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The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America
An unforgettable year in the life of a visionary high school science teacher and his award-winning students, as they try to get into college, land a date for the prom . . . and possibly change the world.
Andy Bramante left his successful career as a corporate scientist to teach public high school--and now helms one of the most remarkable classrooms in America. Bramante's unconventional class at Connecticut's prestigious yet diverse Greenwich High School has no curriculum, tests, textbooks, or lectures, and is equal parts elite research lab, student counseling office, and teenage hangout spot. United by a passion to learn, Mr. B.'s band of whiz kids set out every year to conquer the brutally competitive science fair circuit. They have won the top prize at the Google Science Fair, made discoveries that eluded scientists three times their age, and been invited to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm.
A former Emmy-winning producer for CBS News, Heather Won Tesoriero embeds in this dynamic class to bring Andy and his gifted, all-too-human kids to life--including William, a prodigy so driven that he's trying to invent diagnostics for artery blockage and Alzheimer's (but can't quite figure out how to order a bagel); Ethan, who essentially outgrows high school in his junior year and founds his own company to commercialize a discovery he made in the class; Sophia, a Lyme disease patient whose ambitious work is dedicated to curing her own debilitating ailment; Romano, a football player who hangs up his helmet to pursue his secret science expertise and develop a "smart" liquid bandage; and Olivia, whose invention of a fast test for Ebola brought her science fair fame and an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
We experience the thrill of discovery, the heartbreak of failed endeavors, and perhaps the ultimate high: a yes from Harvard. Moving, funny, and utterly engrossing, The Class is a superb account of hard work and high spirits, a stirring tribute to how essential science is in our schools and our lives, and a heartfelt testament to the power of a great teacher to help kids realize their unlimited potential.
Andy Bramante left his successful career as a corporate scientist to teach public high school--and now helms one of the most remarkable classrooms in America. Bramante's unconventional class at Connecticut's prestigious yet diverse Greenwich High School has no curriculum, tests, textbooks, or lectures, and is equal parts elite research lab, student counseling office, and teenage hangout spot. United by a passion to learn, Mr. B.'s band of whiz kids set out every year to conquer the brutally competitive science fair circuit. They have won the top prize at the Google Science Fair, made discoveries that eluded scientists three times their age, and been invited to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm.
A former Emmy-winning producer for CBS News, Heather Won Tesoriero embeds in this dynamic class to bring Andy and his gifted, all-too-human kids to life--including William, a prodigy so driven that he's trying to invent diagnostics for artery blockage and Alzheimer's (but can't quite figure out how to order a bagel); Ethan, who essentially outgrows high school in his junior year and founds his own company to commercialize a discovery he made in the class; Sophia, a Lyme disease patient whose ambitious work is dedicated to curing her own debilitating ailment; Romano, a football player who hangs up his helmet to pursue his secret science expertise and develop a "smart" liquid bandage; and Olivia, whose invention of a fast test for Ebola brought her science fair fame and an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
We experience the thrill of discovery, the heartbreak of failed endeavors, and perhaps the ultimate high: a yes from Harvard. Moving, funny, and utterly engrossing, The Class is a superb account of hard work and high spirits, a stirring tribute to how essential science is in our schools and our lives, and a heartfelt testament to the power of a great teacher to help kids realize their unlimited potential.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2018
55 people are currently reading
2113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
July 24, 2018
A fantastic tale of innovation, creativity and perseverance, this story is sure to inspire.
I love stories about truly fantastic teachers. Educators who take seriously their roles in the lives and futures of students. Andy Bramante goes the extra mile, and his students shine because of it.
This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. Highly recommend!
I love stories about truly fantastic teachers. Educators who take seriously their roles in the lives and futures of students. Andy Bramante goes the extra mile, and his students shine because of it.
This book was everything I didn’t know I needed. Highly recommend!
August 19, 2018
Feeling down about the world these days? This is the book for you. It's the true story of an astonishingly brilliant group of students and their teacher, Andy Bramante. Bramante is everything a teacher should be: guide, leader, inspirer, motivator, problem-solver, brainstormer, navigator. You will be breathless with anticipation as you follow a group of scientific-minded high school students come up with ideas for inventions, discoveries, and scientific breakthroughs and follow through with research worthy of longtime adult scientists. It's a fascinating story, well-worth reading, especially for those of us who feel deeply concerned about the state of schools and teens.
August 25, 2018
This is exactly as the description states. If you are looking for how this teacher has been successful, meaning what he does, this is not the book. It is however an accounting of a few specific students and the amazing work they are doing but it is basically their story and not the teacher’s. It is broken down by each student and follows them throughout the year.
I was a little put off by the author making it appear that the teacher was struggling in a well to do area, with a salary of over $120,000 (over double the national average!) when a lot of teachers would love to break $60,000 and a per student budget that is the same as what my area high school gives to each teacher for all their entire classroom needs per semester.
It was well written and interesting but I think I would have enjoyed this more if there was more information on how the teacher carries out this idea.
I was a little put off by the author making it appear that the teacher was struggling in a well to do area, with a salary of over $120,000 (over double the national average!) when a lot of teachers would love to break $60,000 and a per student budget that is the same as what my area high school gives to each teacher for all their entire classroom needs per semester.
It was well written and interesting but I think I would have enjoyed this more if there was more information on how the teacher carries out this idea.
March 10, 2019
In this engaging account, a high school science teacher works with his class of bright, driven students tackling experiments and preparing for prestigious science fairs. The reader follows their progress through the year from the perspectives of the teacher and some of the students. Well-researched and clearly presented, this is also a page-turner as the reader roots for the students’ success (or in some cases, just for the ability to get their act together). The author does a fine job of translating the complex science enough for a lay person get the gist. I stayed up late reading to see how it all turned out and look forward to passing this book onto some high school students I know for possible inspiration.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and Goodreads for a free copy of the book. This review expresses my own opinion.
Thank you to Ballantine Books and Goodreads for a free copy of the book. This review expresses my own opinion.
