Teacher Man: A Memoir

Teacher Man

It had been awhile since I had read Frank McCourt. I had read the rivoting accounts known as Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, and my son purchased this book for me on the chance I would be interested in a 3rd installment. Teacher Man has brought me back to the reason I love reading: Frank McCourt's ability to create a moving account of experience with humor and honesty. While I read, he is a friend telling a story, teaching a lesson, and sharing pain. Thank you, Mr. McCourt, for another glimpse into your brilliance in simplicity.

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A reviewer

Frank McCourt's poignant account on his experiences as a teacher is sure to open the eyes of those living in mere oblivion or outright ignorance those who think teaching is 'easy' and 'so what if teachers are underpaid, they get all those days off'. He falls nothing short of genius and his words are undoubtedly captivating. This book is surely one of the year's best, and it's truth --that teachers are society's unsung heroes-- promises to reach even the most stoic of people.

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A persistent man!

This man is a true survivor. I feel like I know him, since he continues to expose his vulerabilies to us in his writings. In his books, I followed him from his birth in America, through his very rough childhood and adolescence in Ireland, then back to America. I love the way he shares with us his insecurities and takes very little credit for his successes. In Teacher Man,it seemed as though his life as a teacher was one big experiment that seemed to work for him and most of his students. I always thought that teachers had all the answers. What folly! I am a nurse and I certainly don't have all the answers either.

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America's Teacher Man

Teacher Man is an inspiring novel about a man pursuing his dream of becoming an English teacher. Beginning his first year teaching he slowly figures out universal secrets of becoming the ultimate teacher. He almost gets fired during his first few days Frank McCourt overcomes these difficult times and continues with his teaching. After switching to numerous schools Frank found the school which suited him best. Between the different cultures of students he had varieties of difficult situations, for them to overcome their problems along with Frank. Because of the different cultures he had to face, Frank was able to overcome his fears and stand with confidence in front of the classroom. Gaining control of the classroom was one of the biggest accomplishments Frank overcame. A major theme of the novel is to be yourself. This is important because showing people who you actually are shows them you are not afraid therefore are confident they will be able to uphold a relationship. He displays this by first going into a new classroom timid, but then after a while he feels he has the freedom to show the class he is open to new and exciting ideas. Once he had started to loosen up he rambled on about things that are not relevant to English. This book is highly recommended because it shows everyone to learn to be happy with themselves and not change for anyone. Another recommended book would be 'Tiss and Angela¿s Ashes which are novels Frank McCourt has also written. The overall rating is completely outstanding.

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A gem

Frank McCourt is without a doubt one of the most skilled and entertaining writers I have ever encountered in my many years of reading for pleasure.His intelligence, wit, sparing prose, (no excess verbiage), e.g.'At thirty I married Alberta Small....' That's all we hear about Alberta until occasional mentions creep out during the rest of the book to help the reader get to know Alberta. Another example is 'My Papa's Waltz' by T.Roethke,a poem used in one of his lessons. It is such a moving poem in so few words. McCourt's kindness and sensitivity towards his students, together with his unique teaching style,makes me wish all teachers were as talented. Learning would be enjoyable for every student.I am glad I read Angela's Ashes first. It gave me an understanding of how Frank McCourt evolved. Apart from his teaching career, his personal life is facinating-that old Irish guilt thing rears its ugly head and makes for many funny stories.

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Right up there with Ashes...

This memoir cannot possible receive less tham 5 stars. Whether you are familiar with McCourt's background or are a first time reader, this books grabs you and it's hard not to race to get to the end. Then when the end comes, disappointment sets in, for you realize you have devoured it too soon. The fact that McCourt chooses to view his life with humor rather than drama is a treat for us all...all of us who 'get it'.

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This book stands on it's own

Although this book is being hailed as the end of Mr. McCourt's trilogy, I think that is really not the case. Each book stands on its own. You don't have to read the first two to enjoy this third. I have read all three and enjoyed each one. This book gives those of us who aspire to be become writers, hope in our future if we just follow McCourt's advice. He makes it sound easy, but of course, it isn't. I predict that Frank McCourt will go on to win prizes for writing this book as he did with the other two.

