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"My Posse Don't Do Homework"
An account of an inner-city teacher's first years on the front lines at Parkmont High School presents entertaining anecdotes about how the former Marine employed various creative devices to get her students to learn.
226 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1992
37 people are currently reading
1292 people want to read
About the author
LouAnne Johnson
15 books57 followersLouAnne Johnson is a former U.S. Navy journalist, Marine Corps officer, high school teacher, and the author of The New York Times bestseller Dangerous Minds (originally My Posse Don't Do Homework). In 1989, LouAnne began teaching reading and writing to non-English speakers as an intern at a high school in California. Since then LouAnne has taught English, adult basic education, developmental reading and writing at high schools and colleges. She also designs and presents workshops in classroom management and motivation. LouAnne has presented keynote and commencement addresses to numerous organizations, including the National School Boards Association, the National Council on Curriculum Development, National University and the European Council of International Schools. She has appeared on several TV shows, including Oprah, CBS Eye to Eye, NBC Weekend Today, Maury Povich, Tom Snyder, and CNN."
At present, she lives in rural New Mexico with her adopted canine companion, Nellie, and an adjunct instructor for an online alternative licensure program for future teachers.
At present, she lives in rural New Mexico with her adopted canine companion, Nellie, and an adjunct instructor for an online alternative licensure program for future teachers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
September 12, 2020
The Magical Teacher Narrative is the belief that you don't have to change a students home life, their socioeconomic status, or their history. All you have to do is put a great teacher in front of them and they will succeed.
Its a common narrative in the media. Don't give schools more money just find a teacher (usually white) who is willing to give up their whole life for their students and they will all go to college.
Problem solved!
My Posse Don't Do Homework is probably more well known for the movie it inspired Dangerous Minds. Michelle Pfeiffer stars as LouAnne Johnson a tough ex marine turned teacher in an inner city school. I've seen the movie(its fine) but for me the best thing about Dangerous Minds is the song Gangsters Paradise by Coolio(of all people) that song still slaps.
I hated this book. Its a 1 star read but I love Gangster's Paradise so I added a star. From reading rave reviews of this book I've realized I'm not the target audience for this book. White people love this book and think LouAnne Johnson was a great teacher......But nah son nah.
I realize this book took place a long time ago and its clear things have changed but some things were never okay. Like...
Calling LatinX students her "Spanish babies" NO NO NO NO
Like..
Taking a male student out on a dinner by candlelight(just the 2 of them) NOOOOOO!!!!
Like...
Wondering why students whose parents work 2,3,4 jobs might not be able to help with homework or come to parent/teacher conferences. Bitch!!!! Really.
This book is a perfect example of what's wrong with the American education system. If you don't understand what kids are going through culturally and at home then you can actually help them. She didn't teacher her students, she admits that students got A's in her class but D's & F's in every other class. A few students saw improvement overall but she admits that they had stable home lives. She was an English teacher who didn't grade based on spelling, grammar or the length of the essay. Which is fine but ain't no(that's bad use of grammar) other teachers gonna grade like that. They definitely won't do that in college.
So....what are we doing?
I hate this book and I'm happy that my father made enough money to send me and my sister to predominantly white private school. But most Black and Brown kids don't have that luxury. A good education shouldn't be based on your zip code or your ethnicity. Every kid should be given a fighting chance at a good education. Education determines a lot of things in a persons life and more times than not poor mostly Black and Brown kids get the short end of the stick. And it pisses me off when somebody writes a book patting themselves on the back for working in an inner city school (btw most new teachers are forced to teacher in inner city or lower income school districts).
One teacher won't change the education system but money and policy changes will.
Its a common narrative in the media. Don't give schools more money just find a teacher (usually white) who is willing to give up their whole life for their students and they will all go to college.
Problem solved!
My Posse Don't Do Homework is probably more well known for the movie it inspired Dangerous Minds. Michelle Pfeiffer stars as LouAnne Johnson a tough ex marine turned teacher in an inner city school. I've seen the movie(its fine) but for me the best thing about Dangerous Minds is the song Gangsters Paradise by Coolio(of all people) that song still slaps.
I hated this book. Its a 1 star read but I love Gangster's Paradise so I added a star. From reading rave reviews of this book I've realized I'm not the target audience for this book. White people love this book and think LouAnne Johnson was a great teacher......But nah son nah.
I realize this book took place a long time ago and its clear things have changed but some things were never okay. Like...
Calling LatinX students her "Spanish babies" NO NO NO NO
Like..
Taking a male student out on a dinner by candlelight(just the 2 of them) NOOOOOO!!!!
Like...
Wondering why students whose parents work 2,3,4 jobs might not be able to help with homework or come to parent/teacher conferences. Bitch!!!! Really.
This book is a perfect example of what's wrong with the American education system. If you don't understand what kids are going through culturally and at home then you can actually help them. She didn't teacher her students, she admits that students got A's in her class but D's & F's in every other class. A few students saw improvement overall but she admits that they had stable home lives. She was an English teacher who didn't grade based on spelling, grammar or the length of the essay. Which is fine but ain't no(that's bad use of grammar) other teachers gonna grade like that. They definitely won't do that in college.
So....what are we doing?
I hate this book and I'm happy that my father made enough money to send me and my sister to predominantly white private school. But most Black and Brown kids don't have that luxury. A good education shouldn't be based on your zip code or your ethnicity. Every kid should be given a fighting chance at a good education. Education determines a lot of things in a persons life and more times than not poor mostly Black and Brown kids get the short end of the stick. And it pisses me off when somebody writes a book patting themselves on the back for working in an inner city school (btw most new teachers are forced to teacher in inner city or lower income school districts).
One teacher won't change the education system but money and policy changes will.
April 16, 2010
I decided to read this book after hearing an interview with Johnson on NPR’s This American Life. Johnson said her teaching experience wasn’t much like Michelle Pfeiffer’s teaching experience in Dangerous Minds, the movie inspired by Johnson’s book. She also said she returned, uncashed, the royalty check from the Dangerous Minds television show, a weekly drama inspired by the movie. Johnson didn’t want anything to do with it. And no wonder: The book is unlike the movie and the television show. In the book, Johnson never has her life threatened by a student. She never hosts a school fundraiser at a strip club. She teaches an Honors program for gifted students who have some of the academic struggles and behavior challenges depicted on the small and big screens, but not to the same degree. Most pointedly, at one point in the book, Johnson directly rejects the “teacher as savior” narrative that made the movie and television show so successful. When her colleague Bud criticizes her grading methods and then proceeds to glorify the time he spent working at a “dilapidated high school in the poorest section of the city” a few years prior, Johnson retorts, “Well, that was real white of you to go and help those poor little nigra and beaner heathen” (170).
I appreciated Johnson’s commitment to plot. Because so much writing about teaching is reflective, I found it refreshing to read something driven by action. The first two pages of the book contain these two sentences: “I couldn’t concentrate. Raul Chacon was standing in the middle of the parking lot outside my classroom, shivering in the freezing rain” (3), and “I had intended to keep Raul after class and give him a stern lecture, but I ended up giving him a hundred dollars instead” (4). Johnson doles out information in tantalizing, heaping teaspoons. One way she does this is by collapsing series of three or four small actions into quick, efficient summaries that propel the scene. Examples: “He leaned forward, crossed his arms on his desktop, and looked me straight in the eye” (33); “Jason was still holding the pencil, frowning at the page. A few words had been scribbled, but most of the exercises remained undone” (83); “I asked with exaggerated politeness. He ignored me. I leaned down and spoke close to his ear” (77); “I stopped dead and bellowed at top volume. It felt great, so I flailed my armes and shook my head wildly, letting my lips blubber loosely” (39). In the same way one detail in an essay or story can be described by activating “three sensuous strokes,” a scene can gain momentum with three small actions.
