An interesting review of Teacher Man

Ron Charles' review of Teacher Man by Frank McCourt is notable for (1) it's negativity; and (2) the fact the Charles was once an English teacher himself. He writes:

As deeply as I abhor the test-driven atmosphere that’s turning schools into re-enactments of Hard Times, I couldn’t shake my skepticism of the antics McCourt celebrates. Charming students with your personal life is one way to lead them into the wisdom, beauty and inspiration of literature, but for the teacher this is such an intoxicating, addictive method that it’s hard to keep the real destination clearly in mind.

He ends the review with the following observation:

And at most, he’s described the teacher we all wish we’d had.

If I ever gave the impression that I regretted having Mr. McCourt as a teacher, that would be a completely false impression. He was the most entertaining and enlightening teacher ever, even though he didn't teach us any English.

But Charles' point, which I think I agree with, is that the English teacher's job is to teach English, it's not to entertain and enlighten.

Comments

[Samuel Alito]

I believe that the truly great high school English teacher (and why does it seem that a disproportionate number of truly great high school teachers teach English) strikes a balance between entertaining the class and getting the material across. This is part of the reason that I disapprove of "creative writing" classes in high school -- students at this age still need to READ literature, and are not ready yet to write it.
There are few teachers who can charm a classroom into learning the difference between a participle phrase and a nominative absolute, but those who can are something special.

RHSAAjr

[Half Sigma]

Bright students are ready for creative writing. I did write one good story at the beginning of the class, but my major assignment, a play, was a piece of garbage.

I had several useless classes in high school, like printing shop and drafting. If those useless classes were replaced with a glass where an entertaining teacher just BSed with you, I think that would be a big improvement.

Maybe I received more personal benefit from McCourt's class than from one where I would have had to read Shakespeare. McCourt taught me that my parents were unsophisticated rubes, and that enlightement is priceless.