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Literally Unbelievable: Stories from an East Oakland Classroom
The inequality in American education is increasing but statistics cannot possible tell the whole story.
As a new teacher thrust into the classroom mid-year in the part of Oakland, California, that police call the "Killing Zone," Bronwyn Harris learned to make her own way as she helped parents advocate for their children with law enforcement and school officials, while enduring a revolving door of school administrator.
Harris's students were intelligent, hardworking, funny, loyal, and incredibly empathetic in the face of considerable trauma and instability. She quickly realized that her teacher preparation classes had not covered making child abuse reports, teaching traumatized children, helping students cope with difficult emotions, or keeping a class calm during a lockdown.
This book chronicles the lives of Harris's students and shows the difference a caring teacher and support from the greater community can make.
"This book takes me right back to my days working down the street from Ms. Harris. Her stories of our kids and our classrooms bring back vivid memories of the love, exhaustion, sadness, and so many more emotions that I felt.
This book offers an accessible, sobering introduction to under-resourced public schools for those wishing to learn “what it’s really like”. But it also conveys the profound richness and importance of the students that this system has left behind.
This should be required reading for all prospective teachers, policy makers, and researchers."
—Emily Penner, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Education
As a new teacher thrust into the classroom mid-year in the part of Oakland, California, that police call the "Killing Zone," Bronwyn Harris learned to make her own way as she helped parents advocate for their children with law enforcement and school officials, while enduring a revolving door of school administrator.
Harris's students were intelligent, hardworking, funny, loyal, and incredibly empathetic in the face of considerable trauma and instability. She quickly realized that her teacher preparation classes had not covered making child abuse reports, teaching traumatized children, helping students cope with difficult emotions, or keeping a class calm during a lockdown.
This book chronicles the lives of Harris's students and shows the difference a caring teacher and support from the greater community can make.
"This book takes me right back to my days working down the street from Ms. Harris. Her stories of our kids and our classrooms bring back vivid memories of the love, exhaustion, sadness, and so many more emotions that I felt.
This book offers an accessible, sobering introduction to under-resourced public schools for those wishing to learn “what it’s really like”. But it also conveys the profound richness and importance of the students that this system has left behind.
This should be required reading for all prospective teachers, policy makers, and researchers."
—Emily Penner, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Education
- GenresEducation
157 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2016
13 people are currently reading
74 people want to read
About the author
Bronwyn Harris
4 books14 followersBronwyn Harris began her teaching career in East Oakland in January 2000, teaching first-graders who had already gone through one teacher and six substitutes during that school year. In the first five minutes of teaching, one student threw a book at her head and she realized she had no set curriculum with which to teach them. In addition, she was a “roving teacher,” meaning that she moved classrooms every three weeks.
Teaching at this school did not get easier as she transitioned into teaching third grade, but the students were incredible: creative, thoughtful, loving, angry, at-risk, misunderstood, valuable, and overlooked. After eight principals in less than eight years, Harris had to face the fact that she couldn’t keep working in such an environment and left the school district, but has stayed in touch with many of her students.
During her time teaching, Harris would tell many of her middle-class white friends about what was going on at her school, and found that many of them didn’t believe her, which is how the title of the book came to be. This also strengthened her resolve to write down the true stories so that people would know this side of life in the Bay Area.
Teaching at this school did not get easier as she transitioned into teaching third grade, but the students were incredible: creative, thoughtful, loving, angry, at-risk, misunderstood, valuable, and overlooked. After eight principals in less than eight years, Harris had to face the fact that she couldn’t keep working in such an environment and left the school district, but has stayed in touch with many of her students.
During her time teaching, Harris would tell many of her middle-class white friends about what was going on at her school, and found that many of them didn’t believe her, which is how the title of the book came to be. This also strengthened her resolve to write down the true stories so that people would know this side of life in the Bay Area.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 10, 2017
If it was possible to give a higher rating, I'd gladly do that. Let me start, though, by saying that this is not an easy read. This isn't the sort of book you grab to take with you on a beach vacation and forget about your troubles. It's real, passionate, honest, and heartbreaking. It tackles subjects that a lot of us would rather sweep under the rug because we're just not comfortable discussing it. And now, in a time where politics and negativity are swimming around us like crazy, it is quite political. But please, please don't overlook this powerful read because of that. Be open. Be willing to read these stories and really consider them. Let them change you.
Generally, I have an incredibly difficult time reading nonfiction. It's just not something that has ever appealed to me and I find the writing style of most authors in this area to be dry. In this case, though, Bronwyn Harris presents a reality that is often overlooked in a manner that is both easy to read and incredibly effective. I could see some of these things playing out almost as if I'd been in the room to witness them. Having worked for several years in a school in a similar area to the one Ms. Harris taught in probably makes it far easier for me to believe and understand the realities she presents throughout this book. That might not be the case for every read and I imagine there will be a great many people who pick this book up and are shocked to the point that they flat out don't believe these very true stories. The are true, though, and stories like them are all too true in other parts of the country. As a society, so many people work very hard to help underprivileged children in other countries. That's great, of course, but it's entirely too easy to overlook the great need of so very many of the children right here in our country.