I also enjoyed Johnson’s intentional repetition when describing characters: “Mrs. Nichols cleared her throat and rearranged her necklace, three thick strands of braided silver rope” (18). Then, a page later: “Mrs. Nicols frowned and fingered her necklace” (19). Johnson uses the same kind of repetition in describing Troy Jones, a student with lightning bolts “shooting across his head” (77). A lengthier description: “His hair was cut close to his head, and a lightning bolt was shaved into the left side of his skull. Three tiny gemstones glittered on his left earlobe” (73). Then, a little later: “Troy Jones, complete with thunderbolts and earrings…” (85). Johnson refers to a hundred dollar bet she holds with one student four times in the first eleven pages, and then again at the very end of the book. On a practical level, repeating these salient details helped me keep track of the characters. Johnson taught four classes a day, and with so many of her classes full, I needed help keeping track of all the students.
I appreciated Johnson’s commitment to plot. Because so much writing about teaching is reflective, I found it refreshing to read something driven by action. The first two pages of the book contain these two sentences: “I couldn’t concentrate. Raul Chacon was standing in the middle of the parking lot outside my classroom, shivering in the freezing rain” (3), and “I had intended to keep Raul after class and give him a stern lecture, but I ended up giving him a hundred dollars instead” (4). Johnson doles out information in tantalizing, heaping teaspoons. One way she does this is by collapsing series of three or four small actions into quick, efficient summaries that propel the scene. Examples: “He leaned forward, crossed his arms on his desktop, and looked me straight in the eye” (33); “Jason was still holding the pencil, frowning at the page. A few words had been scribbled, but most of the exercises remained undone” (83); “I asked with exaggerated politeness. He ignored me. I leaned down and spoke close to his ear” (77); “I stopped dead and bellowed at top volume. It felt great, so I flailed my armes and shook my head wildly, letting my lips blubber loosely” (39). In the same way one detail in an essay or story can be described by activating “three sensuous strokes,” a scene can gain momentum with three small actions.
I also enjoyed Johnson’s intentional repetition when describing characters: “Mrs. Nichols cleared her throat and rearranged her necklace, three thick strands of braided silver rope” (18). Then, a page later: “Mrs. Nicols frowned and fingered her necklace” (19). Johnson uses the same kind of repetition in describing Troy Jones, a student with lightning bolts “shooting across his head” (77). A lengthier description: “His hair was cut close to his head, and a lightning bolt was shaved into the left side of his skull. Three tiny gemstones glittered on his left earlobe” (73). Then, a little later: “Troy Jones, complete with thunderbolts and earrings…” (85). Johnson refers to a hundred dollar bet she holds with one student four times in the first eleven pages, and then again at the very end of the book. On a practical level, repeating these salient details helped me keep track of the characters. Johnson taught four classes a day, and with so many of her classes full, I needed help keeping track of all the students.
September 21, 2010
I definitely enjoyed this book, but as I read I kept thinking "teachers can't do that now." Giving kids a ride home - definitely a no-no these days. Also interesting was the fact that she started off just teaching one class, later two, at most four. No mention of boyfriend or husband or friends outside of school - she was committed to those kids - reminds me of the old days when women were not allowed to teach after they got married. Still I enjoyed reading it.
March 13, 2025
One of my favourite movies as a teenager. Didn’t know it was based on a real teacher’s experiences, enjoyed reading it!
February 26, 2024
Ms. Johnson was my teacher at Deming High School from 2014 to 2015. During my senior year, I faced significant challenges with depression due to the loss of a family member. Initially, I struggled in her class and was disengaged from school. However, as the year progressed, I developed a deep appreciation for her teaching. Ms. Johnson proved to be an exceptional educator, and by the end of the year, I had not only regained my interest in writing and reading but also developed a genuine love for her class.
Now, at 26, married, and with a college degree, on my way to get my masters. I often think on the impact Ms. Johnson had on my life. Her unwavering belief in her students was a beacon of encouragement during a difficult time in my life. For the rest of my life I will remember her inscription on one of my essays: "you're going places." It was the first time a teacher had expressed such confidence in me. Ms. Johnson was a breath of fresh air in my school and I sincerely hope she is doing well. She really was an incredible and inspiring teacher. If she ever comes across this message, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude—thank you, Ms. Johnson.
Now, at 26, married, and with a college degree, on my way to get my masters. I often think on the impact Ms. Johnson had on my life. Her unwavering belief in her students was a beacon of encouragement during a difficult time in my life. For the rest of my life I will remember her inscription on one of my essays: "you're going places." It was the first time a teacher had expressed such confidence in me. Ms. Johnson was a breath of fresh air in my school and I sincerely hope she is doing well. She really was an incredible and inspiring teacher. If she ever comes across this message, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude—thank you, Ms. Johnson.
March 4, 2023
Schöne, inspirierende Geschichten ! Besser als der darauf basierende Film "Dangerous Minds".
March 25, 2017
This is one of those books that's just enjoyable to read. Every chapter is a different story, so you don't have to stress about an overall plot. The characters reoccur sometimes, but it doesn't matter if you've forgotten them. The writing is super readable, but there are still some quotable lines.
The book just makes you happy. Some really upsetting things happen, but Johnson is always sure to follow them up with a heart-warming story of something turning out perfectly. It makes you feel like the education system isn't broken after all.
I'm not sure how I actually feel about Johnson as a teacher, and I don't agree with a lot of the things she did, but this book isn't political. I just decided to sit back and read without judging her, and that was a lot more fun.
This is a good book for the next time you've read too many depressing novels in a row.
The book just makes you happy. Some really upsetting things happen, but Johnson is always sure to follow them up with a heart-warming story of something turning out perfectly. It makes you feel like the education system isn't broken after all.
I'm not sure how I actually feel about Johnson as a teacher, and I don't agree with a lot of the things she did, but this book isn't political. I just decided to sit back and read without judging her, and that was a lot more fun.
This is a good book for the next time you've read too many depressing novels in a row.
April 25, 2014
*This'll be for both this book and the next one (The Girls In The Back of the Classroom)
I decided to check out the books My Posse Don’t Do Homework and The Girls in the Back of the Classroom by Louanne Johnson after having seen the movie Dangerous Minds. Those are the books it’s loosely based off of.
These books are very raw. They’re nonfiction (where as the movie is fiction), written by Louanne Johnson herself, a school teacher in California. She's pretty admirable, because I know I could never handle teaching a bunch of kids (I don’t like them very much). But she really helped out a lot of people. I like both equally, the movie and the book. As far as comparing and contrasting goes, the books are more personal, and definitely more authentic. They are more complex too. The movie follows the archetype of teacher comes in, inspires troubled students, ‘saves’ them, etc. Which I love, don’t get me wrong. I’m a sucker for those kind of films. I love Stand and Deliver, Lean on Me, etc. But in the book, it goes into more detail about Ms. Johnson’s life herself, especially in the second one. You get a painful taste of what it’s like to be a teacher who cares as much as her.