August 21, 2018
I am usually a sucker for inspiring teacher stories. And I usually try to push through books for review (Thanks, NetGalley and Random House) even if I don’t enjoy it. However, this book (sort of) focusing on Andy Bramante and his super smart, motivated Greenwich students just was not my cup of tea. I abandoned it 30% of the way in.
Some of my issue was with the writing itself. There was weird time and pacing throughout and no clear organizational method. It seems like it would be organized by Andy or individual students as that was used for the chapter names. However, in those chapters they’d take lengthy tangents to other students, random information, or jumps in time. It was just poorly organized, making it hard to follow and get into a reading groove. Pieces of information are redundant. I got it the first 5 times that one competition is only for seniors. Add in the contradictions, and I just couldn’t do it any longer.
Then there’s my question regarding the point of the book. Is this about an inspiring teacher or an ad for Greenwich, CT? A lot of times it seemed like the latter.
Maybe it got into this after I quit, but what makes Andy a successful, effective teacher? The reasons brought forth in the first part of the book are that he’s working with gifted kids who are motivated and have parental support. Plus, he has a background in the sciences outside of teaching, leading to additional resources and connections for his students. But what is it about *him* that makes him such an exceptional teacher? What sets him apart that other teachers can emulate?
Some of the research the students were conducting was really interesting. However, overall, this book was a miss for me.
If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com
Some of my issue was with the writing itself. There was weird time and pacing throughout and no clear organizational method. It seems like it would be organized by Andy or individual students as that was used for the chapter names. However, in those chapters they’d take lengthy tangents to other students, random information, or jumps in time. It was just poorly organized, making it hard to follow and get into a reading groove. Pieces of information are redundant. I got it the first 5 times that one competition is only for seniors. Add in the contradictions, and I just couldn’t do it any longer.
Then there’s my question regarding the point of the book. Is this about an inspiring teacher or an ad for Greenwich, CT? A lot of times it seemed like the latter.
Maybe it got into this after I quit, but what makes Andy a successful, effective teacher? The reasons brought forth in the first part of the book are that he’s working with gifted kids who are motivated and have parental support. Plus, he has a background in the sciences outside of teaching, leading to additional resources and connections for his students. But what is it about *him* that makes him such an exceptional teacher? What sets him apart that other teachers can emulate?
Some of the research the students were conducting was really interesting. However, overall, this book was a miss for me.
If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com
March 27, 2020
I won an ARC of this Book through Goodreads. In return for an honest review!
Andy Bramante, former Corporate Chemist turned Teacher, well ok Educator. I say that because he doesn't really teach the kids in his class he educates them on how to achieve things or how to run an experiment. Yes, a lot of people will say these kids are given far more than a lot of kids in science classes are ever given, the elite few you might say? But I disagree, why? Because Andy is using his contacts and his own expertise to obtain the equipment or fix what he does have. Andy Bramante is quite the Technical Wizard at fixing some of his equipment for the kids. They also utilize the parents, or at least some of them, as in getting to use an electron microscope at a hospital, all because a parent is a high ranking doctor.
These Kids win time and again, they solve puzzles a lot of adults that have been doing this a lot longer than they have, have struggled with for years. They come up with novel approaches to difficult situations, which is refreshing to see.
These kids are probably some of the smartest kids you'll read about anywhere, one does 20 AP Classes in a year, He wants to get into Harvard, but Well Read the book.
One Girl suffers from Lyme Disease so she tries to find a way to detect it earlier and easier. Another created a way to detect Ebola far easier. These kids are smart. But so is Andy Bramante.
My only criticism and it's a small one is there is a little too much Swearing throughout the book, it kind of detracts from how smart these kids are, and how smart Andy is.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and recommend it!
Andy Bramante, former Corporate Chemist turned Teacher, well ok Educator. I say that because he doesn't really teach the kids in his class he educates them on how to achieve things or how to run an experiment. Yes, a lot of people will say these kids are given far more than a lot of kids in science classes are ever given, the elite few you might say? But I disagree, why? Because Andy is using his contacts and his own expertise to obtain the equipment or fix what he does have. Andy Bramante is quite the Technical Wizard at fixing some of his equipment for the kids. They also utilize the parents, or at least some of them, as in getting to use an electron microscope at a hospital, all because a parent is a high ranking doctor.
These Kids win time and again, they solve puzzles a lot of adults that have been doing this a lot longer than they have, have struggled with for years. They come up with novel approaches to difficult situations, which is refreshing to see.
These kids are probably some of the smartest kids you'll read about anywhere, one does 20 AP Classes in a year, He wants to get into Harvard, but Well Read the book.
One Girl suffers from Lyme Disease so she tries to find a way to detect it earlier and easier. Another created a way to detect Ebola far easier. These kids are smart. But so is Andy Bramante.
My only criticism and it's a small one is there is a little too much Swearing throughout the book, it kind of detracts from how smart these kids are, and how smart Andy is.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and recommend it!
August 5, 2018
Interesting story of a scientist who leaves corporate life to teach in a high school. This is HIS story as well as the teens that he teaches and guides into the vast world of winning science competitions. While the book is interesting, the organization of the material left much to be desired in my opinion. It was sometimes hard to track the backgrounds of the teens and keep them all straight as their continuing stories were constantly interrupted. Over all though, a worthy read.
Read
March 6, 2019Descriptions of this class made me a bit twitchy. Basically, anything goes. The kids do self-directed projects, maybe. If they don't get started working on anything, ok. If they start working on something and then wander off and ignore their project for months on end, ok. If they ignore their project and then have to work nights and weekends to get it done on time, then the teacher has the lab open for them to do that. I would not be a very understanding teacher if these kids were wanting me to give up my personal time because they couldn't be bothered to do their work in a timely manner in class. Your lack of preparation is not my emergency, etc.
I didn't realize that science fairs were this big of a business. There are huge amounts of prize money on the line. Add this into pressure over getting into the "right" colleges and these kids are getting pushed hard sometimes by their parents. You know that parents are the biggest source of trouble in a class like this.
