To Teach, 2nd Edition

by William Ayers, Gloria Ladson-Billings

William Ayers writes, as a teacher, parent, student and observer, of the children he has known and of the things that actually happen in the classroom. His collection of vignettes should interest those involved in, or concerned with, the art of teaching.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction, School, Academic

151 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1993

About the author

William Ayers is Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago (retired), education activist, and bestselling author of Teaching the Taboo: Courage and Imagination in the Classroom (with Rick Ayers), To Teach: The Journey of a Teacher, Third Edition, and To Teach: The Journey, in Comics (with Ryan Alexander-Tanner).

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Good ideas but this guy is crazy (look him up on Wikipedia -- I find it hard to get serious teaching tips from a guy who used to blow up government buildings) and not entirely in touch with reality. I appreciated the sentiment and do think that he gives some good advice on teaching. However, it's ultimately too optimistic to be all that useful in the real world, even if it did at times get me to think of teaching in a new way.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was good. I am glad my professor recommended it to me. And it was very different from Diane Ravitch, as promised, but it had many of the same themes. It also had very similar points from other books I had read about education... Does this mean I've read most of what there is to read, or that I'm stuck in a narrow circle of related books? Probably the latter. I really thought this book would be more of a story- I thought I would get to know the author better. But all I know about him is that he has a couple kids, has taught in different schools, and is a big supporter of experiential learning. He also thinks schools should be more democratic (duh) and that teachers should empower themselves. Ok... the book was very practical, and at the same time, unreachable. Some of his suggestions were ones that I could see immediately implemented in a typical classroom oppressed by federal mandates. But many of his suggestions, like having a cooking area, a crafts area, some sort of imagination area, are all impossible with the pressure teachers are under. I doubt many of the teachers will be able to take his advice and forget about federal funding and enjoy teaching.
One of the things he talked about a lot were his children. And it made me think about how much parenting is like teaching. Yes, I know many people have said that, but this book really stuck out. I think that's all I wanted to say about that...
So to sum it up, disappointed this book was more self-help than story, but had some valuable points. Also some not valuable points. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone starting this genre, though. It's on the dry side.

[ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a country such as ours that is perennially focused on national control of education while simultaneously cutting funds, anyone would be lucky to have a teacher so hellbent on the real education Ayers outlines here.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. Apparently the author is a controversial figure (if you call being on the run for a decade because of domestic terrorism "controversial") but I knew none of that when I read the book. It is sensitive, quiet, gentle, and thoughtful.

The bees knees in teaching at the moment is inquiry learning: students find questions they care about the answer to and by researching, analyzing, and presenting the answers to their questions, they learn. This motivates their reading, writing, social studies, maths, and more. More importantly, says the author, it respects the student. Put yourself in a conventional classroom and you'd hate it, forced to learn things you don't care about for reasons you don't know.

Ayers' sensitivity to the students is paramount and I was humbled by it. I succeeded in conventional schools but have a son (and father) left cold by them. My tendency when teaching is to be authority, but Ayers' approach is harder but more successful. Understand, value, and engage the student and the learning can easily follow.

Why do I read about teaching when I'm not a teacher? I find that parenting and teaching books are great management books in disguise.

[Dan Sendker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to blitz through this for a course a couple years ago, and it was nice to be able to reread it at a more leisurely pace. I feel like I absorbed a lot more. Great chunks of the book felt entirely impossible to enact in a school, especially for a new teacher. Schools simply don't have the budgets or leeway to enact many of the things Ayers proposes. But it doesn't mean they aren't good goals to aim for.

So much of the language in this book felt spiritual or religious. There was a repeated emphasis on the "already, but not yet" of teaching that sounded very eschatological. He also wrote about hope, faith, joy, justice, forgiveness, and love throughout the book. It was a very interesting layer that I appreciated.

I'm currently in the infernal applying/interviewing/waiting period for my first teaching job for this fall. If I land one, this book will be a valuable resource to get me started. In the meantime, if you know any English teachers with weak knees or common food allergies, let me know. Preferably without any family - keep it nice and clean. 😇

[Jared Barcelos · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was pretty darn refreshing, and as a future teacher I appreciated the words of Mr. Ayers, and the passion displayed in the pages of this book. There are definitely things I read that I will take into the classroom with me. The only reason this did not get five stars is because I felt that there should have been more of a balance between the idealized world of teaching, and the realistic world of the classroom that awaits us all.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to read this book and Ayers' book on lesson planning for class. Just remember, Ayers was an admitted home-grown terrorist before he decided that the best, most effective, way to reshape the country was to do it through education.

[Heather Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

my first book for grad school….i’m not reading a lot of books like these so that was interesting……anyway inspiring but a massive overuse of the word IDIOSYNCRATIC which is ultimately ok…..i think its cool that my program asked of us to read a book by this guy of all guys….by the latter half it was quite repetitive and too like what is he talking about? and reminds me we all just have a little set of ideas no matter how vast our knowledge! made me excited to teach — though the reality of reality is not lost on me

[James]

William Ayers writes, as a teacher, parent, student and observer, of the children he has known and of the things that actually happen in the classroom. His collection of vignettes should interest those involved in, or concerned with, the art of teaching.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my Master's in teaching and curriculum. Inspiring, thought provoking, and reaffirming.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

idealistic philosophy. big picture. but i agree with a lot of it. it sparks my passion--child-centered, exploration/experience-based, core values, coming up with your goals before looking at state-mandated curriculum, etc.

i know a book is good if i'm taking lots of notes, tabbing lots of pages, and coming up with lots of ideas on the way. this book was all of that.

(bad cover, 90's, teacher's college at columbia)

[Amber Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was assinged for my classmates and I for our Introduction to the Teaching Profession Class for the fall semester. I thought that this book had alot of great information in it for anyone who is getting ready to go into the profession of teaching, and who wants to learn more about what happens or can be discovered in the profession. Recommend giving this book a read for anyone thinking about becoming a teacher

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a really good perspective on teaching in general, specifically teaching in a democratic society. Whether or not you agree with Ayers' points, it's a great book for any teacher to read, whether you have one year of experience or twenty years of experience. I really enjoyed it, and I plan to read more of Ayers' books.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

a validating book for any teacher!

[Bianca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Particularly good for upcoming teachers and any other staff in a school environment.

[H]

ch2, "The Mystery of Teaching"

[Benjamin Fasching-Gray]

flippin' awesome!

[Gina Kortuem · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent. At times it felt like he was superhuman in his teaching abilities, but it's a great text for those just entering or about to enter teaching.

[Phyllis Burstein, DePaul Art Education · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to remind you why you became a teacher. Ayers is an unusually good storyteller.