Not all of it is happy endings. That’s obvious in the movie, but in the book, there are two situations. One with a boy named Attiba and another with a boy named Junior Advani. With Attiba, he just didn’t want help. And no matter how much you may want to help somebody, they have to be willing to help themselves. It takes two. You can’t do it if they continue to push you away. With Advani…at FIRST, I felt sympathy for him. Because I thought people were only judging him solely based on the way he looked. For having half his head shaved, for wearing Metallica shirts…you get the picture. I thought people were only judging him as being ‘Satanic’ because people like to stereotype based on the shallowest of reasons. However…as I started reading further into his story, I realized how crazy he really is. He held a knife to his mother’s throat. And all his father did was kick him out of the house for the night. When Ms. Johnson told his father he should see a counselor, he turned the suggestion down. And I was just like… ‘Your son held a knife to your wife’s throat…and you’re acting like it’s just no big deal? Wtf?!’ There were also several reports from kids saying he would chant Satanic things to them. There was even a girl who brought a knife to school—BROUGHT A KNIFE TO SCHOOL—risking expulsion just to protect herself, because she felt threatened by him. Basically this story ended with Ms. Johnson not being able to help him either because his father refused to cooperate, and the last time she saw Advani was in the hallway when he said, “Ms. Johnson, my favorite teacher!” Ms. Johnson said her blood ran cold, and there was seriously something wrong with that kid. This story was not only depressing, but a little scary actually.
Two things in the second book (The Girls in the Back of the Classroom) that legitimately pissed me off (not the book itself, but certain situations and things people did): One, Mr. Lydecker, and how he got in NO trouble whatsoever for how he treated Emilio (not to mention other kids). It’s despicable how teachers can get away with anything, just because they’re adults, but students are the ones who always get in trouble. Emilio had to go to jail and miss graduation because he got physical with Mr. Lydecker? When Mr.—nope, I won’t even call him ‘Mr.’ When Lydecker is the one who started it? The dumb excuse for a man would verbally abuse kids, see Emilio and Emilio’s girlfriend walking down the hallway, and FLIRT WITH HER. That’s right, fucking FLIRT WITH HER. This is disgusting on so many levels. First off, she’s a high school student. You’re a high school teacher. If you’re a full-grown man, do not go up to a teenage girl and hit on her. You are the scum of the earth if you do that. Secondly, right in front of her boyfriend? Just because he’s a student you don’t like and you want to get to him? That’s way, way low. And the most horrible thing about the whole situation was that Lydecker got away with it COMPLETELY. And people wonder why teens rebel against adults???
The second thing in this book that enraged me was when the two girls, Maria and Isabella, got suspended I think? In some kind of trouble for…what? I’ll tell you what: NOTHING. They were ATTACKED in the girls’ bathroom by two other bitches, and Maria and Isabella were the VICTIMS. And yet, they got in trouble, for someone ATTACKING THEM. And they didn’t even fight back. Not that that would have been a bad thing, because they had every right to. But I can’t begin to comprehend how a school can have the power to suspend two innocent girls for doing NOTHING when they were the ones being attacked. Why don’t they go ahead and suspend anyone that’s been abused or raped at one point in their lives too, while they’re at it?
This reminds me of how when I was in high school, my assistant principle said there was ‘no such thing as self-defense’. That has to be the most absurd, preposterous, LIE I’ve ever heard. I get so heated when schools deny us the right to self-defense, because here’s the thing. We live in a dangerous world. We live in a world where people will attack you, rape you, kill you, like no one’s business. This bullshit people believe that school is safer than anything else in the world is exactly that: bullshit. There are always deserted places in schools where no teacher, administrator, or grown-up in general is around, and EVEN IF they are…if someone’s crazy enough to attack someone else, do you honestly think they’ll care if they have witnesses? If they get caught? If you threaten them with expulsion? And don’t think that you can stop them either…you think that just because you’re a grown-up and they’re a teen, they can’t kick your ass? There are PLENTY of teenagers out there who are bigger and stronger than most adults, or if they have a gun or knife, it won’t even matter.
If someone attacks me in a deserted area, I’m supposed to just sit there and let them do whatever the hell they want to me, because if I fight back to PROTECT myself, I’m going to get in trouble? What kind of masochistic BULLSHIT is that? How can you teach children and teens not to protect themselves when someone is hurting them? There’s ‘no such thing as self-defense’? Tell that to all the people out there who’ve been raped or kidnapped or have lost a loved one to cold-blooded murder.
A couple criticisms: (I can't remember which book each one occurs in) There was a boy who would wear a black t-shirt with a skull on it, and for some reason, this was criticized. I'm not really sure why. I hope Louanne Johnson herself is above that kind of close-mindedness. For some reason, there are some adults out there that like to pick on every little thing a teen is wearing just because it isn't THEIR personal style. It's wrong. I don't go around picking at everything I see adults (especially teachers, who aren't even allowed to wear jeans for some reason) wearing, even though I don't like it. So I don't know what was up with that.
There was a part where a non-white kid was talking about how he went up to a person (presumably white, I think) on the streets and asked if he could have their jacket. They gave it to him. Then he goes on to say that it was racism because the only reason the person did that was because they were afraid of him.
...
That's not racism. That's someone being cautious because you are acting weird and suspicious toward them. They are perfectly within their rights, not to mention normal common sense, to be wary of you. No normal person just goes up to a random stranger and asks them for their hoodie or whatever. Maybe they were in a rough neighborhood. Maybe they wanted to avoid trouble. Maybe you were dressed like a thug. Get over it. It doesn't matter how "nice" you may have been about it, your clear intention was still to get something out of them. That does not make you the victim, it makes you a bully. Stop taking advantage of other people and then crying racism. That shit gets real old, real fast.
There is also a brief part where some white students in the classroom are supposed to feel guilty about not caring what the minority students think about them-COMPLETELY ignoring the fact that it's because said minority students are constantly making racist remarks toward them, or just don't like them period because they're white. Why aren't the minority kids called out on this? Why is it always just the white people who should feel guilty about things? Especially when all they're doing is fighting back against kids in the class who are attacking them FIRST.
Aside from all that, I would recommend this book to almost anyone, adults and teens alike. Probably not kids though, seeing as how it has older content and would probably not interest them anyway. It’s very touching, real, and I’d like to read it again. There’s always something to take away from work like this. I’d also like to check out Louanne Johnson’s other works.
I decided to check out the books My Posse Don’t Do Homework and The Girls in the Back of the Classroom by Louanne Johnson after having seen the movie Dangerous Minds. Those are the books it’s loosely based off of.
These books are very raw. They’re nonfiction (where as the movie is fiction), written by Louanne Johnson herself, a school teacher in California. She's pretty admirable, because I know I could never handle teaching a bunch of kids (I don’t like them very much). But she really helped out a lot of people. I like both equally, the movie and the book. As far as comparing and contrasting goes, the books are more personal, and definitely more authentic. They are more complex too. The movie follows the archetype of teacher comes in, inspires troubled students, ‘saves’ them, etc. Which I love, don’t get me wrong. I’m a sucker for those kind of films. I love Stand and Deliver, Lean on Me, etc. But in the book, it goes into more detail about Ms. Johnson’s life herself, especially in the second one. You get a painful taste of what it’s like to be a teacher who cares as much as her.
