The accidental teacher

Mr. Mandel has penned a highly humorous, deeply entertaining account that captures the blight of the American public school system using Augusten Burroughs-esque wit. A must-read for the heartfelt story alone, but the comedic flare really boosts it up the autobiography genre totem pole!

This book is the perfect blend of wonderful storytelling and disturbing facts about the politics and ridiculous rules within the public school system. 

I am an alumni of the school in the book, as well as a former employee. I, too, had Ms. Havisham as a boss. Believe everything Eric writes. Like he says, you can't make this "stuff" up. It's a story of abuse of power, incompetence and downright meanness of spirit. But this book isn't a negative rage against the machine. It's a very positive story of what can be accomplished by someone who cares more about the students than the bureaucratic BS. 

If there were more teachers like Eric, we could probably worry less about our future. As a non-credentialed teacher thrown into the lion's den of "resource classes", Eric's journal of his experiences will make you laugh, will make you cry, will make you angry. It's a wonderful story of a long journey with few rewards and many pitfalls, but the rewards realized make it all worthwhile. 

I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is a great read, and I hope there are more books in the pipeline from Mr. Mandel.

I have many teacher friends, and for some reason, they have either opted for early retirement or are counting the days until they can. Seems the joy has been sucked right out of being an educator. If you’re wondering why, pick up a copy of The Accidental Teacher. Eric Mandel’s firsthand experience as a non-credentialed high school English teacher in a California public school provides an outsider’s perspective of what’s wrong with our public education system today. There’s a lot.

Interestingly enough, the problems are not necessarily student-based, although every generation of students presents certain challenges. Teaching English to reluctant and damaged teenagers was a huge leap outside the comfort zone for Mandel, a rational 58-year-old retired man suffering from stress-related hypertension and recovering from back surgery.  In reality he was drowning in boredom when the opportunity to teach popped up. He suddenly saw himself as a reluctant juggler balancing classroom reality with the bureaucratic bullshit of public education.

With good teachers leaving the systems in massive numbers today and the student population continuing to grow, it’s not unusual for school systems to hire ‘non-credentialed’ teachers to lead the classrooms. From Mandel’s first interviews through his non-training to the first weeks in the classroom, he recorded his experiences and thoughts. The book reads much like shock and awe peppered with wry wit and droll humor. Stick with him and you’ll witness Mandel’s growth into a damned good teacher. The process implicated equal amounts of success and failure; discord and harmony; frustration and satisfaction.

By the end of the first semester, the school system’s shortcomings (non-functioning administrators, the evils of standardized testing, and lack of administrative support and training) soon out-number Mandel’s own limitations as a ‘non-credentialed’ teacher. His journey transforms him into a caring steward of the young people in his classes filled with misfits. In the beginning, he wings it for the most part, but bright guy that he is, he learns how to create learning experiences on many different levels in the classroom. Mandel represents a good case for re-thinking the credential requirements, especially with so many smart Baby Boomers with real-life experiences just looking for something to do. Wouldn’t that be far more valuable for students than the silly old No-Child-Left-Behind-driven testing process that dictates today’s teaching limitations?

Mandel really discovers purpose in his work and makes a positive impact on his students. By adding reality-based lessons into his classroom rather than the tired tried-and-true ones, he manages to make school more meaningful for most of his students. And he cares about his students, how rare is that?

The Accidental Teacher is highly recommended to school administrators, teachers, and soon-to-be teachers. Parents might find this to be good insight into just what their tax dollars are paying for as well.