Description
Book SynopsisNever Too Old to Teach is a heart-warming story of a middle-aged man's first year of teaching high school after spending twenty years in a corporate cubicle. Written in a humorous, straightforward style with minimal technical jargon, this book provides richly detailed accounts of events, lessons, and conversations that actually took place in the author's special education English classroom. Goldman's accounts are accompanied by narratives and reflections that give the reader insight into the true nature of teaching high school English to a diverse student body with learning disabilities, covering issues such as maintaining classroom control, effective curriculum development, collaboration with families for positive student outcomes, successfully working with administration, the benefits of teaching in middle age, and establishing student rapport.
Trade ReviewGoldman offers fellow practitioners—in the spirit of the birthday buffet gloriously arranged in the teacher's lounge—a candid and painfully humorous insight into the world of teaching at-risk students. While many of us have often wished that we memorialized all of these fantastically teachable moments, Neil Goldman has successfully captured them with exceptional wit tempered with dignitiy for his students. -- Matthew Wanzenberg, Special Education Program Coordinator, Lyons Township High School, Illinois
Goldman blends humor and a wisdom that comes with age and experience....This is not just a book for those coming into teaching later in life. * School Administrator, January 2010 *
Goldman's book is simultaneously heart-warming and humorous, respectful of his students and his profession, and richly complex and thought-provoking. Through his short stories, he expertly conveys the numerous dilemmas that good teachers manage, the challenges with which educators are confronted in today's world, and the glorious successes that occur often enough for each teacher to persevere. -- Mary Bay, University of Illinois at Chicago
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Introduction Chapter 2 From a Corporate Cubicle to the Special Ed Classroom Chapter 3 The Unfair Special Education Stigma Chapter 4 The Thought Chapter 5 The Interview Chapter 6 Knot in My Stomach Chapter 7 Chocolate Brownies Chapter 8 Masters of Brevity Chapter 9 The Shampoo Bottle Chapter 10 Sleepyhead Chapter 11 Drew, the Human Spring Chapter 12 Stop Harassing My Son Chapter 13 The Domino Effect Chapter 14 Reaching Carl Chapter 15 My Mother Tore that Shit Up Chapter 16 The Wise Enforcer Chapter 17 Leave Me Be; I'm Doing Fine Chapter 18 Special Education - A Paradox Chapter 19 You Don't Have the Patience to Be a Teacher Chapter 20 Why Are We Learning This in English Class? Chapter 21 Kyle's Observation Chapter 22 You're Doing This for Free? Chapter 23 Racism, Theresa, and the Big Box Store Chapter 24 Fairness and Equality Chapter 25 The Crashing and Burning of a Group Contingency Chapter 26 Worthless Piece of Shit Chapter 27 No Drinks in the Classroom Chapter 28 The LBS-I is a Good Thing Chapter 29 Don't Fear the High School Chapter 30 The Mysterious Kangaroo and His Indictment Chapter 31 Student Teaching - Introduction Chapter 32 What Student Teaching Is Chapter 33 A Globe Chapter 34 Metal Detectors Chapter 35 The Perpetual Assembly Chapter 36 My Mentors Chapter 37 Mentor #1: Candy Man Chapter 38 Mentor #2: A Student's Oldest Friend Chapter 39 Apologia Chapter 40 The Difference Between Men and Women Chapter 41 "Why Are You Teaching Us This Shit?" Chapter 42 Don't Wish for Quiet