Not all of it is happy endings. That’s obvious in the movie, but in the book, there are two situations. One with a boy named Attiba and another with a boy named Junior Advani. With Attiba, he just didn’t want help. And no matter how much you may want to help somebody, they have to be willing to help themselves. It takes two. You can’t do it if they continue to push you away. With Advani…at FIRST, I felt sympathy for him. Because I thought people were only judging him solely based on the way he looked. For having half his head shaved, for wearing Metallica shirts…you get the picture. I thought people were only judging him as being ‘Satanic’ because people like to stereotype based on the shallowest of reasons. However…as I started reading further into his story, I realized how crazy he really is. He held a knife to his mother’s throat. And all his father did was kick him out of the house for the night. When Ms. Johnson told his father he should see a counselor, he turned the suggestion down. And I was just like… ‘Your son held a knife to your wife’s throat…and you’re acting like it’s just no big deal? Wtf?!’ There were also several reports from kids saying he would chant Satanic things to them. There was even a girl who brought a knife to school—BROUGHT A KNIFE TO SCHOOL—risking expulsion just to protect herself, because she felt threatened by him. Basically this story ended with Ms. Johnson not being able to help him either because his father refused to cooperate, and the last time she saw Advani was in the hallway when he said, “Ms. Johnson, my favorite teacher!” Ms. Johnson said her blood ran cold, and there was seriously something wrong with that kid. This story was not only depressing, but a little scary actually.
Two things in the second book (The Girls in the Back of the Classroom) that legitimately pissed me off (not the book itself, but certain situations and things people did): One, Mr. Lydecker, and how he got in NO trouble whatsoever for how he treated Emilio (not to mention other kids). It’s despicable how teachers can get away with anything, just because they’re adults, but students are the ones who always get in trouble. Emilio had to go to jail and miss graduation because he got physical with Mr. Lydecker? When Mr.—nope, I won’t even call him ‘Mr.’ When Lydecker is the one who started it? The dumb excuse for a man would verbally abuse kids, see Emilio and Emilio’s girlfriend walking down the hallway, and FLIRT WITH HER. That’s right, fucking FLIRT WITH HER. This is disgusting on so many levels. First off, she’s a high school student. You’re a high school teacher. If you’re a full-grown man, do not go up to a teenage girl and hit on her. You are the scum of the earth if you do that. Secondly, right in front of her boyfriend? Just because he’s a student you don’t like and you want to get to him? That’s way, way low. And the most horrible thing about the whole situation was that Lydecker got away with it COMPLETELY. And people wonder why teens rebel against adults???
The second thing in this book that enraged me was when the two girls, Maria and Isabella, got suspended I think? In some kind of trouble for…what? I’ll tell you what: NOTHING. They were ATTACKED in the girls’ bathroom by two other bitches, and Maria and Isabella were the VICTIMS. And yet, they got in trouble, for someone ATTACKING THEM. And they didn’t even fight back. Not that that would have been a bad thing, because they had every right to. But I can’t begin to comprehend how a school can have the power to suspend two innocent girls for doing NOTHING when they were the ones being attacked. Why don’t they go ahead and suspend anyone that’s been abused or raped at one point in their lives too, while they’re at it?
This reminds me of how when I was in high school, my assistant principle said there was ‘no such thing as self-defense’. That has to be the most absurd, preposterous, LIE I’ve ever heard. I get so heated when schools deny us the right to self-defense, because here’s the thing. We live in a dangerous world. We live in a world where people will attack you, rape you, kill you, like no one’s business. This bullshit people believe that school is safer than anything else in the world is exactly that: bullshit. There are always deserted places in schools where no teacher, administrator, or grown-up in general is around, and EVEN IF they are…if someone’s crazy enough to attack someone else, do you honestly think they’ll care if they have witnesses? If they get caught? If you threaten them with expulsion? And don’t think that you can stop them either…you think that just because you’re a grown-up and they’re a teen, they can’t kick your ass? There are PLENTY of teenagers out there who are bigger and stronger than most adults, or if they have a gun or knife, it won’t even matter.
If someone attacks me in a deserted area, I’m supposed to just sit there and let them do whatever the hell they want to me, because if I fight back to PROTECT myself, I’m going to get in trouble? What kind of masochistic BULLSHIT is that? How can you teach children and teens not to protect themselves when someone is hurting them? There’s ‘no such thing as self-defense’? Tell that to all the people out there who’ve been raped or kidnapped or have lost a loved one to cold-blooded murder.
A couple criticisms: (I can't remember which book each one occurs in) There was a boy who would wear a black t-shirt with a skull on it, and for some reason, this was criticized. I'm not really sure why. I hope Louanne Johnson herself is above that kind of close-mindedness. For some reason, there are some adults out there that like to pick on every little thing a teen is wearing just because it isn't THEIR personal style. It's wrong. I don't go around picking at everything I see adults (especially teachers, who aren't even allowed to wear jeans for some reason) wearing, even though I don't like it. So I don't know what was up with that.
There was a part where a non-white kid was talking about how he went up to a person (presumably white, I think) on the streets and asked if he could have their jacket. They gave it to him. Then he goes on to say that it was racism because the only reason the person did that was because they were afraid of him.
...
That's not racism. That's someone being cautious because you are acting weird and suspicious toward them. They are perfectly within their rights, not to mention normal common sense, to be wary of you. No normal person just goes up to a random stranger and asks them for their hoodie or whatever. Maybe they were in a rough neighborhood. Maybe they wanted to avoid trouble. Maybe you were dressed like a thug. Get over it. It doesn't matter how "nice" you may have been about it, your clear intention was still to get something out of them. That does not make you the victim, it makes you a bully. Stop taking advantage of other people and then crying racism. That shit gets real old, real fast.
There is also a brief part where some white students in the classroom are supposed to feel guilty about not caring what the minority students think about them-COMPLETELY ignoring the fact that it's because said minority students are constantly making racist remarks toward them, or just don't like them period because they're white. Why aren't the minority kids called out on this? Why is it always just the white people who should feel guilty about things? Especially when all they're doing is fighting back against kids in the class who are attacking them FIRST.
Aside from all that, I would recommend this book to almost anyone, adults and teens alike. Probably not kids though, seeing as how it has older content and would probably not interest them anyway. It’s very touching, real, and I’d like to read it again. There’s always something to take away from work like this. I’d also like to check out Louanne Johnson’s other works.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2025
Had to revisit this book after participating in a podcast about the film adaptation. I knew it would be a quick read and I was curious about how it would hold up. After all, I'm pretty sure the last time I read this I was in grade school.
I don't know how I ended up with a copy of this (probably a book order?), but it was the first non-fiction book I read multiple times. A book about someone who has an unglamorous and challenging job trying to find ways to make it worthwhile. Although I couldn't identify with that it was compelling, and the paperback ended up being one of the few surviving chapter books I have from my childhood.
Re-reading this has been interesting. The book is just as engaging and easy to burn through as the previous times I picked it up. But not surprisingly, yes- years later some parts of it definitely haven't aged well. Then again, a lot has changed since 1992 in general.
I'll get those caveats out of the way first. There are two things that recur throughout the book that made me cringe. One is how Johnson describes her students at times, highlighting how beautiful and fit they are (shiny black hair, velvet brown skin, strong arms or pecs, etc). I'm guessing she is trying to be complimentary, but after the 1997 Mary Kay Letourneau sex scandal and the others that followed, they could easily be seen in a different light. Readers are a lot more sensitive about a teacher describing their students as attractive, even if she wasn't interested in them sexually.
