TechIntersect

(Frank McCourt photo by David Shankbone)

This week I was saddened to learn of the passing of Frank McCourt. Professionally, Mr. McCourt was a teacher for more than 30 years, but he wasn’t known for his life’s work of teaching. He was better known as the author of the autobiographical “Angela’s Ashes.” I actually read his three books in reverse order, reading his final book “Teacher Man” first. Once I read this man’s approach to teaching, I was hooked.

In Teacher Man, he describes his first day in the classroom, completely unprepared for the world that he had just entered. The students were having an argument, tempers flared, and someone threw a sandwich that landed at McCourt’s feet. So he did the only thing that he could think of, he picked it up and ate it. Throughout his book, Frank McCourt describes in delightful detail the joys & pains of learning the profession of teaching. Without formal teacher training, he simply did what came naturally, usually bringing out the very best in his students. One of my favorite writing activities that he describes is “write an excuse note from Adam & Eve to God”.

McCourt experienced and dealt with the very same things that teachers today are faced with. He writes:

I was uncomfortable with the bureaucrats, the higher-ups, who had escaped classrooms only to turn and bother the occupants of those classrooms, teachers and students. I never wanted to fill out their forms, follow their guidelines, administer their examinations, tolerate their snooping, adjust myself to their programs and courses of study.

Frank McCourt taught using his strengths and he really didn’t care a great deal what others thought about his methods, because everything he did was ultimately for the benefit of his students and their learning. He should be an example to teachers everywhere. Read his book!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS