The way it spozed to be
by James Herndon
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Description
'The Way It Spozed to Be' deals incisively with what is still the root problem of ghetto schools: their appalling failure to reach the kids, their obsession with rote learning and imposed discipline, which only drives them further into apathy and rebellion. . . This book exposes the conflict between image and reality, between the way things 'spozed to be' and the way they are.Tags
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A first-year teacher's semi-stream-of-consciousness account of his first year of teaching in George Washington Junior High, somewhere in California. He captures the frustration and futility of trying to teach English to 7th, 8th and 9th grade students who have not been successfully educated up to grade level in their previous years in public schools. The mis-directed ambition of the students is especially poignant. It is a real downer to keep in mind that this book was written 40 years ago. I think not much has changed since 1965 for many students in similar circumstances.
Excellent look at the way things were in a mid-city school in the 70s.
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Author Information
5 Works 235 Members
James Herndon taught in California for more than twenty-five years and was president of his local teachers' union. His writing about education. established him as one of the most important voices of the nation's school reform movement.
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 1968
- Epigraph
- When the taxi does not move it does not move. When you feed it gas or treat it like a dead refrigerator it does not move. Burn it as quick as you can.
--Jack Spicer - Dedication
- For Fran
- First words
- We had just come out of the library from our first meeting with the principal, just the new teachers, perhaps fifteen of us.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)But frankly, I have almost no hope that there will be any significant change in the way we educate our children--for that, after all, would involve liberty, the last thing we may soon expect--and so I have thought merely to describe one time for you, parents, kids, readers, the way it is.
Classifications
- Genres
- Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction
- DDC/MDS
- 370.19 — Society, Government, and Culture Education Education Theory of education; Meaning; Aim Social themes
- LCC
- LC5131 .H4 — Education Special aspects of education Special aspects of education Education of special classes of persons Other special classes
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 112
- Popularity
- 289,260
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.91)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 6
- ASINs
- 7