The second thing is physical contact between her and her students as well as threats of harm. Johnson makes it clear that contact is forbidden between teachers and students, but she didn't always adhere to that rule. She did hug her students when they were distressed or put her arm around their shoulders. There is also an incident where she puts on lipstick and kisses a sleeping student on the cheek to startle him awake and embarrass him, then warns the students that she will do this to anyone else who does the same. It happens only once (and yes, it comes back to haunt her), but it seems insane for a teacher to do that now, regardless of whether it's a joke or not.
There are also a few incidents where she threatens her students, especially in the middle of physical confrontations. In every case it's a bluff and last resort to get control of the situation, but it gets pretty serious and uncomfortable at some points. In one of the early chapters she tells a student who is getting violent that she won't hesitate to punch him in the dick and deny it happened if he reports it. It's horrible but the threat works, and in spite of this the two of them end up on good terms. This happens several more times, incidents where she absolutely loses it and says she is going to beat the shit out of someone, but fortunately it never happens. It just snaps the kids to attention and they stop messing around. Still, I'm pretty sure teachers wouldn't be able to get away that now. Or at least I hope they don’t (?).
All of that aside, my main reason for re-reading this was comparing it to its film adaptation. Changing the name from My Posse Don't Do Homework (yes, that is a direct quote from a student) to Dangerous Minds is the first indication of where this is going.
Wow. This was probably my first encounter with filmmakers taking huge liberties with their source material. My memory didn't fail me there. The book and the film are two entirely separate things. The film is an unabashed white savior fantasy, as good as its intentions may have been. In the meantime the book is about a teacher's successes and failures on the job, and overall her struggles are almost impossible to translate cinematically: lesson plans, grading, phone calls, teacher meetings and evaluating student progress. When Johnson was approached about adapting her book as a film, she was asked who should play her. She said, “Bette Midler.” If that gives you an idea of how much the reality differs from what ended up onscreen, that is only the beginning.
Here is a list of things that happen in the film that aren’t in the book:
1) No, LouAnne Johnson did not show up at a high school and get hired on the spot. The book opens with her teaching but with an education and experience in classrooms already under her belt.
2) No, she did not do a karate demonstration for her students on her second day on the job. She did have a student who was taking karate, though, and she encouraged him to show his fighting stance between classes, which got him some positive attention and helped him make friends.
3) No, her students did not call her “White Bread.” They called her “Miss Johnson.”
4) No, she did not give herself a makeover and wear leather jackets to school to look tough or adopt a new persona.
5) Johnson’s classes had almost as many white kids as other races. In the film most of her students aren’t white. Take from that what you will.
6) No, she did not bring candy bars to classes and toss them to kids to get them to participate. She did hand a student a dollar from her pocket in order to motivate others to speak up and engage after an uncomfortably silent class period. She ended up giving out prizes for participation for the rest of that hour, including anything she found on her desk (like paper clips). She also used stickers for a while, putting them on papers with the highest grades, which motivated the kids to push themselves and get bragging rights.
7) There was no “Dylan-Dylan” contest. In interviews Johnson said she would encourage her students to find similarities between their reading material and rap songs, which makes a lot more sense considering what high schoolers in the '90s were listening to.
8) There is no mention of Johnson having an abusive ex-husband or an abortion in the book. For all I know, that was added to the film for dramatic purposes.
9) No, Johnson did not cut school with her entire class and go to an amusement park where she paid for all of their tickets. Near the end of the book she goes on a field trip to San Francisco with several students, but it ends disastrously.
10) No, she did not go on dinner dates with students either. The restaurant scene with Raul is based on an event where several students with high marks went to a luncheon at a fancy hotel, where there were other students and staff involved. That’s quite different.
11) No, she was never told off by parents or guardians about "ruining" their kids because she was offering them an education. That scene with the twins' grandmother is 100% fiction.
12) And lastly, no- Emilio did not stay overnight at Johnson’s home to avoid getting murdered by a rival. The real Emilio didn’t even die. He ended up having a steady job and was raising a family by the time the film was coming out. I bet seeing it was surreal for him.
13) There was no point whatsoever that Johnson decided to leave her job and her students rallied around her, calling her “their light.” It’s scenes like this that have put it in “white savior” territory ever since.
In the wake of the film Johnson stepped away from teaching high school because of the unwanted attention it brought to her life, moving into other realms of education. Imagine having everyone believe your life is a Hollywood film completely divorced from the realities of being a high school teacher. There are some incidents and details the film gets right, but in comparison the book offers so much more.
In the end I’m glad I took that trip back to 1992, reading Johnson’s stories about what worked and what didn’t, what encouraged her and what scared the shit out of her, and how the grind of teaching high school is inevitable. Fortunately there were success stories that helped her keep going. Teaching isn't for everyone. It was difficult back then. It's difficult now.
It isn't the '90s anymore, but some things don't change.
I don't know how I ended up with a copy of this (probably a book order?), but it was the first non-fiction book I read multiple times. A book about someone who has an unglamorous and challenging job trying to find ways to make it worthwhile. Although I couldn't identify with that it was compelling, and the paperback ended up being one of the few surviving chapter books I have from my childhood.
Re-reading this has been interesting. The book is just as engaging and easy to burn through as the previous times I picked it up. But not surprisingly, yes- years later some parts of it definitely haven't aged well. Then again, a lot has changed since 1992 in general.
I'll get those caveats out of the way first. There are two things that recur throughout the book that made me cringe. One is how Johnson describes her students at times, highlighting how beautiful and fit they are (shiny black hair, velvet brown skin, strong arms or pecs, etc). I'm guessing she is trying to be complimentary, but after the 1997 Mary Kay Letourneau sex scandal and the others that followed, they could easily be seen in a different light. Readers are a lot more sensitive about a teacher describing their students as attractive, even if she wasn't interested in them sexually.
The second thing is physical contact between her and her students as well as threats of harm. Johnson makes it clear that contact is forbidden between teachers and students, but she didn't always adhere to that rule. She did hug her students when they were distressed or put her arm around their shoulders. There is also an incident where she puts on lipstick and kisses a sleeping student on the cheek to startle him awake and embarrass him, then warns the students that she will do this to anyone else who does the same. It happens only once (and yes, it comes back to haunt her), but it seems insane for a teacher to do that now, regardless of whether it's a joke or not.
There are also a few incidents where she threatens her students, especially in the middle of physical confrontations. In every case it's a bluff and last resort to get control of the situation, but it gets pretty serious and uncomfortable at some points. In one of the early chapters she tells a student who is getting violent that she won't hesitate to punch him in the dick and deny it happened if he reports it. It's horrible but the threat works, and in spite of this the two of them end up on good terms. This happens several more times, incidents where she absolutely loses it and says she is going to beat the shit out of someone, but fortunately it never happens. It just snaps the kids to attention and they stop messing around. Still, I'm pretty sure teachers wouldn't be able to get away that now. Or at least I hope they don’t (?).
All of that aside, my main reason for re-reading this was comparing it to its film adaptation. Changing the name from My Posse Don't Do Homework (yes, that is a direct quote from a student) to Dangerous Minds is the first indication of where this is going.
Wow. This was probably my first encounter with filmmakers taking huge liberties with their source material. My memory didn't fail me there. The book and the film are two entirely separate things. The film is an unabashed white savior fantasy, as good as its intentions may have been. In the meantime the book is about a teacher's successes and failures on the job, and overall her struggles are almost impossible to translate cinematically: lesson plans, grading, phone calls, teacher meetings and evaluating student progress. When Johnson was approached about adapting her book as a film, she was asked who should play her. She said, “Bette Midler.” If that gives you an idea of how much the reality differs from what ended up onscreen, that is only the beginning.