Greenwich is known as a super rich area even though there are students at all economic levels. This has added some tension around the program. Other schools think "Of course the rich school can produce fancy projects". The book goes into a lot of detail about how the class is run on a shoe string budget but they do have a lot of contacts. Kids can go to professional labs and use a scanning electron microscope for free. The teacher gets a lot of used fancy lab equipment that other schools wouldn't have access to. Some parents can pay for projects that others can't.
The book follows several students through the year to see how they do with their projects and what life is like for them outside of class. Who goes to prom? Who gets into what college? (Those college acceptances seem incredibly random.) How do they decide what school to go to? Should you even worry about finishing high school if you have a company producing what you invented in Science Research class and you're in the running for a 7 million dollar prize?
This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
August 25, 2018
Thank you for writing this book. I currently tutor elementary students in Reading and Math and have opened up Stem activities and Problem Based learning to them. Our students are not the best learned and most definitely do not come from well to do families. But, our students want to learn. They struggle with the most simple things in their life and most of the times it is their parents and their lives.
I can see the possibilities in each student I work with. I feel Andy's emotions when the author describes his anguish. I can feel the pride when a student succeeds when there was much doubt.
I am so pleased that the author used the entire school year to outline. It was so well done and I highly recommend "The Class."
I can see the possibilities in each student I work with. I feel Andy's emotions when the author describes his anguish. I can feel the pride when a student succeeds when there was much doubt.
I am so pleased that the author used the entire school year to outline. It was so well done and I highly recommend "The Class."
December 24, 2018
I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book wasn't at all what I expected. Math and Science were not my strongest subjects in high school, but they were my favorites because of the Teachers had. The Class reiterated the notion that the teachers are the foundation of growth. This story about what some may deem as an ordinary HS classroom in Greenwich, CT turns into a tale of hope and inspiration. These are truly the formative years for young adults. Peer pressure, college, friend and relationships. Knowing what these students accomplished and how it may have shaped their futures indefinitely was great to read.
I am recommending this to my Daughter who aspires for a career in education. Very well written.
This book wasn't at all what I expected. Math and Science were not my strongest subjects in high school, but they were my favorites because of the Teachers had. The Class reiterated the notion that the teachers are the foundation of growth. This story about what some may deem as an ordinary HS classroom in Greenwich, CT turns into a tale of hope and inspiration. These are truly the formative years for young adults. Peer pressure, college, friend and relationships. Knowing what these students accomplished and how it may have shaped their futures indefinitely was great to read.
I am recommending this to my Daughter who aspires for a career in education. Very well written.
October 13, 2018
As a teacher I love reading books about other teachers, their schools, their joys and their sorrows.
In this book we read about Andy Bramante, who has traded in his job in the corporate world to become a science teacher His students do not have a set curriculum, but spend the entire year learning from hands-on research projects of their own choosing. These projects lead them to enter a variety of high stakes science fairs that can provide full-ride college scholarships.
I enjoyed reading about several of his students and learning about their personal lives, their projects, and their goals for the future. Most importantly, I enjoyed reading about a teacher who impacts the lives of his students in such positive ways.
In this book we read about Andy Bramante, who has traded in his job in the corporate world to become a science teacher His students do not have a set curriculum, but spend the entire year learning from hands-on research projects of their own choosing. These projects lead them to enter a variety of high stakes science fairs that can provide full-ride college scholarships.
I enjoyed reading about several of his students and learning about their personal lives, their projects, and their goals for the future. Most importantly, I enjoyed reading about a teacher who impacts the lives of his students in such positive ways.
April 8, 2019
I had no idea there was such an intense world of science fairs out there! These kids and the research they do are amazing. This teacher is inspiring. Interesting read following "a life in the year." The writing sometimes left something to be desired, but being able to be along on the science fair circuit ride with this crew made it worth it.
August 19, 2018
I won a copy of this book through Goodreads Giveaways.
My rating for this is really 4.5 stars—it was so entertaining, incredibly well-written, and very engaging. You root for these kids all the way through, as the author allows them to really be multi-dimensional humans and not just “nerdy teenagers” or “entitled brats.” To me, that’s the real genius of this. It’s not made for TV, glossed over with morals and lessons all packaged neatly; that element is there, in a way, and the story is inspiring and uplifting and all of that good stuff, but it feels like lived experience rather than manipulated trope. I simultaneously felt inspired by and envious of these kids and their natural drive, but in the end I think we can all be William Yin, or Andy Bramante, and I think we should all try.
My rating for this is really 4.5 stars—it was so entertaining, incredibly well-written, and very engaging. You root for these kids all the way through, as the author allows them to really be multi-dimensional humans and not just “nerdy teenagers” or “entitled brats.” To me, that’s the real genius of this. It’s not made for TV, glossed over with morals and lessons all packaged neatly; that element is there, in a way, and the story is inspiring and uplifting and all of that good stuff, but it feels like lived experience rather than manipulated trope. I simultaneously felt inspired by and envious of these kids and their natural drive, but in the end I think we can all be William Yin, or Andy Bramante, and I think we should all try.
September 5, 2018
I found this book compelling and as easily readable as fiction, and for many families whose children live in underfunded school districts, this indeed must seem like a work of fiction. Connecticut has a high per-student funding in education and it shows. There were so many exceptional students that even though the author focused on a handful, I understood how exceptional this science program and teacher are.
With the right amount of coaching and independence and science equipment, these students demonstrated that they were capable of achieving the seemingly impossible. When The Teacher asked for a modest raise however, he was declined which opened the door for him to begin seeking a career change, a loss for the school, the students and for science.
An educator the author interviewed acknowledged Andy’s results with his students saying, what he does is a crucial lifeline in the education system that in many areas is crumbling. “We’ve moved from education, teaching people how to think, to training, teaching people how to bark on time.” He concluded, “Which is more valuable to the person and to the society? I can memorize something and give it back to you in an orderly fashion, even in a comprehensively well-expressed fashion. Or I can think. To me, it’s not even a call.” This is an unforgettable book and a clarion call to educate our children to be independent thinkers and creative people.