As a parent and a former educator, I am both appalled and utterly moved by what these children endured on a daily basis. I am infuriated by the way that our education system has and continues to fail to meet the needs of students in so many ways. I am also touched and impressed by the effort that those teachers, the few and far between who stick it out with the children others overlook, and really give them the things that others can't or won't. This book prompted so many heavily emotional reactions from me that I really can't begin to explain them all. I'm begging you, though, even if you hate nonfiction, even if you are sure that racism is dead and gone and that equality operates across the board in our country, please read this. Yes, you might be offended. Yes, you might be angry. Good! Get angry! Be offended by the reality that our world doesn't look the same from every set of eyes. Then get up and help do something about it.
Generally, I have an incredibly difficult time reading nonfiction. It's just not something that has ever appealed to me and I find the writing style of most authors in this area to be dry. In this case, though, Bronwyn Harris presents a reality that is often overlooked in a manner that is both easy to read and incredibly effective. I could see some of these things playing out almost as if I'd been in the room to witness them. Having worked for several years in a school in a similar area to the one Ms. Harris taught in probably makes it far easier for me to believe and understand the realities she presents throughout this book. That might not be the case for every read and I imagine there will be a great many people who pick this book up and are shocked to the point that they flat out don't believe these very true stories. The are true, though, and stories like them are all too true in other parts of the country. As a society, so many people work very hard to help underprivileged children in other countries. That's great, of course, but it's entirely too easy to overlook the great need of so very many of the children right here in our country.
As a parent and a former educator, I am both appalled and utterly moved by what these children endured on a daily basis. I am infuriated by the way that our education system has and continues to fail to meet the needs of students in so many ways. I am also touched and impressed by the effort that those teachers, the few and far between who stick it out with the children others overlook, and really give them the things that others can't or won't. This book prompted so many heavily emotional reactions from me that I really can't begin to explain them all. I'm begging you, though, even if you hate nonfiction, even if you are sure that racism is dead and gone and that equality operates across the board in our country, please read this. Yes, you might be offended. Yes, you might be angry. Good! Get angry! Be offended by the reality that our world doesn't look the same from every set of eyes. Then get up and help do something about it.
April 13, 2019
Harris' book resonates with many who have experienced inner-city life and schools. In the first third of the book, Harris shares her personal experience as a teacher in Oakland and continues with personal observation through the second third of the book when she argues for policy and systemic changes. The last third of the book presents the student's perspective in their own words. I enjoyed the heart of the book and Harris' dedication (albeit short-lived dedication) to her students, there was an undertone in the first third that came across as more of an outsider than an active teacher. As she notes, her student's lifestyle and living conditions were foreign to her when she first started and was shocked and dismayed by these differences -- especially by school differences. I can't say that I really enjoyed this undertone, but I could understand it. Everything is different and foreign unless you have experienced it. All in all, it was an insightful and heartfelt book.
September 20, 2019
Literally Unbelievable is an incredibly powerful narrative that leaves a lasting impact on you long after you’ve put it down. Bronwyn Harris was a lower school teacher in East Oakland Elementary, an elementary school in an incredibly difficult area. These children, whose stories she poignantly records for us, face literally unbelievable circumstances in their daily lives. Extreme violence, poverty, and a system heavily stacked against them are thoughts haunting third graders.
These stories are truly heartbreaking because they’re undeniably real. Bronwyn clearly made such a tremendous positive impact on these kids who needed all the help they could get. They were all so incredibly strong but they needed someone who could be there for them. Unfortunately, the price was Bronwyn’s own health. She gave away so much of herself that she could no longer keep going.
The subject matter is heavy but I promise this book is a quick and enjoyable read. Bronwyn expertly blends together humor and cute moments with poignant heartbreak. It’s a book that you don’t want to put down and can’t help but love.
Literally Unbelievable is humorous, relatable, shocking, and eye-opening. It’s also a reminder that the education system hasn’t changed very much. Areas without resources remain without resources. Kids who need help still don’t receive help. Teachers who give everything to their students still aren’t properly compensated for it, or even given the aid they need to make it better. This is an incredible book that I cannot recommend enough. These stories are important and relevant to everyone because this is the world that we live in. I hope that more people will read this, take it to heart, and help to make a positive change on the world and the kids who need it most.
*The author was kind enough to give me a copy of the book but this is my genuine, unbiased review.
