A Different Kind of Teacher

John Taylor Gatto was one of the first educators that I learned about when I began homeschooling back in 2001. Homeschooling was very rare, and was looked upon as a very extreme method of teaching, especially because I was not a credentialed teacher. My family had great concerns for the future of my son, however it was books like A different Kind of Teacher that really motivated me, and gave me confidence that I was doing the right thing for his future. I had begin to feel in fact, that if I did return him to public school he would be even more at risk.

Former New York City and State Teacher, John Taylor Gatto had been teacher of the year three time throughout his teaching career, but in his book he describes the feeling that he was doing students a disservice, and so he quit teaching.

In his book, A different Kind of Teacher, Gatto describes what is wrong with the current education system and what should change. Similar to Big Picture Learning , he emphasis the need for internships, community service and real world problem inquires in order to motivate students, give them a voice, and see how their education connects and affects the real world. Mr. Gatto provides these solutions based on child development, mind set, and capabilities of students at certain times within their loves. Most importantly he discuses the importance of the learning environment, and what students need to be surrounded with in order to have the greatest impact on their education.

Through each part of the book, you find areas that resonate with your own experience in education. He brings up topics such as Why we can not afford school reform, why bad schools cost so much, the public school system, its history and its goals. In the end you will fond that our system was never set up for the education of children, but yet to teach basic skills which will produce factory works to perform duties in an assembly line. the expectation was that everyone would do the same thing at the same pace, and that is exactly how the schools were built.

Our economy has changed, the knowledge students need to know has changed, even the information has changed. But our schools have not changed. Mr. Gatto opens our eyes to the issues in the system, the need for a different type of teaching which has nothing to do with a need of more money, but rather to re focus on the purpose of learning and life.

If you are seeking inspiration that will truly motivate you as an educator to make a difference in the education system or your own teaching methods, this is an excellent book to read.