Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year

Educating Esmé, the factual account from first year teacher Esmé Raji Codell, is a diary style novel for anyone looking to become inspired while laughing at what life throws your way. Esmé inspires all readers not just future teachers, but also others to go above and beyond the surface level. Teaching in an inner city Chicago Esmé is faced with many other obstacles beyond the first year teacher apprehensions. In her diary she write about dealing with incompetent administrators, abusive parents, gang members, and her own insecurities. Although she does not let any of these factors get in the way of the creative, imaginative learning experiences she creates for her students.

I was assigned to read this book for one of my education classes, but found that unlike other assigned readings once I picked this book up I didn’t want to put it down. As I read each diary entry I became more and more intrigued by Esmé’s innovative teaching methods. She creates a learning environment where children have fun learning. She has a particular finesse about her that allows her to work well with the children in her class. She also does not back down from what she believes in, being outspoken about her feelings, especially when it comes to Mr. Turner, the Principal.

She writes,

"We are studying inventors. While the kids were at gym I dressed up in an outfit with all sorts of weird stuff sticking out: rubber bands, gum, chocolate chip cookies, light bulbs, with a tag attached to each item saying who invented it. I wore roller skates, too. The kids loved it when I came rolling down the hall to pick them up! … Mr. Turner was nervous when he saw me. But I’m good at roller-skating. Boy, would he have been really nervous during my science magic show, if he had seen me put a piece of paper I had set on fire in a bottle to illustrate Bernoulli’s Principle! Of course I had a fire extinguisher near. But certain people think it is there job to freak out."

Esmé through her novel opens up the world of real-life public education. She tells it like it is, in both the novel and in her experiences with other characters. This book is a must read, as it both empowers you to find a way to be creative and make the best out a situation and comforts any anxieties about becoming an effective educator.