Topic > Letter to a Young Teacher - 645

Letters to a Young Teacher Letters to a Young Teacher is an inspirational novel written by Jonathon Kozol. It is a collection of letters written to a teacher with the pseudonym Fancasca, who teaches in a school in the city center. Kozol gives advice that all new teachers should listen to. It also delves into some of the politics and policies affecting teachers around the world. I really enjoyed reading this book. He spoke about his own experiences teaching in elementary school; it made the whole book feel very real and relatable. His concerns about policies affecting teachers gave the book greater depth and is something all teachers can get behind. As inspiring as this book was, it was also very scary and disheartening in places. The disparity between what children need and what policies are implemented is terrifying. I also personally witnessed a teacher being handed what is basically a script and told to teach it. Kozol explains it very well. He compares it to “those miserable 16-city European tours where people are told they can never get off the bus” (Kozol, 50), and this is true. Even in Letters to a Young Teacher he opposes having to "teach to the test". He argues that there are qualities that students can bring to the classroom that cannot be measured by standardized tests. Letters to a Young Teacher does an excellent job of highlighting the differences between the values ​​of teachers and those who control the policies made in the education system. In the lessons found in today's classrooms, there is little room for creativity or deviation from the heavily scripted curriculum. Students are not encouraged to raise their hands and make everyday life connections to share with the rest of the class...... middle of paper...... importance of why you should never give up on children. While the policy stories were powerful, it was the stories involving children that affected me the most. It really hits home that “victories are victories” (Kozol, 68). A teacher's job and top priority is student success and providing them with the tools and lessons they need to achieve. It is not limited to the skills and tools taught by the curriculum. Things like curiosity and critical thinking, humanity and empathy are also needed. Nowhere in today's school curricula is there talk of "joy", "joy" or "kindness", which are as important in school as technical skills. (Kozol, 100). This is exactly what I learned from the book, the need to incorporate these things into education to stimulate student motivation to learn and grow..