Kathleen - Teachers.Net is very happy to welcome Esme Raji Codell, author of Educating Esme - Diary of a Teacher's First Year. Welcome Madame Esme :-). Esme, how is the book selling? The last I knew, it was being called a hit. Any talk of making it into a movie?;-)
Esme - The book is doing great, it just went into its second printing. There was talk of a movie, and it is in negotiation. There's talk of Claudia Schiffer in the lead. NOTHING LIKE ME!

Kathleen - Esme, has it always been your goal to write a book, or was your first year of teaching the inspiration?
Esme - I always kept diaries, since I was seven years old. This diary was one of many...but it didn't tattle on family members, so I was allowed to publish it. I know many teachers write journals, and I hope my book serves to encourage other teachers to make to make their voices known. People don't know what goes on in the classroom. I hope people outside of the profession read it!

Kathleen - Esme, is there something in your background that explains your feisty personality, "irreverence" and creativity?:-)
Esme - Teachers are "feisty!" and "creative!" I'm not unique in that. But I loved watching old MGM musicals, and tried to model my teaching after my favorite stars.

Kathleen - Esme, in your opinion, do American schools (in general) stifle creativity in students? in teachers? Your journal "hints";-) of a feeling that schools can be inhibiting.;-)
Esme - I think inasmuch as it stifles teachers, it will end up stifling students. I think teacher empowerment is a big issue...the way a teacher delivers her best is a journey, not a mandate, and I wish administrators would clue into that.

Kathleen - Esme, what is most memorable about the best teacher you experienced as a student?
Esme - As a child, my favorite teacher was Mrs. Schultz, my fifth grade teacher. I had some rough times growing up, kind of broke in a poorer section of Chicago. In sixth grade, she went out of her way to take me to the art museum, and showed me an impressionist painting up close. Then she made me stand away, and showed me that things changed. That affected my perspective on life, gave me a lot of hope.

Kathleen - Esme, who are your heroes?
Esme - This may seem weird, but one of my huge heroes is Johnny Appleseed, John Chapman. I love teaching about him, how he did one small thing and changed the American landscape. Isn't that CORNY? Every year I make a JOHNNY APPLESEED resolution on his birthday, promising to do one small thing that could change America. For me, that's reading aloud every day.

JoS - What was your most eye opening experience as a teacher?
Esme - JoS, When my principal told me I should expect less of students because they were black. It made me realize that there is some de facto segregation going on, that we've still got a long way to go. It hurt to hear it, but it changed me.

Purrna - Esme, have you ever done a followup w/ Mrs. Shultz? She'd be sooo proud!
Esme - Purrna, Mrs. Schultz died, but I am in touch with her husband and he is very proud!

Mama B - As a retired teacher with 40 years in the business, what do you see as the biggest problem in education today and for the future?
Esme - Mama B, I'd love for you to answer that question! I think school violence will be a far reaching problem, and I think the proliferation of guns will make teaching increasingly dangerous in the next century if we don't act. I think we need more media an environmental education as well.

lisarhwjs - Are you still in the library?
Esme - lisarhwjs, I am still in the library! Kathleen, the best advice I would give a new teacher is 1. be nice to the custodian, 2. read aloud and 3. fight the power!

JoS - By fight the power, do you mean the administrative efforts to mold teachers
Esme - By the power, I mean whatever power is keeping you from teaching the best way you know how. For me the first year, it was my principal.

Mama B - I feel the biggest problem today is that parents are not in control of their children. The children control the parents and other adults. If parents do not care enough to discipline their children before they get to school age, how can teachers discipline them?
Esme - Mama B., even if parents don't support us, we still have the same job to do.

Allison - esme, will you go back into the classroom, or stay in the library?
Esme - Allison, I bet I'll go back to the classroom someday, but I'm not in a hurry because I get to do all the best parts of classroom teaching without the terrible pressure of standardized tests. Of the 650 kids I see in the library, I still feel very close and helpful to at least 30, which is as much as I could have hoped for as a classroom teacher.

KW - Esme, was there anyone who tried to talk you out of becoming a teacher? Many have tried to talk me out of it.
Esme - KW, lots of people tried to talk me out of teaching, especially other teachers! But the thing that proves teaching is an art as well as a science is that teachers can't help but do it.

lisarhwjs - Esme have you spoken to your principal about what is in your book?
Esme - lisa, my principal has read the book, or had someone read it to him. Funny, all the times he called me in his office, he doesn't want to speak to me now! My new principal is the opposite of what my first principal was, and she is very supportive.

Grace - Esme, how many years did you spend in the classroom?
Esme - Grace, I have been in the fifth grade classroom one year, the library for four.

lisarhwjs - Have you kept up with your students that you taught your first year?
Esme - lisa, I've kept up with about four of them consistently. Do you keep up with yours? Mine moved all over the place!

KW - Most of my teachers are the ones who tried to talk me out of it too. Their excuse was that I could be so much more. How sad. I consider this new job of mine to be the greatest adventure of my life!
Esme - KW, that is sad! People ask me that on radio interviews, WHY would you choose TEACHING, like it's choosing to have measles! But that just proves we must become more vocal. If people think it's all shoe-tying and nose wiping, we have to start asking ourselves, how are we going to change those perceptions? It's not a rhetorical question!!!