These stories are truly heartbreaking because they’re undeniably real. Bronwyn clearly made such a tremendous positive impact on these kids who needed all the help they could get. They were all so incredibly strong but they needed someone who could be there for them. Unfortunately, the price was Bronwyn’s own health. She gave away so much of herself that she could no longer keep going.
The subject matter is heavy but I promise this book is a quick and enjoyable read. Bronwyn expertly blends together humor and cute moments with poignant heartbreak. It’s a book that you don’t want to put down and can’t help but love.
Literally Unbelievable is humorous, relatable, shocking, and eye-opening. It’s also a reminder that the education system hasn’t changed very much. Areas without resources remain without resources. Kids who need help still don’t receive help. Teachers who give everything to their students still aren’t properly compensated for it, or even given the aid they need to make it better. This is an incredible book that I cannot recommend enough. These stories are important and relevant to everyone because this is the world that we live in. I hope that more people will read this, take it to heart, and help to make a positive change on the world and the kids who need it most.
*The author was kind enough to give me a copy of the book but this is my genuine, unbiased review.
November 28, 2023
I am a retired third grade elementary school teacher. Bronwyn has hit it on the head with all her experiences in East Oakland. As a teacher reading this book, I can relate to many of her recognitions in the classroom. Teachers undergo so many things that they were never trained to be or do in classes today. Administrators keep pouring more and more work on their often stressed out teachers and children suffer. It's definitely a cycle as she says that can't be corrected by one. Teachers, students, parents, and administrators need to see how things can improve for the benefit of children and in turn benefit the teachers so they don't flee. This is a good book for all admin staff, teachers, new teachers, and especially unions. We want all our teachers to have great experiences along with our students. It can happen but resources especially in low-income areas need to be there for them whenever needed. Victoria Smith
July 11, 2021
As a former Oakland teacher, Ms. Harris had me nodding along throughout the book. Her experiences with inept admin, lack of money for basic supplies and the horror of hungry children and your fear that they may literally die over a break from school are fully shared experiences. She lost me at the end with her God's love, Jesus business. If that had stayed out (honestly it did not have anything to do with her stories about public school teaching in East Oakland) this would be. 5 star review. Throwing that in at the end degraded the message of the book. I would still recommend that people read it though despite that.
February 7, 2020
Bronwyn’s teaching experiences were similar to my own in Tucson Arizona and likely to many others in various parts of our Nation. We are far from an equitable public education system and we are far from inspiring in our students a life-long passion for learning. Mentoring, inspiring, and serving our youth is truly a blessing as are our teachers. I encourage everyone to utilize the materials listed in her appendix to learn more and to do more to change the future for our children and our teachers.
June 13, 2017
I cannot recommend this book enough if you are interested in Education Reform. Bronwyn outlines her thesis with stories of success and heartbreaking stories of young students impacted by lack of resources and opportunities.
March 28, 2018
This was an excellent book. It exposed the realities of what public school is for some communities in the U.S. It showed that we in the U.S. still have a lot of work to do when it comes to children's education.
January 25, 2020
Worth reading
Even though I know poor school districts struggle, seeing the stories of the kids & teachers makes it all more real. This book gave me a lot to think about.
Even though I know poor school districts struggle, seeing the stories of the kids & teachers makes it all more real. This book gave me a lot to think about.
September 13, 2022
A must read for any educator!!!!!
February 12, 2023
I decided to read this book after hearing the author speak. It is eye-opening, shocking and heartbreaking!
January 6, 2017
The title of this book is unfortunately perfect when I realize my own emotions and thoughts as I read some of these unebelievable stories. As you read however, it becomes evident that Bronwyn Harris is not just sharing information for the sake of gratuitous novelty but actually bearing her heart of passion, love, brokenness and devotion for the betterment of the life of children in the city. As a pastor of a church in Oakland that partners with some of the organizations mentioned in this book, I can testify to both the heartbreak that we feel when children are harmed and under resourced and the hope that we envision for children who have families and communities making positive investments in their lives! The end of the book has some excellent additional resources that empower us to get informed and get involved. Kudos to Bronwyn Harris for this book. .
February 5, 2017
I think next the next time someone asks me I want to be a teacher, I'll just show them this book. It encapsulates everything I feel. From wanting to be the saving grace to a good student in a bad environment to helping those escape the tragic fate society has setup for them, this book should be a bible for every teacher who grew up in an economically challenged neighborhood.
April 23, 2017
Literally Unbelievable!!
I highly recommend this book if you are thinking of working in the underprivileged environment schools. It reveals the reality of underprivileged students and how are education system is making it more difficult for students to access high-quality education, especially students who go through traumas due to the violent environment.
I highly recommend this book if you are thinking of working in the underprivileged environment schools. It reveals the reality of underprivileged students and how are education system is making it more difficult for students to access high-quality education, especially students who go through traumas due to the violent environment.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews