Teacher Man

First lines

Here they come.

About this book

In this tribute to teachers everywhere. McCourt records the trials, triumphs and surprises he faces in public high schools around New York City. His methods anything but conventional, McCourt creates a lasting impact on his students through imaginative assignments, singalongs and field trips. As he struggles to find his way in the classroom, he spends his evenings drinking with writers and dreaming of one day putting his own story to paper. The book shows McCourt developing his ability to tell a great story as he works to gain the attention and respect of unruly or indifferent adolescents. His rocky marriage, his failed attempt to get a Ph. D. at Trinity College, Dublin, and his repeated firings due to his propensity to talk back to his superiors ironically lead him to New York's most prestigious school, Stuyvesant High School, where he finally finds a place and a voice.--From publisher description.

Themes & subjects

About the author

Frank McCourt

August 19, 1930 – July 19, 2009

Francis "Frank" McCourt was an Irish-American teacher and writer. He won the Pulitzer Prize (1997) and National Book Critics Circle Award (1996) for his memoir *Angela's Ashes* (1996), which details his childhood as a poor Irish Catholic in Limerick. He is also the author of *'Tis* (1999), which continues the narrative of his life, picking up from the end of the previous book and focusing on life as a new immigrant in America. *Teacher Man* (2005) detailed the challenges of being a young, uncertain teacher who must impart knowledge to his students. In 2002 he was awarded an honorary degree from the University of Western Ontario.