I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had
My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High
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4.1 • 129 Ratings
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had is television, screen and stage star Tony Danza’s absorbing account of a year spent teaching tenth-grade English at Northeast High -- Philadelphia’s largest high school with 3600 students.
Entering Northeast’s crowded halls in September of 2009, Tony found his way to a classroom filled with twenty-six students who were determined not to cut him any slack. They cared nothing about “Mr. Danza’s” showbiz credentials, and they immediately put him on the hot seat.
Featuring indelible portraits of students and teachers alike, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had reveals just how hard it is to keep today’s technologically savvy – and often alienated -- students engaged, how impressively committed most teachers are, and the outsized role counseling plays in a teacher’s day, given the psychological burdens many students carry. The book also makes vivid how a modern high school works, showing Tony in a myriad of roles – from lecturing on To Kill a Mockingbird to “coaching” the football team to organizing a talent show to leading far-flung field trips to hosting teacher gripe sessions.
A surprisingly poignant account, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny but is mostly filled with hard-won wisdom and feel-good tears.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this endearing memoir, Danza defies expectations by embracing his Taxi and Who's the Boss personae with self-deprecating humor and a deep appreciation for his new role as a 10th grade English teacher at Philadelphia's Northeast High School. With refreshing honesty, Danza recalls how the lows of his TV talk show getting canceled combined with his marital troubles propelled him to fulfill his long-lost desire to teach. The award-winning actor, with altruistic goals, reluctantly joins forces with A&E television to make his vision a reality and a reality television show. The kids in Danza's classroom seem to fit every stereotype of modern students, but the earnestness with which Danza approaches his year in high school is engaging. Throughout, the reader learns about Danza's commitment via his attempts to reach each student and to help them work through anger, parental problems, and social upheavals. He lucidly explains the plight of his students and his attempts to engage them with Shakespearean sonnets that may seem irrelevant to them and classic novels (Of Mice and Men; To Kill a Mockingbird). Danza's writing style is accessible to a wide audience, and while there might be a bit of the jocular boss left in him, he provides insights into a teacher's daily life.
Customer Reviews
See AllTeachers need support from everyone.
An inside look at the teaching profession that no one sees or understands. And the inside look at student life.
Suprizingly Inspirational!
I didn’t expect to me moved to tears!😳
I’d like to apologize to every teacher I ever had.
I was so impressed with this book and grateful that Tony Danza completed the year teaching and went on to document his experience. My husband and I used to be loyal watchers of reality TV shows, but we finally became disillusioned with the “drama” and the fighting that was consistently portrayed (and invented). We actually have now turned the TV off and are enjoying reading during the evenings. The positive result of our action is that we both enjoyed this book.
I really wish the production team had had the gusts and foresight to show the program as it took place. This was the real drama and reality that both the teachers and students would have been proud of. We would have been waiting each week to see the next showing.
Mr. Danza should be very proud of his accomplishment. I was so impressed by his imagination, empathy and insight regarding his classroom skills. As a result, we have suggested this book to so many people, including teachers and even a school superintendent. Good work - and thank you to the teachers that so richly deserve recognition for their service.