Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56

Rafe Esquith

Jan 2007 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

Read Rafe Esquith's posts on the Penguin Blog.

From one of America’s most celebrated educators, an inspiring guide to transforming every child’s education

In a Los Angeles neighborhood plagued by guns, gangs, and drugs, there is an exceptional classroom known as Room 56. The fifth graders inside are first-generation immigrants who live in poverty and speak English as a second language. They also play Vivaldi, perform Shakespeare, score in the top 1 percent on standardized tests, and go on to attend Ivy League universities. Rafe Esquith is the teacher responsible for these accomplishments.

From the man whom The New York Times calls “a genius and a saint” comes a revelatory program for educating today’s youth. In Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire!, Rafe Esquith reveals the techniques that have made him one of the most acclaimed educators of our time. The two mottoes in Esquith’s classroom are “Be Nice, Work Hard,” and “There Are No Shortcuts.” His students voluntarily come to school at 6:30 in the morning and work until 5:00 in the afternoon. They learn to handle money responsibly, tackle algebra, and travel the country to study history. They pair Hamlet with rock and roll, and read the American classics. Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire! is a brilliant and inspiring road map for parents, teachers, and anyone who cares about the future success of our nation’s children.

Ratings and reviews

I love this book too! Seems like Jack Black would make a good Raif-hair on fire !! I have a child in Special Ed -since age 3-he just got put into the "will not graduate" group as he entered High School since his control freak abusive father got temporary custody and the school was all too happy to have a sociopath on it's side since they haven't been able to teach him to read for 12 years of blue ribbon schools. They prefer cited and talented.

Toi khong quan tam toi the loai vo on, boi chung la thu bo di. Toi chi quan tam toi con duong phia truoc.! Toi mong sao mot ngay nao do the gioi se thiet lap duoc mot moi truoc lanh mang dung nghia danh cho loai ngươi cua chung ta.! *Ho Van Tam*

Voi toi, bon tre chung no la mot co so don gian vi vay ban chi can ngan chung no tiep xuc voi moi truong ta hai o xa hoi la duoc, roi ban huong dan cho chung con duong ma chung chu tam den la duoc, dieu do la boi toi cung tu hoc duoc o moi truong tu do nay va no da cho toi tu do nhan thuc de roi toi tu y thuc duoc tat ca khia canh cua tat ca the loai linh vuc ma con Nguoi da dinh hinh duoc tu qua khu cho den hien tai ngay hom nay va cung nhu nhung ngay tiep theo ma toi con ton tai o Xa Hoi su song nay.! *Ho Van Tam* Noi dung cua toi.!

About the author

Rafe Esquith has taught at Hobart Elementary School for twenty-two years. He is the only teacher in history to receive the National Medal of Arts. He has also been made a Member of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth. His many other honors include the American Teacher Award, Parents magazine’s As You Grow Award, Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, and the Compassion in Action Award from the Dalai Lama. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Tong. Read CBS's news story on Rafe Esquith.