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Title details for The Teachers by Alexandra Robbins - Available

The Teachers

A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable, Important Profession

by Alexandra Robbins
Alexandra Robbins
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
A National Bestseller
*Winner of the 2024 DKG International Educators Book Award*
A riveting, must-read, year-in-the-life account of three teachers, combined with reporting that reveals what’s really going on behind school doors, by New York Times bestselling author and education expert Alexandra Robbins.
Alexandra Robbins goes behind the scenes to tell the true, sometimes shocking, always inspirational stories of three teachers as they navigate a year in the classroom. She follows Penny, a southern middle school math teacher who grappled with a toxic staff clique at the big school in a small town; Miguel, a special ed teacher in the western United States who fought for his students both as an educator and as an activist; and Rebecca, an East Coast elementary school teacher who struggled to schedule and define a life outside of school. Robbins also interviewed hundreds of other teachers nationwide who share their secrets, dramas, and joys.
Interspersed among the teachers’ stories—a seeming scandal, a fourth-grade whodunit, and teacher confessions—are hard-hitting essays featuring cutting-edge reporting on the biggest issues facing teachers today, such as school violence; outrageous parent behavior; inadequate support, staffing, and resources coupled with unrealistic mounting demands; the “myth” of teacher burnout; the COVID-19 pandemic; and ways all of us can help the professionals who are central both to the lives of our children and the heart of our communities.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    March 14, 2023

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593671634
      • File size: 299544 KB
      • Duration: 10:24:02

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from January 16, 2023
      Journalist and substitute teacher Robbins (The Nurses) offers a poignant, behind-the-scenes exploration of America’s public schools focused on three teachers in different regions of the country. Miguel, a middle-school special education teacher in the West, advocates for his students against a hostile school board. Penny, a sixth-grade math teacher, navigates a toxic culture of teacher cliques in the South, while Rebecca, an East Coast elementary school educator, struggles to find time for a life outside of school. Robbins vividly chronicles their challenges, successes, and motivations, showing how Covid-19 “further exposed the nation’s shameful treatment of teachers” when short-staffed school districts ordered underpaid educators to give up their lunch and planning periods to take on extra students and duties. Interspersed with the profiles are incisive essays—based on interviews with hundreds of other educators—on such topics as parental aggression, high stakes testing, inadequate support staff, and school violence. Robbins provides eye-opening statistics (94% of public school teachers spend their own money on supplies; 44% of new teachers leave the field within the first five years) and commonsense solutions (better pay, more staffing). This deeply researched and impressive study brings home the fact that America underinvests in the education of its children—and that teachers step in to fill the gaps. Agent: Gail Ross, Ross Yoon Agency.

    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      Award-winning journalist Robbins (The Nurses) narrates her behind-the-scenes examination of the daily life of teachers. Over a school year, Robbins followed the lives of three teachers from different cities and types of schools. These teachers' similar experiences showcase systemic problems within America's public education system. Robbins interviewed teachers, parents, students, and administrators, employing their words and insights to support her narrative. Some content leans heavily into politics, but Robbins's primary focus is to candidly highlight the struggles teachers face--understaffing, inflexible testing schedules, school violence, and demanding parents--as well as their passion for their profession. Each chapter contains a mix of quotes and essays, with the bulk of the chapter focusing on the three teachers' stories. In audio, the boundaries between quotes, supplementary essays, and reports are occasionally unclear, which may be confusing for some listeners. Even so, the stories that Robbins shares are impactful--simultaneously heart-wrenching and heartwarming. VERDICT Through Robbins's firsthand knowledge of teaching and her investigation into the lives of other teachers, she reveals the harsh realities behind this honorable and challenging profession. A timely, essential listen for teachers and nonteachers alike.--Amber Wessies

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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