With the right amount of coaching and independence and science equipment, these students demonstrated that they were capable of achieving the seemingly impossible. When The Teacher asked for a modest raise however, he was declined which opened the door for him to begin seeking a career change, a loss for the school, the students and for science.
An educator the author interviewed acknowledged Andy’s results with his students saying, what he does is a crucial lifeline in the education system that in many areas is crumbling. “We’ve moved from education, teaching people how to think, to training, teaching people how to bark on time.” He concluded, “Which is more valuable to the person and to the society? I can memorize something and give it back to you in an orderly fashion, even in a comprehensively well-expressed fashion. Or I can think. To me, it’s not even a call.” This is an unforgettable book and a clarion call to educate our children to be independent thinkers and creative people.
June 26, 2024
Maybe I should’ve given it more than 3 chapters but life’s too short to read boring books
August 25, 2018
Dear people who are always looking for a good book recommendation. Lucky for you, "The Class" by the gifted reporter Heather Won Tesoriero is about to come out. She spent a year embedded in an elite high school science classroom, observing the kids' extraordinary minds, their wondrous teacher, elaborate prom proposals, their extraordinary efforts to both change the world and get into Harvard, and perhaps most interesting, their failures. The kids' brightness is incomparable--a thing of true awe. Witnessing their potential is a genuine uplift. Many of the kids are immigrants, and what emerges from these pages is an incredibly powerful portrait of what America can be when we stay true to our founding idea.
August 24, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. I became so involved in the students, their science projects, and their college admissions that I could not put this book down. I loved the idea of the class and wish that i could go back in time and participate in something similar. I had some amazing teachers and classmates that would have benefited from these types of opportunities.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. :-)
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own. :-)
February 4, 2019
The book is very well told and entertaining. The author tells the story using many views and perspectives to accomplish her ultimate goal. It’s amazing to see what these kids are able to discover and how Andy led them there. The book tells a honest tale and doesn’t shy away from the hard details.
December 21, 2018
I was utterly captivated by this book. It made me want to find the nearest science fair and just walk around looking at posters I don't understand like some sort of weird groupie. It made me want to talk to every high school science teacher I know about how more students can find these kinds of opportunities for independent research. And perhaps most telling of all, it made me hopeful about the future.
To call this an account of a high school science research class and their successes on the competitive science fair circuit feels too reductive. The research projects (which, I will fully admit, are all over my head) that these high school students successfully undertake completely blow my mind. Their drive, innovation, ownership of their projects, and creative ways of thinking are incredibly high level, and especially intriguing juxtaposed with their more typical high school exploits as they plan promposals, pull pranks, navigate social landmines, balance extracurriculars, and stress over college admissions.
The teacher, Andy Bramante, deserves great acclaim for the opportunities and guidance he provides, and it was a delight to see inside his unique classroom. I really appreciate that the author worked to center the students, however. They're a delightful mix of personalities with refreshing energy and outlooks, and their potential is clearly off the charts. This book is not a primer on how to be a great teacher (though certainly schools could benefit from using Andy and his classroom as a model...with the caveat that most schools would not have the resources and personnel to replicate what he's doing exactly). It's an enthralling and inspiring tribute to scientific research, innovative educational spaces, and above all to these phenomenal and inspiring individuals.
I'm very grateful to have won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
To call this an account of a high school science research class and their successes on the competitive science fair circuit feels too reductive. The research projects (which, I will fully admit, are all over my head) that these high school students successfully undertake completely blow my mind. Their drive, innovation, ownership of their projects, and creative ways of thinking are incredibly high level, and especially intriguing juxtaposed with their more typical high school exploits as they plan promposals, pull pranks, navigate social landmines, balance extracurriculars, and stress over college admissions.
The teacher, Andy Bramante, deserves great acclaim for the opportunities and guidance he provides, and it was a delight to see inside his unique classroom. I really appreciate that the author worked to center the students, however. They're a delightful mix of personalities with refreshing energy and outlooks, and their potential is clearly off the charts. This book is not a primer on how to be a great teacher (though certainly schools could benefit from using Andy and his classroom as a model...with the caveat that most schools would not have the resources and personnel to replicate what he's doing exactly). It's an enthralling and inspiring tribute to scientific research, innovative educational spaces, and above all to these phenomenal and inspiring individuals.
I'm very grateful to have won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway!
August 10, 2018
The Class should be required reading in all teacher preparation programs! I loved the dedication of Andy Bramante to his students and his program. He is exactly how all teachers should be. Think of the change in public education if his drive and dedication was the norm rather than the exception.
I enjoyed the way The Class was laid out - following the experiences of several students throughout the year. I found myself rooting for some students and worried about others. It was nice to read about where the seniors ended up going to college.
I received an ARC from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.
I enjoyed the way The Class was laid out - following the experiences of several students throughout the year. I found myself rooting for some students and worried about others. It was nice to read about where the seniors ended up going to college.
I received an ARC from the publisher. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.
August 14, 2018
Outstanding & true story of the creativity, brilliance, problem solving and accomplishments of the students and teacher in a single science class at Greenwich High School throughout the science fair competitions of 2016-17. In awe of these young adults preparing to change the world.
August 5, 2018
An excellent book about Andy Bramante. A teacher who has taken teaching to another level. His passion to see his students succeed is one that we don't often see in the public school system.
His students are entering science contests I had never even heard of! And winning! Not with your standard rotating planets or baking soda volcanoes. No, they are looking for cures for disease, amazing inventions and prize money that exceeds anything I've seen.
We follow a year in his classroom. No text books, not tests, these kids choose a project and work on it in this research style classroom for the entire year. One has been on Stephen Colbert. One left high school and started his own company.
I had no idea all of these competitions were going on. An outstanding look at excellence in teaching and allowing your students to discover their own talents.
Excellent Work!
