The Teacher Diaries: Romeo & Juliet

by Callie Feyen

What *do* teachers feel when facing William Shakespeare, tales of family feud, breathless kissing scenes—all in front of a class of teens who are keeping their heads down (and threatening to fall asleep or plot their next prank in the process)?

We may never know what our own 8th or 9th grade teachers felt. But, on this count, educator Callie Feyen has done us a favor. She has written 'The Teacher Romeo & Juliet.'

It begins with a kiss. Then, page by page, it reveals her generous, hopeful, and humorous heart.

For teachers everywhere, this is a beautiful book to help them remember why they teach. For those of us who just love to get the juicy details of what someone in a challenging position *really* thinks, this book will satisfy (and sometimes make us laugh, or cry).

***Bonus classroom activities included.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction

124 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 12, 2018

Reviews

[Frank Morelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, the school year just started and, yes, I've made the rookie mistake of opening up the year with a unit on Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream with a group of bouncing, summer-brained eighth graders. With new patches of gray hair appearing by the hour, I sought respite and I found it in Callie Feyen's life-saving elixir of literature. The Teacher Diaries not only rings true with anyone who's ever stood in front of a classroom hoping to pound knowledge into the brains of the less-than-eager-to-learn, but it also sheds light on the internal fears, loves, hopes, dreams, and sacrifices of those of us who know our faculty suffering does not go in vain. If you are a teacher, you know a teacher, or you ever had a favorite (or not so favorite) teacher in your life you absolutely must read this book!

[Charity Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read! Made me wish Callie had been my 8th grade English teacher, but it also made me admire the teachers I had and all the ways they poured themselves into my life. I read Romeo and Juliet in ninth grade, and suddenly I was back at South Putnam High School, working on my Shakespeare contract and trying to understand how star-crossed lovers had anything to say to my life. Callie's an inviting author, waving the reader over for the best seat to a show we all starred in at some point or another. Somehow, all that junior high awkwardness just feels normal after reading this book, though. Get ready to laugh and cringe and maybe even cry a little. This is one of those books.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminds me why I teach, and why I love teaching English. She elegantly captures the beauty and the struggle of teaching, better than other authors I've read. I truly enjoyed reading this book and I am eagerly awaiting more in the series.

[Jessica Kantrowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read a book like this before, and I've never read writing like this before. Callie digs into her own memories of being a teenager to write about teaching eighth grade. The lens she uses is Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, itself a story about teens, and the three stories -- hers, R&J's, and her students' swirl around each other, interacting and informing each other, and giving us insight into all three. Callie writes of Shakespeare's expert wordplay, and finds words and metaphors befitting the bard to hold her own story and her students' -- cicada skins, cardinals (the birds in her own life and the religious leader in the play), and thunderstorms. I highly recommend this book to anyone who's ever been a teenager themselves, or loved teens, or Shakespeare, or found themselves standing on the edge of something new, searching for wisdom at how to take the next steps forward.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a paperback version but can't find that in the Goodreads list.

I knew Callie when she was a beginning teacher--and already an excellent one. This book affirms that. It makes me want to re-read Romeo and Juliet. Her middle-schoolers will never forget the play or their teacher!

The creative non-fiction style of the book incorporates Callie's teen-aged years as well as her mothering her own two daughters. She manages to relate all of her asides to Romeo and Juliet.

Check out lauravanderkam.com on February 14 for Callie's guest blog.

[Linda Hanstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so wish I had had Callie for an English teacher when I was in 8th grade! She makes Shakespeare come alive for her students as well as her readers in this fun and thought-provoking collection of stories from her first-hand experience in the classroom. I'd like to read it again alongside Romeo and Juliet, as I think I have much more to gain from it with Callie's perspective. A must-read for Middle School and High School teachers (especially those who teach literature and Shakespeare), but enjoyable for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of Romeo and Juliet.

[Ashley Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Callie Feyen is the kind of writer whose words grab you and don't let go, and the essays she shares in THE TEACHER DIARIES are no exception. She's the master at sharing details that will bring you soaring right back to your middle school years as you navigate those first awkward encounters with love and classic literature. This book would make the perfect gift for teachers, tweens and teens, and essay-lovers alike.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you’re a teacher or not, this lovely volume of essays will take you right back to high school, back to first kisses and navigating the terrain of first loves, back to the classroom where you read Romeo & Juliet, back to the unknown and the uncertainty of it all. This book is magic and Callie Feyen is a helluva writer.

[Susan Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the author, I also teach English. I teach English to juniors and seniors though rather than middle school. I am thankful for this memoir. I was inspired by it, at a time when I think most teachers need a reminder of why we do this job in the first place. It’s been a tough year for teachers and students alike. This was just what I needed right now.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I read the whole thing in one sitting. Feyen is wise, witty, and delightful. You’ll be entertained and brought back to teenage years while wrestling with her questions and insights in a way that’s beautiful and transformative.

[Rachel Bush · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed taking a peek into the author’s world of teaching Romeo & Juliet to middle schoolers. Her writing is poetic, beautiful, and thought provoking. What a gift.

[Stephanie Dulli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book. Callie Feyen is the kind of writer who weaves you into her tapestry. This book is a remembrance of time gone by and the urgency of the same age now. It's beautiful.

[Gina Dalfonzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, heartfelt reexamination of the play by an English teacher with experience in making it come alive for students.

[Dave Malone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an outstanding and poignant book. It really deepened my appreciation for the play.