Danza was given a tenth grade class to teach and admits he was given a few advantages. His classroom is large with windows for natural light. When he visits with another first year teacher at his school, he finds him teaching in a windowless room in the basement. Tony has under thirty students, therefore making teaching, grading and planning a great deal easier for him than for the average first year teacher who deals with 150 students a day. He also has a mentor teacher who sits in the back of the classroom to help guide him.
The book may not tell the story of a completely true teaching experience, but it does give the reader a sense of what a teacher goes through and one gets the idea that Danza really cares about his students. I enjoyed some of the personal stories he shared, both with his students and his readers, and I like watching him get involved in the extra curricular activities that presented themselves.
I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High, much like Up The Down Staircase and To Sir With Love, is a feel good book that will make you laugh a little, cry a little and probably wish you had the opportunity to spend a bit of time in Tony Danza’s classroom too.
- Beverly
Publisher - Crown Archetype
Date of Publication - September 11, 2012