaching . There is some
humor in his story ( McCourt developed his students' writing skills by having them practice writing
excuse notes). McCourt also had some sexual affaires before and during his unhappy marriage. />
I liked this book. It was honest.I came away from the book thinking that we shouldn't give
up on ourselves. No matter how old we are we can still make a differnce. Frank McCourt was 66 years
old when he wrote his first book.

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