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The Great Teacher Man

The memoir "Teacher Man" by Frank McCourt is one of the best books I have read in a while and really made me not want to put it down. The book is a re-calling of his teaching days in NYC and his personal life as well as his triumphs and down-falls. There is a mix of humor, honesty, courage, grit, and sarcasm which makes this book delightful to the reader. He also uses a very unconventional teaching style in which he teaches his students in the ways that they know best. For example, he had his students write an excuse note for Adam and Eve to give to God. The witty and honest tone of the book was one of my big likes about this story and also seeing how the inner-city schools are a lot different than my own, and I could relate to that and think about what it would have been like as a student or as a teacher. The one confusing part of the book was how McCourt very seldomly used quotations, which sometimes made it hard to follow who was talking, or if in-fact, someone was talking in the first place. If you are a student, or especcially a teacher, I strongly reccomend this book for you. Even if you are none of the above, I think you will definitely get something out of this book. McCourt's best-seller is "Angela's Ashes" so if you are unfimilliar with Frank McCout, this might be a good starting place. I give this book 4 stars.

Amazing

In my opinion, his best work.

Touching and funny, a must-read for all teachers

If you're a teacher, McCourt's book will make you nod and smile. You'll recognize some of the same classroom scenes today.

His first two books I loved them.

This was too much of the same thing and I could not read it, took it down to our community library. I read the first two books he wrote and they were wonderful.

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Not McCourt's Best Work

Teacher Man is a great disappointment. In my opinion, McCourt peaked at Angela's Ashes- a book I loved. All the sympathy that he was able to garner from me in Angela is gone. Teacher Man is about a teacher that whines about teaching, kids, the public school system, marriage- you name it. You don't cheer for him like you do in Angela. Again, wish he stopped at Angela.

Teacher Man has a lesson for all of us.

Teacher Man is Frank McCourt's compelling memoir of his days as a NY city school teacher. Unadorned with high prose, unfettered by lofty ideals, McCort drags the reader along on his bumpy professional and personal journey. It's real, it's exciting, and it's the best argument for raising teacher salaries I've ever seen.

I highly recommend the unabridged audio version, read by the author. It's hard to beat the combination of McCourt's lean writing an is serious Irish brogue.

Great teaching tool!

I found this to be an excellent teaching tool for myself and for presentation to my students. Frank McCourt was a good teacher, but he also had to learn about being a teacher. Good reading, and I was inspired to read his other books, as well.

Another fine work by McCourt

I had somehow overlooked this book in the years since it was published. McCourt's obituary in the Times mentioned it so I ordered it and his other two books, just to update my library.
Teacher Man is fascinating. A study of a man driven to teach who uses his life experience to entertain and cajole students to learn, listen and ultimately to write. The book held my interest and I found myself laughing out loud at some of the antics McCourt pulled in his classroom. And sympathizing with him when there was a bad day or a failure to reach a promising student. Like his first two books, Teacher Man is driven by McCourt's singular voice and wit. I'll admit he charmed me even through a few rough spots in the narrative. A book well worth the price and the time.

I don't read books alot, but this kept me hooked

I think that this book was very good. The dialogue to me is very interesting, I think how he did it was very effective. Frank does not use quotation marks throughout the entire book. This forces the reader to be engaged in the book or else they would get lost. Once you start to read the book you'll understand who is talking. Also it provides for the book to be read more smoothly and fluent.
Without giving too much away from his book, the plot structure was very easy to follow. He jumps through different times in the book. He goes from his childhood to the classroom and his personal life. He goes through all aspects of his life, not necessarily in numerical order. How he writes the plot is telling many different anecdotes jumping from past to present. It makes you feel he is sitting down with you telling his life story in person.
His reflections in the story were griping. I enjoyed the fact that he stayed honest in his writing. Since it is a memoir he told it from his prospective. Like anybody, he does not remember everything word for word exactly how it happens. He stays honest in his writing and tells the reader that he is not exactly sure about all the details. As a reader you feel more comfortable reading his version of the story and it makes the narrative more believable.

Story Man

This is what shaped him. Teaching is what molded him into Frank McCourt. As McCourt had been a teacher for some thirty odd years, he reflects on how his experiences in the public High Schools of New York, to his final destination of the prestigious Stuyvesant High School shape him as not only a teacher, but also into the writer he becomes. McCourt in the very beginning simply states, ¿My life saved my life¿ (20). And his life is the story that he tells.
A great teacher is a great storyteller, and McCourt is exactly this. The kids at McKee Vocational and Technical High School, his first teaching job constantly implore McCourt to tell the story of his life (although it is mostly to waste time). But, McCourt responds anyway, ¿Instead of teaching, I told stories¿ (19). In parallel, as McCourt talks about his childhood in Ireland, NYU, and working on the Brooklyn fish docks to his students, he simultaneously shows the story of his teaching career and students. His stories became his life ¿ his life saved his life.
McCourt is very hesitant at first to try writing. McCourt as a teacher is McCourt as a writer. He is a pushover, hardly taking risks. ¿I envied him [Edward Dahlberg] for living the life of a writer, a dream I was then timid to chance. I admired him or anyone who went his own way and stuck to his guns¿ (106). It is only in relating to his students, who are mostly of immigrant families like him, and hearing their stories that McCourt realizes he can ¿drop the teacher mask¿ (130), thereby dropping his mask as a writer, and do what he envies Dahlberg so much for doing; being a writer.
A great storyteller is not just a teacher, but also an enchanter. In Teacher Man, McCourt is the enchanter. He says that ¿Dreaming, wishing, planning: it¿s all writing, but the difference between you and the man on the street is that you are looking at it, friends, getting it set in your head, realizing the significance of the insignificance, getting it on paper¿ You are your material¿ (246). He sees the significance in his ¿insignificant¿ life story because his students almost forced him to reflect upon it with their not ¿ so ¿ sly tactics to try and get out of learning English. And because of teaching, Frank McCourt showed himself that the teacher man with the mask is not always the teacher. Sometimes, without knowing it, those who you are teaching, are the ones that end up, teaching you.

Review for Teacher Man

Teacher Man is a great novel about a man named Frank McCourt, who is born in Ireland and moves to America to become an English teacher. In New York he taught at many schools were he faced problems with many staff members and parents until he found the right high school for him. In the Beginning of the book, it is hard for Frank but towards the middle and end of the book he is an incredible teacher and really values his career. A major message or theme in this book is to not give up. When Frank first became a teacher a thought about quitting because it was very difficult for him but he never gave up. I didn¿t like this book because it seemed like in most parts, the story went on and on. Frank also goes into more detail then what is necessary. I think someone should read this book because it shows how Frank Mc Court¿s love for being a teacher has impacted and recreated some many of his students lives. Other recommended books: -all his work

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Overcoming Obstacles

Teacher Man is about a man that moves to America to be a teacher from Ireland. He discovers that it is totally different. When he starts out in the beginning it is pretty hard for him to adjust. Towards the middle and end of the book he becomes this great teacher that everyone loves. In this novel it talks about all of his experiences and obstacles that he goes through and overcomes. I feel like when reading this book it is one inspiring but at the same time it drags on about the same thing. This novel is in such great detail that you feel like you know him on a different level then just an author. In a way it would put a thought in my head if I do really want to be a teacher. This novel is an ok book to read. I think that if he did not drag on and on about the same thing it could be better. It does put you in his shoes and what it was like for him to come into such a different teaching environment and what it feels like to be the teacher that he is. If you like novels that go into great detail then I would recommend this novel to you but I would not if you are not good with reading when it drags on and on.

A man from Ireland comes to America to teach New York teenagers

Teacher Man is a great novel about a young man named Frank who comes to America from Ireland, and becomes a teacher. Frank taught at many different schools in New York. He faced many difficulties while he is teaching, including problems with staff members and parents. He also had to deal with the different classes of people and the different groups in New York. Frank starts off having a hard time teaching, but towards the middle of the book, he turns to be an awesome teacher. When Frank is first teaching he has a hard time letting the students know who is boss, and they take advantage of him. Frank soon learns that he can make class fun and still have the students learn. Frank learns how to improve his teaching skills and turns out to be an amazing teacher. He shares with his students a lot about his past in Ireland, and they are interested. The major theme or message in this book is to learn to be you. A couple of students in the book have difficulties with who they are and Frank does to. You learn that you just have to be yourself and things will work out in the end. Another theme in the book would be not to give up. Frank questioned teaching and thought about quitting, but he never gave up and now look at where he is! I really liked this book because it showed how unique Frank was in his teaching. He taught a couple of lessons that no one thought would apply to anything, yet in the end the students loved the lesson and learned many new things. It also gives you a good perspective on the teaching career. I did not like how Frank kept jumping back into his past. The novel was difficult to follow at times, but other than that it was a great book. I think that if you want to be a teacher or if you want to learn more about the teaching career, then you should read this book. Other recommended works would be `Tis and Angela¿s Ashes.