Netgalley/September 4th 2018 by Ballantine Books
His students are entering science contests I had never even heard of! And winning! Not with your standard rotating planets or baking soda volcanoes. No, they are looking for cures for disease, amazing inventions and prize money that exceeds anything I've seen.
We follow a year in his classroom. No text books, not tests, these kids choose a project and work on it in this research style classroom for the entire year. One has been on Stephen Colbert. One left high school and started his own company.
I had no idea all of these competitions were going on. An outstanding look at excellence in teaching and allowing your students to discover their own talents.
Excellent Work!
Netgalley/September 4th 2018 by Ballantine Books
July 28, 2018
Excellent book. A fascinating glimpse into the world of science fairs, brilliant kids and an amazing teacher.
July 27, 2018
4.5 stars...what a wonderful and inspiring story. The kids in the class blew my mind and their teacher exemplifies everything that is good and right about education.
September 26, 2022
This is one of my all time favorite non-fiction reads and I strongly recommend it to everyone. I couldn’t put it down. I’m sure this will be in my top reads of 2019.
In The Class - we follow Andy Bramante - a high school research science teacher - and his students through the 2016-2017 school year and the science fair circuit. You might be thinking “really? I should be interested in reading about science fairs?”
Yes - you should!! Within the first 12 pages, I was fully hooked and sending texts to friends that started with “did you know...” For example - did you know that one of the most prestigious science fairs for high school seniors has a top prize of $250,000???
Do you ever enjoy watching a competition show on TV - maybe Top Chef or Masterchef Jr or American Idol? Well - imagine that instead of cooking a great meal or singing a song really well - the contestants are solving major issues for the world. Topics covered by these kids include early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, building an algorithm to determine which breast cancer drugs would be most effective in fighting tumors and making a battery out of mushrooms.
Heather Won Tesoriero wrote so well - nonfiction isn’t my go-to but this read like a novel. I laughed multiple times and teared up a couple times as well. In addition to following their science fair experiences, we are also along for other key high school moments including college acceptance, prom (and promposals) and graduation. We also see as Mr. B deals with everything from questions of his own future plans to dealing with overzealous parents.
I loved every moment of reading this book - pick it up and give it a few chapters and I bet you’ll be hooked too!
In The Class - we follow Andy Bramante - a high school research science teacher - and his students through the 2016-2017 school year and the science fair circuit. You might be thinking “really? I should be interested in reading about science fairs?”
Yes - you should!! Within the first 12 pages, I was fully hooked and sending texts to friends that started with “did you know...” For example - did you know that one of the most prestigious science fairs for high school seniors has a top prize of $250,000???
Do you ever enjoy watching a competition show on TV - maybe Top Chef or Masterchef Jr or American Idol? Well - imagine that instead of cooking a great meal or singing a song really well - the contestants are solving major issues for the world. Topics covered by these kids include early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, building an algorithm to determine which breast cancer drugs would be most effective in fighting tumors and making a battery out of mushrooms.
Heather Won Tesoriero wrote so well - nonfiction isn’t my go-to but this read like a novel. I laughed multiple times and teared up a couple times as well. In addition to following their science fair experiences, we are also along for other key high school moments including college acceptance, prom (and promposals) and graduation. We also see as Mr. B deals with everything from questions of his own future plans to dealing with overzealous parents.
I loved every moment of reading this book - pick it up and give it a few chapters and I bet you’ll be hooked too!
June 5, 2020
I won a copy of this book.
Every school has that one teacher that goes above and beyond for their students. Andy Bramante is that teacher. Andy's students are amazing too. They've won awards from Google, Siemens, and ISWEEPand, just to name a few. And we're not talking small winnings; Some kids can win up to $100,000. This book follows Bramante and his kids as they navigates a year in classroom.
Every school has that one teacher that goes above and beyond for their students. Andy Bramante is that teacher. Andy's students are amazing too. They've won awards from Google, Siemens, and ISWEEPand, just to name a few. And we're not talking small winnings; Some kids can win up to $100,000. This book follows Bramante and his kids as they navigates a year in classroom.
December 23, 2018
Excellent until author decided to ruin the last Chapter on William (ch 51) by expressing her snotty views about Trumpian times, Melanie and Betsy DeVos. William and I didn’t deserve that. Skip ch 51 up to pg 413 where William takes over for the doppelgänger.
August 31, 2023
I love this book, and this book makes me sad.
The Class is written with such compassion and gentleness when it comes to the stories that it tells about the central protagonists, the real children involved in one specific science class in the wealthy, high-class community of Greenwich Connecticut. Tesoriero clearly spent quality time with these kids, and was likable and trustworthy enough to be invited to their promposals and told all the fun little details about their daily lives that, in turn, give her writing life. Her tone when telling their stories is comfortable, a bit gossipy (but in a nice way), but always, always kind and respectful. It would be so easy to typecast a kid as a “character” in her book, so easy to lampoon a kid’s silliness or naivete for laughs, but this never happens. Instead, Tesoriero uses small details that she’s witnessed about the kids’ interactions to illustrate their personalities in a way that feels completely natural and true, and I love how thoughtful and careful she is.
The novelty of Tesoriero’s topic is what makes me sad. Tesoriero writes about a unicorn of a science class: an exceptional, privileged teacher of exceptional, privileged children who attend an exceptional, privileged school in an exceptional, privileged town located in an exceptional, privileged part of the country. The children’s level of achievement is exceptional mostly because of their privilege, and while Tesoriero does acknowledge this privilege, as do most of the children, she completely leaves alone issues of equity, or how on earth this kind of program could ever possibly be reproduced in other schools, or what it says about the overall environment of public education in America. That’s likely because this particular scenario is clearly inequitable, can’t be reproduced in most other schools, and has only dismal things to say about the ways that public school education is, overall, failing the majority of America’s children. All of that is deliberately not the scope of this book, but the book’s very existence begs those questions.
