Alexandra Robbins

This might hit a little too close to home and/or be slightly painful/triggering for educators to read. But what a good and necessary book. I found myself getting nervous when the author kind of glorified the extremes that teachers go to, and was glad when she pointed out how absurd it is that we expect educators to do those things for students. The only thing I would have liked was mayyyybe a slight pushback against the expectation to work after hours, always be answering phone calls, texts, show more and e-mails, etc. show less

This is an important book for anyone who has a stake in education, whether you work in it or are a parent who has a kid in it, this book details the struggles teachers and students face–the everyday struggles of simply learning material and gaining social emotional skills, and the struggles that simply shouldn’t be struggles, like lack of funding and unsupportive administration. However, Robbins doesn’t let the tough times overshadow the special moments that make teaching and education show more worth it. This book is a great balance of harsh reality and heartwarming inspiration.

Truly, this book has my heart. With my husband being a now-school librarian and a former English teacher, and having studied education, student taught, and tutored for quite some years myself, I see how teachers are consistently undermined and undervalued in their profession. This book speaks to those experiences but also shows just how dedicated most teachers are.

I love the combination of personal stories from Robbins’s correspondence to other teachers and data from studies and surveys. It provides a nice touch to show the human, emotional side of what the data represents. She goes through the school year, following three teachers in three different areas of the country. I fell in love with them and their stories. I cried when I read about the impossible situations they sometimes found themselves in.

Teaching is a tough job, made tougher by lack of administrative support and funding in many places. Robbins doesn’t shy away from the tough parts–where administration keeps painting over mold in a classroom, despite inherent health risks–where a special education teacher’s classes are overloaded with students, creating an unsafe environment. These are common situations many teachers find themselves in and often they don’t feel comfortable fighting against it because they don’t want to lose their jobs.

But Robbins also shows the rewarding part–the moment when you see a concept click with a kid–when a shy student feels safe and comfortable enough to come out of their shell–those wonderful times when a student calls you their favorite teacher and is so excited to see you and learn with you every day. It’s these moments that keep teachers going and that makes the profession so special. I love that she captured part of that.

I really loved this book for its honesty and its efforts to show a true glimpse of teaching. I think this is a great book to read for people who aren’t in the classroom every day to get a glimpse of just what is happening in education and be better informed as to what to advocate for when it comes to public education. show less

Robbins interviews and gets to know several real young people who are struggling with being on the outside of various more popular cliques in high school. Her writing flows well, and seems almost like fiction as she introduces us to her subjects. These narratives are interspersed with essays on the philosophy of the "outsider", and how the most difficult times often result in these students gaining the resilience and independent thinking they need to become successful adults.

It's very well show more written and accessible. The reader gets caught up in the lives of the teens profiled, and can see, even if they can't, how their special skills will serve them well as they get out in the world.

"Geeks" would be an affirming, reassuring, and potentially life changing book for the adolescent "geek" (outsider) who reads it, and could help them to feel more optimistic about their futures. show less

As with "The Overachievers," this book should be required reading for all teachers. I wish I could ask for an all-staff book club situation, but unfortunately, I don't quite trust that every one would read it...and to understand how that statement is relevant, pick up the book and read the section about how schools and teachers often contribute to the clique culture...it will make sense.

At times this was hard to read, as it forced me to examine my own behaviors both as "the adult in the show more room" and as a colleague. I hope I haven't blatantly contributed to the clique hierarchy in my school, though after reading this book, I'm sure I have. Now that I am more aware of how teachers reinforce conformity, I'm determined to be better for those students who might be, as Robbins puts it, "on the cafeteria fringe."

Yes, non-fiction takes longer to read, but Robbins' writing style is so accessible that I didn't want to put it down. I wanted to know how the kids she focused on changed, and I wanted clues for how I could help similar students in my school.

As I read, I thought about some of my students from this last year, and how they might enjoy reading this book as well. show less