It Wasn't in the Lesson Plan
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About
Lesson plans are an essential part of a teacher's day and help to guide the learning process in the classroom. But Anne Tenaglia discovered early on that there were more crucial ways to ensure the success of her students. Most of the time, the more valuable tools were not in the lesson plan at all. It Wasn't in the Lesson Plan takes us into the world of an urban elementary school teacher, introducing the reader to her students, and their trials and tribulations. She discovered early that an advanced degree does not always guarantee that a teacher would be able to help all students succeed. But as much knowledge as she imparted to her students, they returned the favor by instructing their teacher how to make them want to learn. These lessons did not come easy, they were often learned the hard way. Sometimes they had to be learned more than once, but each lesson brought their teacher to a closer understanding of the needs of her students. Read through the pages and laugh at the antics of a student who copes by turning down his hearing aid, or the young man who uses humor to deal with his hard knock life. Beam with pride at students who used lessons learned in reading, writing, and math to take them far. Cry when the mean streets and other catastrophic events prove fatal for children too young to die. Admire the students who, despite all odds, become contributing members of society. Become frustrated with the bureaucracy of a big city school district whose policies sometimes don't make sense. Learn how important music is in the everyday lives of elementary students. Each of the lessons in the book teaches the instructor new ideas that help transform the lives of her future students. And through it all, music, empathy, and respect are interwoven and ever-present in the daily trials and triumphs in Anne Tenaglia's urban classroom.
Praise for this book
The struggle in city schools is an old one, but this story is told through the eyes of a flexible, smart, and determined teacher with 37 years of experience in Philadelphia schools. The stories of the children she helped and tried to help in her career say much about the triumph of academics when poverty drags students down so far they sometimes cannot progress. However,as interesting as the anecdotes in this book are, they really reveal something else equally interesting: the emotional journey of a talented educator. She had to adapt to new situations every year, and each student presented challenges she was willing to work to overcome.
I am just blown away by the stunning successes she recounts and equally moved by some of the sad failures. This book definitely would be a great handbook for new teachers, no matter where they happen to be. The stories are ones that could only be told through experience. The trove of notes, journals and anecdotes that the author collected over the years in order to write this book are invaluable in of themselves. Equally interesting is the personal development she experienced through each and every student that came into her classroom. While this is not the purpose of the book, the anecdotes take you through a breathtaking journey of years, leaving you with a deep admiration for the woman who lived all this. If you've ever lost faith in the public school system, this lady will give you new reason to hope. If there are more people like her out there, students will be truly blessed.
Finally, even if you are not a teacher, there is a lot to learn from this book. Understanding, willingness to bend the rules, and compassion coupled with a sense of fun and an ear for music could go a long way for just about anyone negotiating the jungle we know as modern life. The lessons not found in the plan are for all of us.
I was rather skeptical about the five-star reviews for this book because it looked like most of them were written by the author's friends and colleagues. They mostly had one review: this book. I am happy to report that the five-star reviews are fairly earned, and not only that, not nearly high enough a mark for this book.
I read the book hungrily and was delighted by her wise and honest observations. Of course, teachers coming into a city school should read it, but us parents too. It gives us an insight into what goes on inside those walls while we're out doing other things. The author shows not just techniques for offering the ladder of success to these children, but an attitude that works, crafted by years of successes and failures. We need all our new teachers to understand what goes on in the lives of the students, and to understand that their (teachers and students both) jobs will not be easy but there is a good chance for success!
What a great read...I couldn't put it down! The author shows us, through vignettes starring various students that have stepped through her classroom door, that each and every student in a classroom has a story to tell. And not all stories have happy endings.
The author is one of those people truly worthy of the title "teacher". She not only hears the stories of her students, but strives to help them add worthwhile chapters to their life stories.
As I start my tenth year teaching in the poor, indebted school district of Philadelphia, I am grateful to have this book by my side. In her 37 years of teaching, the author had her ups and downs but always learned from her children. This served as a reminder to me that the relationships we forge with our students are much more important than whatever materials we don't have in our classrooms.
I could see myself and my students in a part of every vignette. Thanks Mrs. T!
Great lessons for all. Wishing the children in my family had such a knowledgeable, caring and open teacher. Even though you've retired, through this book you will continue to teach. I am recommending it to my family and friends as a must read. Thank you Mrs. T for sharing your lessons.