It was interesting, then, to see the small inequities that DO plague the lives of these exceptional, privileged children. Kids who should have won specific science fairs don’t win them. Kids who do win are cyberbullied. One kid, who is clearly THE most exceptional kid, is denied admission to Harvard, but another kid, depicted as entitled and wasteful of some of his many opportunities (but still exceptional! Because privilege!), but also described as wealthy, with parents who are both Harvard alumni and active donors to Harvard, is offered early acceptance. But even though I might want to mock the pettiness of any slight in the shadow of such overall overwhelming opportunity, it’s impossible to, because Tesoriero treats these setbacks with respect; these are children, their setbacks are real to them (if so out-of-scale as to be wildly unreal to me, ahem), and these are the life lessons they’re learning.
But seriously, though--don’t worry about the kid who didn’t get into Harvard; he got into TONS of other schools, and ended up turning down a $267,000 scholarship to Duke, one that would have included room and board and study-abroad, to attend Stanford. As a parent who’s currently got a range of side hustles going on to try to cash-flow as much of my own kid’s college tuition as possible so she can graduate as debt-free as possible, it’s a big challenge for me not to put my petty hat on for that scenario. I’ll be a little more petty about the kid who worked out a deal with the high school to basically allow him to test out of all of his classes for his final two years while he lived across the country in an apartment his parents rented for him and worked on his multi-million dollar invention. The super fancy international science fair thing he got invited to disrespected him, I guess(?), so he just didn’t go, and then they asked his mom for $600 to reimburse them for what they’d spent on his no-showness. THEN the bougie high school that had been essentially not making him go there for the last two years threatened to withhold his diploma because he didn’t take the wellness class he said he’d take, and OMG, would Yale withdraw their acceptance if he didn’t have his high school diploma? Nvm, they sent his diploma to him anyway. Just… you know, in my house, the most recent money/attendance blow-up with my own teenager involved her getting called into her part-time job on a night that she had ballet class, and I was pissed because I had to ask the ballet program if she could make up the class on another night rather than simply skip it, and they were weird about it but nevertheless, I persisted, because I paid fifteen dollars for that stinking class and fifteen dollars is FIFTEEN DOLLARS!
Okay, I’m taking my petty hat off again.
The Class is written with such compassion and gentleness when it comes to the stories that it tells about the central protagonists, the real children involved in one specific science class in the wealthy, high-class community of Greenwich Connecticut. Tesoriero clearly spent quality time with these kids, and was likable and trustworthy enough to be invited to their promposals and told all the fun little details about their daily lives that, in turn, give her writing life. Her tone when telling their stories is comfortable, a bit gossipy (but in a nice way), but always, always kind and respectful. It would be so easy to typecast a kid as a “character” in her book, so easy to lampoon a kid’s silliness or naivete for laughs, but this never happens. Instead, Tesoriero uses small details that she’s witnessed about the kids’ interactions to illustrate their personalities in a way that feels completely natural and true, and I love how thoughtful and careful she is.
The novelty of Tesoriero’s topic is what makes me sad. Tesoriero writes about a unicorn of a science class: an exceptional, privileged teacher of exceptional, privileged children who attend an exceptional, privileged school in an exceptional, privileged town located in an exceptional, privileged part of the country. The children’s level of achievement is exceptional mostly because of their privilege, and while Tesoriero does acknowledge this privilege, as do most of the children, she completely leaves alone issues of equity, or how on earth this kind of program could ever possibly be reproduced in other schools, or what it says about the overall environment of public education in America. That’s likely because this particular scenario is clearly inequitable, can’t be reproduced in most other schools, and has only dismal things to say about the ways that public school education is, overall, failing the majority of America’s children. All of that is deliberately not the scope of this book, but the book’s very existence begs those questions.
It was interesting, then, to see the small inequities that DO plague the lives of these exceptional, privileged children. Kids who should have won specific science fairs don’t win them. Kids who do win are cyberbullied. One kid, who is clearly THE most exceptional kid, is denied admission to Harvard, but another kid, depicted as entitled and wasteful of some of his many opportunities (but still exceptional! Because privilege!), but also described as wealthy, with parents who are both Harvard alumni and active donors to Harvard, is offered early acceptance. But even though I might want to mock the pettiness of any slight in the shadow of such overall overwhelming opportunity, it’s impossible to, because Tesoriero treats these setbacks with respect; these are children, their setbacks are real to them (if so out-of-scale as to be wildly unreal to me, ahem), and these are the life lessons they’re learning.
But seriously, though--don’t worry about the kid who didn’t get into Harvard; he got into TONS of other schools, and ended up turning down a $267,000 scholarship to Duke, one that would have included room and board and study-abroad, to attend Stanford. As a parent who’s currently got a range of side hustles going on to try to cash-flow as much of my own kid’s college tuition as possible so she can graduate as debt-free as possible, it’s a big challenge for me not to put my petty hat on for that scenario. I’ll be a little more petty about the kid who worked out a deal with the high school to basically allow him to test out of all of his classes for his final two years while he lived across the country in an apartment his parents rented for him and worked on his multi-million dollar invention. The super fancy international science fair thing he got invited to disrespected him, I guess(?), so he just didn’t go, and then they asked his mom for $600 to reimburse them for what they’d spent on his no-showness. THEN the bougie high school that had been essentially not making him go there for the last two years threatened to withhold his diploma because he didn’t take the wellness class he said he’d take, and OMG, would Yale withdraw their acceptance if he didn’t have his high school diploma? Nvm, they sent his diploma to him anyway. Just… you know, in my house, the most recent money/attendance blow-up with my own teenager involved her getting called into her part-time job on a night that she had ballet class, and I was pissed because I had to ask the ballet program if she could make up the class on another night rather than simply skip it, and they were weird about it but nevertheless, I persisted, because I paid fifteen dollars for that stinking class and fifteen dollars is FIFTEEN DOLLARS!
Okay, I’m taking my petty hat off again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 5, 2018
I was able to read this book through the auspices of NetGalley. I thank them for the early look.
Andy Bramante is the kind of teacher that everyone should have at least once in their educational career. A career changer, he left a successful career in corporate chemistry to teach in one of the most exclusive school districts in the country, Greenwich, CT. With a median income of on average $100,000 (average income is much, much higher), and stratospheric property taxes, the Greenwich Public Schools stand up next to many preparatory schools that might easily be an option for the well-heeled families of Greenwich.
