176 Days: A Teacher's Diary of an Unexpected Year

by Gregory Michie

In August 2022, veteran Chicago teacher Greg Michie set out to document the daily joys, frustrations, banalities, and occasional triumphs of an entire year in his classroom. But it wasn’t going to be just any year. During the summer, Michie’s principal informed him that his assignment had changed. Instead of teaching 7th and 8th graders—as he had done for years—he would become what is known in Chicago as a “prep” teacher, responsible for teaching all 425 students in kindergarten through 8th grade. Despite over thirty years of experience as an educator, he felt thoroughly unprepared.

176 Days tells the story of that school year via Michie’s daily dispatches from Room 201, as well as additional retrospective commentary from the author. It is not an airbrushed, carefully curated view of a teacher’s work. Rather, it’s an in-the-moment, candid, and—thanks to the frequent voices of children—often humorous account of life in one classroom as it happens.

Praise for 176

“Greg Michie is a beautiful storyteller who invites readers into 176 honest, unpredictable, fulfilling, joyful days of teaching. I laughed, cried, and felt seen...We need these very moments to laugh, cry, heal, and wonder--to remind us of who we are and who we serve.”
GHOLDY MUHAMMAD, Author of Cultivating Genius and Unearthing Joy

“This is exactly what teachers need right now...Greg shares captivating stories that enable us to experience the beauty and essence of listening to and learning from children.”
YOLANDA SEALEY-RUIZ, Professor of English Education, Columbia University

“The vignette form of 176 Days makes it ideal for all levels of teacher preparation, and for educators seeking a pick-me-up in these difficult times. I loved it.”
SOPHIA SARIGIANIDES, Author of Letting Go of Literary Whiteness

“Michie’s honest and vulnerable portrayal of classroom life captures the highs and crushing lows a teacher can experience with realness and an authentic blend of student and teacher voice.”
MAYRA ALMARAZ, Co-Founder/Co-Director of Critical Learning Collaborative

197 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 16, 2024

About the author

Gregory Michie is a public school teacher in Chicago and senior research associate at the Center for Policy Studies and Social Justice at Concordia University Chicago. He is the bestselling author of Holler If You Hear Me (2nd ed.), See You When We Get There, and We Don’t Need Another Hero.

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book and all of Michie's work which helps to make the bigger issues of teaching clear by focusing on the little things. Using this with my foundations of education classes this year!

[Erika · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn’t planned on reading this over winter break, but am glad I did. Learned about this book on TikTok and bought it on Amazon after seeing it wasn’t available through my public library. The book captures a public school media specialist’s reflections on his final year before retirement, during which he teaches all K–8 students at an urban school on Chicago’s southwest side. Presented as a daily journal, it traces his 176 days in the classroom throughout the 2022–2023 school year. Michie is humble throughout and never presents himself as having all the answers. Still, the way he teaches students about media-how it shapes perceptions and influences the world-is incredibly powerful. Media is arguably one of the strongest forces shaping children today, from social media and streaming platforms to podcasts, apps, and video games. Helping students understand how media can influence them, both positively and negatively, gives them tools to be more thoughtful and informed-what we definitely need in 2025. In his final year, Michie had the freedom to teach in this way, guided by standards rather than a prescribed curriculum. Reading this made me reflect on many aspects within my own classroom. Recommend!