Teacher Man, by Frank McCourt

I believe this book is one that all teachers can find a way to relate to. Like McCourt's other books it's a memoir of a part of his life. It starts off with the beginning of his teaching career at McKee Vocational and Technical High School in New York City. He talked about how difficult it was to connect with students in his class due to their lack of interest, and how easy it was for first-year teacher to lose their jobs. McCourt was able to find a way to talk about another part of his life through another story. What I mean is he informed readers about his experiences through dialogues. From his classroom he talked about his experiences working on the docks, in high school and college classrooms, the education he received and how you took whatever work you could to earn a living. He talked about his college classes and exams he took in order to get his teaching credentials, but overall this book told the story of how his thirty-years of teaching helped him become a great writer. I thought this book was interesting, but at times I did get bored. This book showed difficulties many people face when striving to become a teacher, and how many difficulties teachers face everyday with their students. It was interesting to see everything in the classroom from the teacher's perspective, and it helped me gain a different respect for teachers. Now I realize how difficult it is for them to stand in front of hundreds of kids every day, and how every year they start from the same place. You don't realize how much time and effort teachers put into their jobs, or how much bravery and patience it takes to try and get their students involved in the classroom. My favorite part the book was advice he had given to a substitute teacher, and that was to find what you love and do it. I enjoyed reading this book and I would definitely recommend it to people interested in becoming a teacher and anyone that enjoys reading memoirs.