People move to Greenwich for the schools and, in particular, for Andy's Honors Science class. His class does not follow a curriculum or have assignments and tests. Instead, self-directed students come to Andy with a germinating idea of a science project, a hypothesis, and develop a method to realize their project. Andy's selective class is most like an organized independent study program.
There are goals in mind. Andy shepherds more students to high profile science fairs than practically any public school teacher in the country. His students frequently take top (monetary and scholarship) prizes in these competitions. These are the unimaginably brilliant kids that frequently show up on morning TV shows with a method of detecting Ebola or Zika or developing fast. cost-effective de-salinization methods. A large number of Andy's students are first or second generation Americans, often Asian-American, who either have Tiger Parents, a natural scientific bent, or a cultural ethic that includes education as a number one priority. It's something of a stereotype, but it does speak to the value added existence of immigrant populations in America.
If these young people have barriers, it is taking part in typical teen activities. Dating, prom, and other social interactions seem to take a back seat to what is going on in Mr. B's classroom. However, to get into a top rated college (most aspire to Harvard), they must produce a well-rounded resume including sports, band, theatre, or other extra curriculars including STEM clubs aimed at young women taught by young women.
Following the activities of these young people for a year sounds like a promising premise for a book but, at least for me, the book fails.
First, books like this tend to be written about children in high risk, underserved populations. Rooting for the underdog and the inspiring teachers who offer them a leg up out of poverty is uplifting. Look at books like "Up the Down Staircase," "Freedom Writers," or "Stand and Deliver." Inspirational teachers like Jaime Escalante are inspirational and aspirational.
Which is not to denigrate Mr. B. Himself a child of poverty, he achieves a career with a nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic. To give up his high achieving corporate career to inspire and mentor teens, even if it is in a prestigious school, is laudatory. However, there does not seem to be a comparison between the well-equipped lab he has assembled (with his own hard work), and the grinding poverty of an LA barrio classroom.
As for the writing in the book itself, it is plodding. Following the actual hard work of the students is realistic, but provides not "Eureka" moment, unless you count having to choose between your second choice colleges, Duke and Stanford when Harvard rejects you.
There is one passage in the book that horrified me, and makes me think that the editor was as bored as I was to let it pass. At one point, when talking about an experiment by William Yin, senior class valedictorian and committed procrastinator, the author uses a play on words based on "The Three Little Pigs," and painfully uses the phrase, "Not by the hair of his yinny yin yin." It is a horrific example of racism and immature writing. It should have been excised by the editor on the first pass.
Also, instead of the author offering a disclaimer in the introduction or in a footnote, "Names have been changed to protect the identity of participant," she repeatedly writes, "Let's call this person Y." It's annoying. It's awkward. It's clunky and draws attention to itself rather than the story being told.
By the end of the book, it sounds as if Mr. B. will be searching out a new career path, disheartened by the lack of recognition, petty jealousy, and politics of a modern school system. If that happens. it's a shame because clearly he is a gifted teacher with much to give to students. Perhaps his next stop will be administering a program that brings less entitled children to gift of STEM education. That's a book I'd be interested in reading.
Andy Bramante is the kind of teacher that everyone should have at least once in their educational career. A career changer, he left a successful career in corporate chemistry to teach in one of the most exclusive school districts in the country, Greenwich, CT. With a median income of on average $100,000 (average income is much, much higher), and stratospheric property taxes, the Greenwich Public Schools stand up next to many preparatory schools that might easily be an option for the well-heeled families of Greenwich.
People move to Greenwich for the schools and, in particular, for Andy's Honors Science class. His class does not follow a curriculum or have assignments and tests. Instead, self-directed students come to Andy with a germinating idea of a science project, a hypothesis, and develop a method to realize their project. Andy's selective class is most like an organized independent study program.
There are goals in mind. Andy shepherds more students to high profile science fairs than practically any public school teacher in the country. His students frequently take top (monetary and scholarship) prizes in these competitions. These are the unimaginably brilliant kids that frequently show up on morning TV shows with a method of detecting Ebola or Zika or developing fast. cost-effective de-salinization methods. A large number of Andy's students are first or second generation Americans, often Asian-American, who either have Tiger Parents, a natural scientific bent, or a cultural ethic that includes education as a number one priority. It's something of a stereotype, but it does speak to the value added existence of immigrant populations in America.
If these young people have barriers, it is taking part in typical teen activities. Dating, prom, and other social interactions seem to take a back seat to what is going on in Mr. B's classroom. However, to get into a top rated college (most aspire to Harvard), they must produce a well-rounded resume including sports, band, theatre, or other extra curriculars including STEM clubs aimed at young women taught by young women.
Following the activities of these young people for a year sounds like a promising premise for a book but, at least for me, the book fails.
First, books like this tend to be written about children in high risk, underserved populations. Rooting for the underdog and the inspiring teachers who offer them a leg up out of poverty is uplifting. Look at books like "Up the Down Staircase," "Freedom Writers," or "Stand and Deliver." Inspirational teachers like Jaime Escalante are inspirational and aspirational.
Which is not to denigrate Mr. B. Himself a child of poverty, he achieves a career with a nose-to-the-grindstone work ethic. To give up his high achieving corporate career to inspire and mentor teens, even if it is in a prestigious school, is laudatory. However, there does not seem to be a comparison between the well-equipped lab he has assembled (with his own hard work), and the grinding poverty of an LA barrio classroom.
As for the writing in the book itself, it is plodding. Following the actual hard work of the students is realistic, but provides not "Eureka" moment, unless you count having to choose between your second choice colleges, Duke and Stanford when Harvard rejects you.
There is one passage in the book that horrified me, and makes me think that the editor was as bored as I was to let it pass. At one point, when talking about an experiment by William Yin, senior class valedictorian and committed procrastinator, the author uses a play on words based on "The Three Little Pigs," and painfully uses the phrase, "Not by the hair of his yinny yin yin." It is a horrific example of racism and immature writing. It should have been excised by the editor on the first pass.