Here is a list of things that happen in the film that aren’t in the book:
1) No, LouAnne Johnson did not show up at a high school and get hired on the spot. The book opens with her teaching but with an education and experience in classrooms already under her belt.
2) No, she did not do a karate demonstration for her students on her second day on the job. She did have a student who was taking karate, though, and she encouraged him to show his fighting stance between classes, which got him some positive attention and helped him make friends.
3) No, her students did not call her “White Bread.” They called her “Miss Johnson.”
4) No, she did not give herself a makeover and wear leather jackets to school to look tough or adopt a new persona.
5) Johnson’s classes had almost as many white kids as other races. In the film most of her students aren’t white. Take from that what you will.
6) No, she did not bring candy bars to classes and toss them to kids to get them to participate. She did hand a student a dollar from her pocket in order to motivate others to speak up and engage after an uncomfortably silent class period. She ended up giving out prizes for participation for the rest of that hour, including anything she found on her desk (like paper clips). She also used stickers for a while, putting them on papers with the highest grades, which motivated the kids to push themselves and get bragging rights.
7) There was no “Dylan-Dylan” contest. In interviews Johnson said she would encourage her students to find similarities between their reading material and rap songs, which makes a lot more sense considering what high schoolers in the '90s were listening to.
8) There is no mention of Johnson having an abusive ex-husband or an abortion in the book. For all I know, that was added to the film for dramatic purposes.
9) No, Johnson did not cut school with her entire class and go to an amusement park where she paid for all of their tickets. Near the end of the book she goes on a field trip to San Francisco with several students, but it ends disastrously.
10) No, she did not go on dinner dates with students either. The restaurant scene with Raul is based on an event where several students with high marks went to a luncheon at a fancy hotel, where there were other students and staff involved. That’s quite different.
11) No, she was never told off by parents or guardians about "ruining" their kids because she was offering them an education. That scene with the twins' grandmother is 100% fiction.
12) And lastly, no- Emilio did not stay overnight at Johnson’s home to avoid getting murdered by a rival. The real Emilio didn’t even die. He ended up having a steady job and was raising a family by the time the film was coming out. I bet seeing it was surreal for him.
13) There was no point whatsoever that Johnson decided to leave her job and her students rallied around her, calling her “their light.” It’s scenes like this that have put it in “white savior” territory ever since.
In the wake of the film Johnson stepped away from teaching high school because of the unwanted attention it brought to her life, moving into other realms of education. Imagine having everyone believe your life is a Hollywood film completely divorced from the realities of being a high school teacher. There are some incidents and details the film gets right, but in comparison the book offers so much more.
In the end I’m glad I took that trip back to 1992, reading Johnson’s stories about what worked and what didn’t, what encouraged her and what scared the shit out of her, and how the grind of teaching high school is inevitable. Fortunately there were success stories that helped her keep going. Teaching isn't for everyone. It was difficult back then. It's difficult now.
It isn't the '90s anymore, but some things don't change.
June 30, 2022
The book was really good and more in depth than the movie. The movie should of had more in it from the book.
October 16, 2017
I enjoyed this book. It now sounds outdated, old fashioned in places - taking students for coffee, giving them lifts home in your car, saving them from arrest and not informing their parents. I liked Johnson's narrative arc and the way she does move away from the idea that teachers can solve all of the problems that their students face. That said, I thought the description of ex-colleagues was unprofessional in places and some of her methods unsustainable. I admire Johnson for her work and I would like to know more about how her career progressed after the teaching role and then into the book/film/TV show. The book is not like the film (from what I remember) so I'd recommend it as much less saccharine and holy than the 'Hollywood ' version.
July 26, 2011
This book is kind of a train wreck of sorts - but here's my review that I wrote for my M.A.T. program.
Miss Johnson is a newly hired teacher set with the task of working in a difficult inner city school. I remember going to the movie theatre in middle school and watching “Dangerous Minds” starring Michelle Pfeiffer. The book goes much more in depth into the curriculum, class room management style, and lives of children in Miss Johnson’s classes.
I have to say that I was disturbed by some of the techniques that Miss Johnson used in the classroom with her students. I know that the classes weren’t the easiest to manage but some approaches seemed imbalanced. There are traditional and non-traditional ways to approach decorum in a classroom. I was taken aback when Miss Johnson kissed a sleeping student on the cheek to wake him up and continued throughout her narrative to talk about how she would threaten to “kick her student’s asses”.
An epic rant near the end of the book seemed the most off kilter,
“I know you kids are angry,” I yelled, “because the world isn’t fair. Well, get over it, because it’s never going to be fair. The white boys have all the money and the power and that’s the way it is. And they aren’t going to give it up - to you or to me. And you can’t blame them for it because if you had it, you wouldn’t give it to them either.” (230).
Miss Johnson is expressing truth to her class in the fact that our society is dominated by white men and a small percentage of people control the country’s wealth. Her approach to talking about this issue to her students seems inappropriate and biased. I believe that greedy people should be held accountable for their greed. I believe that change is possible and given the opportunity, means, and education that oppressed and impoverished people can rise above socioeconomic adversity to achieve greatness. In order to not completely be depressed with the state of the world - I have to believe in human kindness and the possibility that if wealth were distributed fairly that people would take better care of one another.
I admired the way that Miss Johnson exposed her students to the work of Shakespeare, the field trip that she took some of her students on to Alcatraz, the way that she connected to parents through letters and home visits, the positive attitude she maintained, the respect she showed for her students (for the most part), and the incredible amount of hard work and commitment she displayed as an educator.
Miss Johnson is a newly hired teacher set with the task of working in a difficult inner city school. I remember going to the movie theatre in middle school and watching “Dangerous Minds” starring Michelle Pfeiffer. The book goes much more in depth into the curriculum, class room management style, and lives of children in Miss Johnson’s classes.
I have to say that I was disturbed by some of the techniques that Miss Johnson used in the classroom with her students. I know that the classes weren’t the easiest to manage but some approaches seemed imbalanced. There are traditional and non-traditional ways to approach decorum in a classroom. I was taken aback when Miss Johnson kissed a sleeping student on the cheek to wake him up and continued throughout her narrative to talk about how she would threaten to “kick her student’s asses”.
An epic rant near the end of the book seemed the most off kilter,
“I know you kids are angry,” I yelled, “because the world isn’t fair. Well, get over it, because it’s never going to be fair. The white boys have all the money and the power and that’s the way it is. And they aren’t going to give it up - to you or to me. And you can’t blame them for it because if you had it, you wouldn’t give it to them either.” (230).
Miss Johnson is expressing truth to her class in the fact that our society is dominated by white men and a small percentage of people control the country’s wealth. Her approach to talking about this issue to her students seems inappropriate and biased. I believe that greedy people should be held accountable for their greed. I believe that change is possible and given the opportunity, means, and education that oppressed and impoverished people can rise above socioeconomic adversity to achieve greatness. In order to not completely be depressed with the state of the world - I have to believe in human kindness and the possibility that if wealth were distributed fairly that people would take better care of one another.
I admired the way that Miss Johnson exposed her students to the work of Shakespeare, the field trip that she took some of her students on to Alcatraz, the way that she connected to parents through letters and home visits, the positive attitude she maintained, the respect she showed for her students (for the most part), and the incredible amount of hard work and commitment she displayed as an educator.
