If Holden Caulfield Were in My Classroom: Inspiring Love, Creativity, and Intelligence in Middle School Kids

by Bernie Schein

Book Overview

Contrary to traditional educational thought, true emotion, rather than pure reason, is the secret to creativity and intelligence. The truth is ultimately personal-that's why it's universal. By the time Bernie Shein's students arrive in his middle-school classroom, they are little more than a gaggle of defense mechanisms, needing to rediscover who they are. His goal is to help them with this joyous and difficult endeavor. Through stories from his classroom,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1591810760
• ISBN13: 9781591810766
• Release Date: July 2008
• Publisher: Sentient Publications
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.2" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

A Great Book on Teaching

Bernie Schein has written an important, necessary book that shows us what real teaching is. Teaching is not preparing students for tests, Bernie tells us; teaching is helping students, 12-14 year-olds in Bernie' case, discover the contours of their souls, and then helping them to express what they find there. His book shows that true teaching means giving children the time to confront what mystifies, limits, or terrifies them, and then showing them how to express the glory of their very deep, profound and human hearts. Bernie Schein reveals himself to be a brilliant teacher: southern, Jewish, ribald, comical, loving, honest, and free. As a teacher he says what is on his mind so that his students can learn to do the same. His students are brilliant, creative, tenacious, idiotic, and real: they cover the entire spectrum of every kind of kid who walks into the rooms of our nation's schools. With Bernie they break every rule and expectation of those stultifying, conventional classrooms, and they create art, beauty, and true knowledge while they do it. "If Holden Caulfield Were In My Classroom" shows us what great wonders can happen in classroom when a brilliant, innovative teacher uses his own experience to liberate and empower his students; when the teacher reveals to them that what they have to say is more important than all the No Child Left Behind legislation combined. All teachers should read this book. All students of education should read this book. Parents, educational consultants, teachers in university education and teacher certification programs, members of Congress, school administrators, and board members of schools both public and private should read this book to see if the classrooms for which they are responsible are engendering the kind of love, creativity, and intelligence that spills forth from the classroom of Bernie Schein's teaching.

Startling, Shocking and Wonderful Jolt of New

I can't tell you how long it's been since I've read a book on a subject as boring as education and laughed as hard as I have reading this one. Author Bernie Schein has many decades of experience in the classroom, and doesn't mind sharing a few opinions on the modern testing culture, nonsensical political agendas, and interpretation of contemporary lit. He is blunt, profane, brilliant and loving; a strange mixture of Lenny Bruce and Albert Schweitzer. Above all, he is a teacher in the old-fashion sense of the word (and to my mind, a modern American hero.) He is absolutely dedicated to awakening his student's reasoning abilities and instilling in them the joys (and pitfalls) of living in community, and having the courage to actually feel. Recommended reading for parents, grandparents and teachers of any stripe, particularly college of education students who have never been in charge of a class room. For them, it is manditory reading and really, just hugely entertaining.

Anticipation

I ordered this book on a recommendation from my best friend. She told me it is truly amazing. I placed my order a few weeks ago and should receive it in a couple of days. Will amend the review when I receive it. Given that my best friend is smarter than I am (good rule of thumb people, pick someone smarter than you) it is a safe bet the book will be amazing.

If Holden Caulfield Were In My Classroom: Inspiring Love, Creativity and Intelligence in Middle Scho

Thank you Bernie Schein. No one has better explained the misdirection of No Child Left Behind. Pat Conroy says you are the best teacher funniest and person he has ever known. I say you are an inspiration. Once Schein understood how education really could work, he fled from the constraints of education administration and returned to the classroom where, for over forty years, he shared his gift of teaching and learning with hundreds of young ones as they made their way into adulthood and productive lives. By sharing heart felt, sensitive and often funny classroom stories, Schein demonstrates that personal attention, honesty and love in the classroom can unleash children from the shackles of rote learning and standardized testing, thereby freeing them to become individuals, to learn and to create as they prepare to embrace the challenges and opportunities of citizenship. One must also recognize Bernie's students who, through writing their stories, working through their emotions, facing their challenges and accepting their joys . . . released themselves from many of burdens that were holding them back. Thank you students! You helped Bernie write a good book! BERNIE FOR SECRETARY OF EDUCATION! Not really, just go back to the classroom Bernie and do your thing. Billy Keyserling

If Holden Caulfield Were in My Classroom: Inspiring Love, Creativity, and Intelligence in Middle Sch

"If Holden Caulfield Were in My Classroom" came in the mail last night and I couldn't put it down. No work got done today, I just read and read and read. The book is great, of course, and the best part about it is that just by reading it - in the act of reading it - I was forced to cast away my own pretenses and inhibitions and reveal myself to myself as I had to many years ago when I was a student in Bernie Schein's middle school classroom. Reading about the kids - and seeing how mature, thoughtful, and sophisticated they are - made me realize (again) that "growing up" is all a farce. Adulthood is just another excuse the chronologically challenged use to hide themselves from themselves and from others. In every school, in every office, in every workplace, in every community in America, there is the same range of personalities - and the same range of conflicts - as Bernie Schein describes in his book. I will, as the author put it, "cajole, whine, get on my knees and beg, confront, challenge, shame (if [I] have to)" everyone I know into (buying) and reading "If Holden Caulfield Were in My Classroom". It's just a real gift, this book.