Also, instead of the author offering a disclaimer in the introduction or in a footnote, "Names have been changed to protect the identity of participant," she repeatedly writes, "Let's call this person Y." It's annoying. It's awkward. It's clunky and draws attention to itself rather than the story being told.
By the end of the book, it sounds as if Mr. B. will be searching out a new career path, disheartened by the lack of recognition, petty jealousy, and politics of a modern school system. If that happens. it's a shame because clearly he is a gifted teacher with much to give to students. Perhaps his next stop will be administering a program that brings less entitled children to gift of STEM education. That's a book I'd be interested in reading.
September 7, 2018
As a parent to young boys, few things hang above me like a guillotine, ready to slice away the future I want for them. One of the most frightening questions: What school should I choose? Parents love to idealistically think it won’t matter where they go. Our children will blossom and flourish in any environment, but we know the truth. Schools matter. The teachers inside those schools matter.
The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America
shows us the what amazing things can happen when those two things come together.
The Class by Heather Won Tesoriero follows her year embedded with a science research class at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut. While the location comes with its own advantageous trappings (being housed in a very affluent area,) in the last few years this specific class garnered a legendary status on the science fair circuit. In fact, they’ve won so many awards for some it changed their opinions from revered to antagonistic. The kids themselves are absolutely the main ingredient in the mix, but their secret ingredient, grown and honed over decades in hallways and labs of private chemical engineering companies, is their teacher, Andy Bramante.
Andy is a rare gem inside the often craggy landscape of the education profession. Teachers all over the country are constantly having to fight, lobby, and beg for more funding and higher salaries. It truly is one of the most under appreciated jobs you can take. Andy’s class on more than one occasion sustained or grew because of the parents, even those whose children are not in the class. They can see beyond any barriers they have in order to focus purely on the opportunity for their next generations.
Andy hates to beg for money or resources and he’s absolutely within his rights to feel that way. At the time of this books writing, his class got a stipend of $1,200. Without looking at the pure numbers of awards and related accolades his class brings to GHS, let’s look at a sampling of the inventions his students brought into being.
That’s only three of the dozens and dozens of students who created incredible solutions to the world’s growing list of critical issues. Everything from climate change to Lyme disease, Andy’s students are passionate about helping society. The fact they are kids is not lost on people hovering at the top of the related industries. One of the founders of Regeneron, the new top level sponsor for the STS (Science Talent Search), recently said:
This is where The Class takes us, to a place where we nurture and support those young minds. They are growing in a world where social ills are no longer purely cultural or topical. Their problems are the world's problems and we need fresh minds for fresh approaches to the solutions.
Tesoriero and her book, The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America , exists as more than a story of Andy Bramante and his students. It's also a roadmap to improving our educational systems and the unimaginable bounties waiting if we do.
*Reviewer's Note: This book was sent to me for the purpose of writing a review, but neither the publisher or the book being sent to me affected the outcome of the review.*
The Class by Heather Won Tesoriero follows her year embedded with a science research class at Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Connecticut. While the location comes with its own advantageous trappings (being housed in a very affluent area,) in the last few years this specific class garnered a legendary status on the science fair circuit. In fact, they’ve won so many awards for some it changed their opinions from revered to antagonistic. The kids themselves are absolutely the main ingredient in the mix, but their secret ingredient, grown and honed over decades in hallways and labs of private chemical engineering companies, is their teacher, Andy Bramante.
Andy is a rare gem inside the often craggy landscape of the education profession. Teachers all over the country are constantly having to fight, lobby, and beg for more funding and higher salaries. It truly is one of the most under appreciated jobs you can take. Andy’s class on more than one occasion sustained or grew because of the parents, even those whose children are not in the class. They can see beyond any barriers they have in order to focus purely on the opportunity for their next generations.
Andy hates to beg for money or resources and he’s absolutely within his rights to feel that way. At the time of this books writing, his class got a stipend of $1,200. Without looking at the pure numbers of awards and related accolades his class brings to GHS, let’s look at a sampling of the inventions his students brought into being.
That’s only three of the dozens and dozens of students who created incredible solutions to the world’s growing list of critical issues. Everything from climate change to Lyme disease, Andy’s students are passionate about helping society. The fact they are kids is not lost on people hovering at the top of the related industries. One of the founders of Regeneron, the new top level sponsor for the STS (Science Talent Search), recently said:
Who’s going to save us? Whether you’re talking about cancer, whether you’re talking about Ebola, any other epidemic that might come out of nowhere. Now we’ve got to worry about bioterrorism, let alone climate change and the environment, new forms of energy. Who’s going to do that? It’s not going to be the hedge fund managers who do this. It’s going to be some brilliant young kids who are attracted to science and recognize that they might have the ability to solve the biggest problems facing mankind…People talk about the war on this or the war on this, this is the biggest battle mankind has to fight. We have to win this war against disease, against aging, against all of these obesity-related epidemics, against climate change, against limited resources, everything that’s changing about our world. I mean, if we solve everything else, if we win the war against this, if we win the war against terrorism and cyberwarfare and all this, we’ve still got to solve all these problems and who’s going to do it? I think the best that we can do is to make sure the brightest, sharpest young minds get attracted to science and fall in love with it and realize the power of what they could do, how they could really change the world. It’s not like the world will be better for it. We are absolutely one hundred percent dependent on it.
This is where The Class takes us, to a place where we nurture and support those young minds. They are growing in a world where social ills are no longer purely cultural or topical. Their problems are the world's problems and we need fresh minds for fresh approaches to the solutions.
Tesoriero and her book, The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America , exists as more than a story of Andy Bramante and his students. It's also a roadmap to improving our educational systems and the unimaginable bounties waiting if we do.
*Reviewer's Note: This book was sent to me for the purpose of writing a review, but neither the publisher or the book being sent to me affected the outcome of the review.*
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