January 13, 2015
Personal Response:
I liked this book a lot. In some ways it was a comedy and in other ways it was serious. I also liked how it was a nonfictional book I don’t read a lot of those, but I liked this one.
Summary:
The book “Dangerous Minds” was written by Louanne Johnson. She wrote it about her teaching experiences. Miss Johnson was a teacher for troubled students. She taught a lot of different kinds of kids. She taught kids who didn’t care about anything that had to do with school and kids that didn’t know anything about the English language. Miss Johnson did a lot for the kids that she taught. She broke a lot of rules and took a lot of risks. Her teaching methods were really original. She manipulated her student into doing their work, but not in a bad way. She did things like sent letters home about how much she enjoyed having that student in her class, even if they did cause trouble. That is just one of the many ways she got her students motivated to do their work. Miss Johnson took some of the students out to get away from their parents. A lot of students didn’t have a good life at home. She had an interesting grade scale as well. She told the kids that important things like spelling and grammar did not matter. It was her way of getting her students to contribute in class work and discussions. Miss Johnson was a great teacher, the kids actually learned something. Whether it has to do with something they were learning in school or something that they could use socially. Like being more independent or being able to express their feelings in multiple ways. Whatever challenge that Miss Johnson got somehow she figured it out. She got her students to want to learn. She taught kids how to read, write, and speak English. Miss Johnson got her students to want to succeed.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to any gender. It is not classified specifically to a male or female liking. The age recommendation would be 14 and up just because of the language that is used. Maturity level might be a higher level for this book also because of the language used and the situations that happen in the book.
I liked this book a lot. In some ways it was a comedy and in other ways it was serious. I also liked how it was a nonfictional book I don’t read a lot of those, but I liked this one.
Summary:
The book “Dangerous Minds” was written by Louanne Johnson. She wrote it about her teaching experiences. Miss Johnson was a teacher for troubled students. She taught a lot of different kinds of kids. She taught kids who didn’t care about anything that had to do with school and kids that didn’t know anything about the English language. Miss Johnson did a lot for the kids that she taught. She broke a lot of rules and took a lot of risks. Her teaching methods were really original. She manipulated her student into doing their work, but not in a bad way. She did things like sent letters home about how much she enjoyed having that student in her class, even if they did cause trouble. That is just one of the many ways she got her students motivated to do their work. Miss Johnson took some of the students out to get away from their parents. A lot of students didn’t have a good life at home. She had an interesting grade scale as well. She told the kids that important things like spelling and grammar did not matter. It was her way of getting her students to contribute in class work and discussions. Miss Johnson was a great teacher, the kids actually learned something. Whether it has to do with something they were learning in school or something that they could use socially. Like being more independent or being able to express their feelings in multiple ways. Whatever challenge that Miss Johnson got somehow she figured it out. She got her students to want to learn. She taught kids how to read, write, and speak English. Miss Johnson got her students to want to succeed.
Recommendations:
I would recommend this book to any gender. It is not classified specifically to a male or female liking. The age recommendation would be 14 and up just because of the language that is used. Maturity level might be a higher level for this book also because of the language used and the situations that happen in the book.
November 13, 2012
Dangerous Minds is a book about a teacher on a mission to not only better her students’ grades but their lives as well. She pushes them to their limits and makes them realize their potential. Luanne Johnson captures your attention, and her students keep the surprises coming with each new chapter. I recommend this book to a high school level reader, anyone younger might find it difficult to read, because they haven’t experienced life at a high school.
May 3, 2018
My Posse Don’t Do Homework
By: LouAnne Johnson
First of all Louanne Johnson did an amazing job of writing this and how she explains all of her stories is so good. This is my first book I have read of hers and I think she is an amazing writer. She makes it such a good book about a first year teacher with the other years following. The way she gets the kids in the story so connected to the reader is so amazing. It felt like I actually knew the high schoolers in this book. It is also like me having miss Johnson has a real teacher.
Some of the thins LouAnne Johnson does is like she wrote the book herself and all of these happened to her in her career. She also explains what is happening in the story so good. She explains how each student acts in all of her classes and how she helps the students is amazing too. She gets them motivated by so many things it is amazing and how she acts to her new classes and her punishments if someone is messing around. When you read some of these parts in the book she will make your jaw drop when you finish a chapter or even the book.
I one-hundred percent recommend this book to teenagers and adults. It is an amazing book and I did not see any flaws of the book. I think you should read it cause you can really connect to the kids and she really gives you a lot of details.These are just some reasons why I think you should read this great book.
By: LouAnne Johnson
First of all Louanne Johnson did an amazing job of writing this and how she explains all of her stories is so good. This is my first book I have read of hers and I think she is an amazing writer. She makes it such a good book about a first year teacher with the other years following. The way she gets the kids in the story so connected to the reader is so amazing. It felt like I actually knew the high schoolers in this book. It is also like me having miss Johnson has a real teacher.
Some of the thins LouAnne Johnson does is like she wrote the book herself and all of these happened to her in her career. She also explains what is happening in the story so good. She explains how each student acts in all of her classes and how she helps the students is amazing too. She gets them motivated by so many things it is amazing and how she acts to her new classes and her punishments if someone is messing around. When you read some of these parts in the book she will make your jaw drop when you finish a chapter or even the book.
I one-hundred percent recommend this book to teenagers and adults. It is an amazing book and I did not see any flaws of the book. I think you should read it cause you can really connect to the kids and she really gives you a lot of details.These are just some reasons why I think you should read this great book.
December 2, 2018
What an inspiring novel! After watching the movie - repeatedly - I was inspired to read the book. How shocked and pleasantly surprised I was to realise how loosely the film is adaptated! This book provides so much more substance than the film, it's more real and raw. Some parts, however, I was disappointed particular events from the film didn't happen in the book - but knowing they didn't occur was a pleasant surprise (no spoilers). There were more focal characters and many more events in the book, it has made me respect LoAnne on a new level. A really engaging novel and a stream of enthralling chapters strung in a clever way! It makes you want to find out what happened to some students after they graduated. It really inspires you if you work with students, to focus on the ones you do help, and not be discouraged by the ones you cannot save. Also, her poignant philosophy of replacing words, where she used "I have to" being "choose", and "I can't" being "don't want to", this actually was enlightening for me! I will use this in my daily practice. Thanks for the great read. :-)
July 26, 2020
Must read! This is so much better than the movie that was created from the storyline. The only thing about the movie that was better was the story of Emilio. Gun violence in school was a major issue during the 1990's. I was a student then and it was always a topic among the students. Otherwise, this book is wonderful!
A teacher that just wanted to help her students succeed and was constantly being challenged by the a bureaucratic educational system. The endless financial struggles to meet the needs of students and the financial stress teachers take upon themselves. Lou Anne Johnson describes how emotionally trying it is to be a teacher. The stress of teaching them in ways they can relate to while meeting the criteria set by a school board that is completely out of touch with the reality the students live in. She speaks about challenges from parents who do not care about their children getting an education. How are teachers supposed to fight both the board of education and the parents?
I cannot say enough about this book. Everyone must read this.
A teacher that just wanted to help her students succeed and was constantly being challenged by the a bureaucratic educational system. The endless financial struggles to meet the needs of students and the financial stress teachers take upon themselves. Lou Anne Johnson describes how emotionally trying it is to be a teacher. The stress of teaching them in ways they can relate to while meeting the criteria set by a school board that is completely out of touch with the reality the students live in. She speaks about challenges from parents who do not care about their children getting an education. How are teachers supposed to fight both the board of education and the parents?
I cannot say enough about this book. Everyone must read this.
March 6, 2025
I absolutely loved this book. So many want to think of the author as having a “white savior” complex and that couldn’t be further from the truth. I saw this lady as being dedicated to these students because she understood the challenges they were going through. She gave them tough love and told them to choose what was more important to them; their education or the streets. I read this for the first time at thirteen just three years after the book come out and it’s still one of the books I loved reading the most 30 years later. I know people want to look at this book through today’s lens but you can’t do that. You just have to appreciate it for what it is. Her experience as a teacher inspiring inner city kids to want to learn and make something of their lives despite the circumstances that life had given them.
July 19, 2025
Very interesting! Miss Johnson is an amazing teacher. She was able to get through and help students even when things were stacked against them. A gutsy woman!
“I know you kids are angry, because the world isn't fair. Well, get over it, because it's never going to be fair. The white boys have all the money and all the power and that's the way it is. And they aren't going to give it up - to you or to me. And you can't blame them for it because if you had it, you wouldn't give it to them, either. But fighting each other isn't going to fix anything. All it's going to do is let everybody go on insisting that black and Hispanic kids are ignorant and violent. That's perfect. It's easy. If you're ignorant and violent, people who don't like you can kick you out of school or put you in jail. And it's you own fault.”
“Knowledge counts but common sense matters.”
“I know you kids are angry, because the world isn't fair. Well, get over it, because it's never going to be fair. The white boys have all the money and all the power and that's the way it is. And they aren't going to give it up - to you or to me. And you can't blame them for it because if you had it, you wouldn't give it to them, either. But fighting each other isn't going to fix anything. All it's going to do is let everybody go on insisting that black and Hispanic kids are ignorant and violent. That's perfect. It's easy. If you're ignorant and violent, people who don't like you can kick you out of school or put you in jail. And it's you own fault.”
“Knowledge counts but common sense matters.”
May 13, 2020
In My Posse Don’t Do Homework, LouAnne Johnson proves that persistent application of her unorthodox teaching methods drive the students of inner-city Parkmont High to succeed - at least for a small sample set. In an institution primed to shuffle delinquent and underachieving teens out the door, Johnson portrays herself as a righteous renegade, extending her reputation, time and money to cooperative students in need. In doing so, however, she repeatedly ignores the advice of her fellow faculty members, whom she portrays as weathered and tired, if not simply inflexible. Though her entertaining account of her trying years at Parkmont conveys her as sincere and dedicated, it is also entirely one-sided and a bit too self-congratulatory.
December 28, 2022
Pierwszy raz czytałam ,,Młodych gniewnych'' ponad dwa i pół roku temu. Miałam wtedy nadzieję, że książka okaże się tak dobra, jak film, który oglądałam wcześniej. I choć bardzo mi się podobała, różnice między nią a ekranizacją były tak duże, że nie spełniła moich oczekiwań. Teraz podeszłam do niej z zupełnie innym nastawieniem i jestem zachwycona. LouAnne Johnson jest niezwykle inspirującą kobietą! Urzeka mnie to, ile zrobiła dla swoich uczniów i doceniam, że poza sukcesami, opisywała też swoje porażki. ,,Młodzi gniewni'' to świetna książka dla każdego, kogo interesuje praca nauczyciela. Realia opisane przez LouAnne trochę różnią się od polskiej rzeczywistości, ale i tak myślę, że można się od tej kobiety wiele nauczyć.
June 19, 2020
LouAnne Johnson is an inspiration. Getting the attention of all her students and moving them forward to critically think in this world is a chore in and of itself. Her situation is relevant today, and her willingness to put the outside world aside and provide a forum where students felt comfortable enough to open up about the socio-economic and emotional hardships of the way money divides social classes even in the education system made all the difference. Her methods did not follow the educational theories all teachers must study but simply proves that theory versus reality is vastly different.
April 24, 2024
I did not enjoy this book. This book was written years ago and things have changed in this day and age. This english teacher didn't grade based on spelling, grammar or the length of the essay. This type of grading doesn't help the students to learn proper grammar or spelling and if they decide to go to college they won’t understand that's not how professors grade. Students have to know the importance of spelling and grammar to get a good job. This book is something that new teachers shouldn’t get advice from.
November 11, 2024
I haven't seen the movie, but I had no idea going into this that this book was non-fiction! Wow.
People have mixed feelings apparently about the "white savior" theme, but it didn't bother me. Not because I am white, but because the book didn't really talk down to or denigrate the students - it was all about lifting them up and giving them the tools to overcome their specific challenges. I also think that the author's/teacher's background, which was obviously lower-than-middle-class, gave her a meaningful understanding of and empathy with her students.
People have mixed feelings apparently about the "white savior" theme, but it didn't bother me. Not because I am white, but because the book didn't really talk down to or denigrate the students - it was all about lifting them up and giving them the tools to overcome their specific challenges. I also think that the author's/teacher's background, which was obviously lower-than-middle-class, gave her a meaningful understanding of and empathy with her students.
May 14, 2020
The book is about Miss Johnson’s account of teaching inner-city kids. She clearly has had success because of her dedication and belief in her students. The problem I had with them storytelling is that it felt very disjointed. Every chapter felt like another short story. The style did not allow me to connect with the students in any way, nor did it allow the relationship between student and teacher expand.
March 6, 2021
She lost my attention when she threatened a student's life. This book may have been progressive for 1980-something, but it just wouldn't work for inner city kids today.
Her heart is in the right place, but it seems like she thinks she's a saint. She comes across as a White savior. I read that she disliked the film because the directors picked up on those saintly undertones and went to the extreme with it.
Her heart is in the right place, but it seems like she thinks she's a saint. She comes across as a White savior. I read that she disliked the film because the directors picked up on those saintly undertones and went to the extreme with it.
February 21, 2023
The movie, Dangerous Minds, that is based off this book is one of my favorites. Several of the stories from this are highlighted in the movie. I enjoyed this book a lot. If there were more teachers who were able to do what LouAnne Johnson did, how many more children would be saved from the bleak life of the streets? I know many would like to do similar things. But they feel constrained by the endless rules (many understandable) that hinder our education system.
November 8, 2023
I read this book with great interest. Based on the copyright date, I would have taught for 20 years in 1992. Her management of the classroom interested me. From my experience, I know my district would not have allowed me to use the same tactics. The book was easy to read, and it allowed me the opportunity tp see what she encountered in a very tough school. I am sure now in 2023 that
none of those tactics would be allowed.
none of those tactics would be allowed.
April 25, 2024
I chose to read this book for a book club project in my college education class. As a future teacher this was a very good book to read for my coming times. This is a really inspiring story about how a teacher helps and cares for a group of minority students. I would recommend this book to anyone that needs hope and is having doubts about being a teacher, it will make you see the joy in turning students' life's around.
April 29, 2024
I enjoyed reading this book as it gave lots of insight into the hardships of a teacher while being practical. This was a comical way of getting through situations but still with being legitimate. At some parts of the book, I feel like it was slightly outdated in what they say they, do or their practices but nothing so far that you still can't get the jist! Overall I definitely would recommend this book to teachers of any level as it is a helpful and comical read!
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