For 30 years Frank McCourt taught high school English in New York City and for much of that time he considered himself a fraud. During these years he danced a delicate jig between engaging the students, satisfying often bewildered administrators and parents, and actually enjoying his job. He tried to present a consistent image of composure and self-confidence, yet he regularly felt insecure, inadequate, and unfocused. After much trial and error, he eventually discovered what was in front of him (or rather, behind him) all along--his own experience. "My life saved my life," he writes. "My students didn't know there was a man up there escaping a cocoon of Irish history and Catholicism, leaving bits of that cocoon everywhere." At the beginning of his career it had never occurred to him that his own dismal upbringing in the slums of Limerick could be turned into a valuable lesson plan. Indeed, his formal training emphasized the opposite. Principals and department heads lectured him to never share anything personal. He was instructed to arouse fear and awe, to be stern, to be impossible to please--but he couldn't do it. McCourt was too likable, too interested in the students' lives, and too willing to reveal himself for their benefit as well as his own. He was a kindred spirit with more questions than answers: "Look at me: wandering late bloomer, floundering old fart, discovering in my forties what my students knew in their teens."
As he did so adroitly in his previous memoirs, Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, McCourt manages to uncover humor in nearly everything. He writes about hilarious misfires, as when he suggested (during his teacher's exam) that the students write a suicide note, as well as unorthodox assignments that turned into epiphanies for both teacher and students. A dazzling writer with a unique and compelling voice, McCourt describes the dignity and difficulties of a largely thankless profession with incisive, self-deprecating wit and uncommon perception. It may have taken him three decades to figure out how to be an effective teacher, but he ultimately saved his most valuable lesson for himself: how to be his own man.

The book arrived here today as an exchange book for Angela´s Ashes. Thanks very much mingvase! I´m looking forward to reading the book.

Frank McCourt could write hundreds of books, and I´d read them all! I just love his style of writing and I want to learn more about his life and his thoughts.

This book is great, as are the other two in this series, Angela´s Ashes and ´Tis, and the author makes you get into the story and into his live very quickly. It´s more like a novel than a memoir. Sometimes it´s very funny, and sometimes also a bit sad. I can only recommend this book!

The book will go to lady-liberty as a compensation for her team´s loss at the European football championship.

I read (and enjoyed!) Angela's Ashes already, also bought 'Tis a couple of weeks ago and now I found Teacher Man on the amazing table with lots of books during the great meeting HAMBOOK. Gonna read it asap - hopefully! :-)

Ein irisches Buch für eine irische Veranstaltung - mit Zwischenstation bei Maristella58000.

Dem neuen Besitzer wünsche ich viel Freude damit und würde mich sehr freuen, irgendwann einmal zu hören oder lesen, wohin die Reise des Buches gegangen ist und ob es ihm gut geht. :-)

***heute angekommen***
Vielen Dank an lady-liberty!

Das Buch begleitet mich am Sonntag zum meet-up ins AWH. Nach dem Frühstück gibt es dort irische Livemusik. Sollte das Buch bei dieser Gelegenheit kein neues Zuhause auf Zeit finden, wartet es im OBCZ-Regal auf neue LeserINNEN.

LiebeR FinderIN! LiebeR MitleserIN!
Du hältst ein "freies Buch" in Händen. Wenn Du es gelesen hast, kannst Du es zur OBCZ zurückbringen, weitergeben, verschicken oder...
Schön wäre es, wenn Du hier einen Journaleintrag hinterlassen würdest. So können vorherige und folgende LeserINNEN erfahren, welchen Weg das Buch genommen und wie es gefallen hat. Das ist kostenlos und anonym.
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