A&E has a new show this season called
Teach Tony Danza. It's a documentary style show where Tony Danza becomes an English teacher in an urban Philly high school. The show is amazing. In 1991, I graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in English Education and ended up spending my teaching years with children 0-5 instead of in a high school classroom. I have health issues that made it impossible for me to be the lone teacher in a classroom all day long. When I watch this show, it makes me wish I was back student teaching again. He's teaching John Steinbeck's
Of Mice and Men and I taught
The Pearl. He's dealing with children who fall ALL over the developmental spectrum, and I taught the exact same kids here in Hillsborough, NC, a very rural school. I had 4 periods of Basic English filled with kids who were low achievers and/or in their 1st year of transitioning out of a special ed classroom.
Aside from my personal experiences, if you have kids, you should really watch this show. It makes you confront the truly sad shape our public schools are in and helps you truly value the heroes, both child and adult, that make it work anyway. Danza is having a challenging time with these kids; this is no easy feat for him. Just seeing what he's up against keeps my eyes glued to the screen and truly sad when each episode ends. It airs every
Friday night at 10pm on A&E. Check your local listings or watch it online. You can even follow the show on
Facebook!
Be nosy and
see what else I watch!
~Lori