Squirt - Esme, what should I do about colleagues who try to discourage my efforts because of a feared negative reflection on them. There are four new teachers (myself included) who are constantly berated by those who have been teaching 20 years. One even told me, "Why do you do so much? It makes us look bad."
Esme - Squirt, I was told that very thing my first year! What bullies! I'd say ignore them as best you can, after all, you work for the children, not for them. Or, you could offer to help them look good and pass along your technique. Sour grapes!!!

lisarhwjs - Do you keep up with your supervising teacher you had in student teaching?
Esme - lisa, my supervising teacher died, too! What is it about teaching...?

Allison - esme, you had so many changes to deal with that first year, new to teaching, a new baby, husband. Have things settled down, and are you planning anymore changes?
Esme - Allison, its a crazy time! I have been touring nationally, so things haven't stopped changing. I must like changes, after all, when you teach, every single day is different! I really feel for the women posting about being pregnant while teaching.

Kathleen - Esme, what is the most exciting thing (or exotic experience) that has happened to you since your book was published?
Esme - Kathleen, ROOM SERVICE has been pretty exotic! The other GREATEST THING was being invited to a private party that was attended by children's book authors like David Shannon, William Joyce, Gloria Pinkney, meeting Louis Sachar, Jerry Spinelli, Anita Lobe

Poolboy - What was the one thing that you would wish that somebody had taught you before you went out on your own as a teacher?
Esme - Poolboy, I wish someone would have told me how much outside time is spent on teaching, how surprising the lack of support from WITHIN can be, but maybe I'm glad they didn't or it would have discouraged me.

Doug - Esme-I have not read your book...however, if you don't mind, may I ask? Why did you stop teaching?
Esme - Doug, I haven't stopped teaching, I teach a very rigorous children's literature program for k-8 students in a Chicago public school.

Purrna - Esme, do you think that by involving parents as much as possible, we can help redirect some of THEIR misconceptions re: education?
Esme - Purnna, I'm not that crazy about parental involvement, personally, unless a parent asks how they can help. Sometimes parents can be intrusive and imposing about their values. Sometimes in their absence, I take more risks and teach better. Not political

Allison - esme, is there anyway we can see the cspan interview? will it be shown again?
Esme - Allison, I don't know about CSPAN re-airing it, I'll try to find out and post it.

Hope - Esme, what do you think about first year teachers having mentors?
Esme - Hope, I think mentors are the BEST!!! It was the most important part of my teacher training experience, which, Grace, was at Northeastern Illinois University (rah rah!)

Doug - Esme, do you have any suggestions about supervision? do you feel principals should keep things as they are or should peer coaching have more of a say....just wondering?
Esme - Doug, I vote for peer coaching! Administrators are not necessarily master teachers.

Poolboy - A notice to all beginning teachers, not all old teachers feel threatened by younger teachers, but rather feel it is an opportunity for everyone to learn. The new teacher and the old teacher. If I stop learning or wanting to learn, please push me out of the way. But I do not think anyone will ever have to push me out of the way.
Esme - Poolboy, good for you! My mentor teachers were and are older teachers as well as young ones. We need both!

stanley - Esme, did you leave the classroom because you prefer your program over it?
Esme - Stanley, yes...though it's not that different from what I did in the classroom, I just have more freedom to focus.

Kathleen - Esme, what is your dream job?
Esme - Kathleen, I think being a successful children's author would be my dream job, and I am trying to do that now. I think being a school librarian is definitely a dream job, and I feel blessed to have it (though I am on travel leave until December for the tour. But I also have some other dreams. I am working on creating a memorial for teachers and students who have lost their lives in school violence and also hope to initiate a national museum for the history of education.

Doug - Esme, some states are experimenting with vouchers. In California, it has been voted down. In a results oriented society do you have suggestions for calming society's harping on schools?
Esme - Doug, I think vouchers are interesting, but I hoped they aren't used as a way of putting under the table the needs or accomplishments of public schools.
Esme - I think it is important for the general public to begin to see that schools have always been a place where courage and conviction have happened. Let's be positive and turn around these misconceptions.

Squirt - Esme, please post updates on these projects. I would like to be involved in some way.
Grace - Esme, the History of Reading group will love you if you succeed with a national museum.
Esme - Squirt, I will! Grace, please send me an e-mail about the History of reading group! I can be reached through my web site, http://pages.ripco.com:8080/~esme

Grace - Esme, did you see the display of old reading books at IRA?
Allison - esme, thank you for spending this time with us. i hope we get the chance to chat with you again.
Esme - Thank you, Allison! Grace, I missed the display, I didn't get to walk around much! :-(

Squirt - Esme, I hope to be a successful children's author too. I have a story, but I need an illustrator. Any ideas?
Esme - Squirt, don't approach a publisher with an illustrator unless you're one yourself, that's my advice. Most publishers have their own on staff.

Kathleen - Esme, the hour has flown! Will you return for another session some time soon?
Kathleen - I would like to hear more about your ideas related to the memorial. Perhaps we can help?
Esme - Kathleen, what a treat! Of course I will, I LOOOOOVE teachers.net!!!!!!
Kathleen - Esme, you need to put a link to Teachers.Net on your site!:-)
Esme - Kathleen, I'll keep you posted...like any idea that costs money, it will take some time, but I'm hopeful. I have to log off now, thanks everybody...hope I typed fast enough! Enjoy your summers!!!
Esme - P.S. Kathleen, look for it as soon as my husband reloads my site at the server! :-)
Kathleen - Thanks, Esme :-)
Kathleen - Goodnight, participants. Thank you for coming!

 
 

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