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  • Published: 24 June 2014
  • ISBN: 9780143125617
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $35.00

Real Talk for Real Teachers

Advice for Teachers from Rookies to Veterans: "No Retreat, No Surrender!"



Words of wisdom and advice to reenergize teachers of all ages from the legendary leader of Room 56.

The New York Times–bestselling author and world-renown teacher offers no-nonsense wisdom for teachers of all ages

There’s no one teachers trust more to give them classroom advice than Rafe Esquith. After more than thirty years on the job, Esquith still puts in the countless classroom hours familiar to every dedicated educator. But where his New York Times bestseller Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire was food for a teacher’s mind, Real Talk for Real Teachers is food for a teacher’s soul.

Esquith candidly tackles the three stages of life for the career teacher and offers encouragement to see them through the difficult early years, advice on mid-career classroom building, and novel ideas for longtime educators. With his trademark mix of humor, practicality, and boundless compassion, Esquith proves the perfect companion for teachers who need a quick pick-me-up, a long heart-to-heart, or just a momentary reminder that they’re not alone.

  • Published: 24 June 2014
  • ISBN: 9780143125617
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 336
  • RRP: $35.00

About the author

Rafe Esquith

Rafe Esquith is beginning his eighteenth year at Hobart Elementary School in Los Angeles. He is the product of the Los Angeles public schools and a graduate of UCLA. His many honors and awards include the 1992 Disney National Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, a Sigma Beta Delta Fellowship from Johns Hopkins University, Parents Magazine’s As You Grow Award, Oprah Winfrey’s Use Your Life Award, and an MBE from Queen Elizabeth. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Barbara Tong.

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Praise for Real Talk for Real Teachers

"[This] enormously valuable book will keep teachers energized."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The only classroom teacher to receive the National Medal of the Arts, the author has taught fifth and sixth grade for more than 25 years at Hobart Elementary, an inner-city Los Angeles school where few of the parents speak English, poverty is rampant, and too often children lack supervision at home... Teaching is a tough job, but Esquith shows that its rewards can be profound." --Kirkus Reviews