A Place of Learning: This tell-all book about teaching relates triumphant stories of kids achieving against all odds and staff members who refuse to give up on their students.

A Place of Learning: Fictitous Memoir

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REVIEW: A Place of Learning

A Place of Learning: A Teacher’s Story

By Catherin DePino

Five Stars

Review by Jeffrey Ross

Nothing I write in this brief review can do justice to this quality work. On one level, ATeacher’s Storyis DePino’s loving memoir about 31 years of teaching at different high schools. It is also a review of cultural and pedagogic trends in our society since the late 1960’s. The title is most important—the phrase “a place of learning” is used in many chapters in this book—of course, the easy explanation is that a school is a place of learning. But the text itself is a learning experience—you will learn about the compelling struggles of students, teachers, parents, and staff. You will learn that public schools are a daily work place for teachers– but also a place of hope for inner city kids who need a break, a refuge, from sometimes very tough family lives. I loved the school restroom conversations among teachers (do you suppose real strategic planning and-team building takes place in the lounge and restrooms?) and the snippets of their personal- life dilemmas. The appendix with school recipes is wonderful. But I think my favorite parts were the sections describing   former students who returned to their schools to check in and share their successes since moving on into adulthood.  Teachers are so important in their students’ lives. In many ways, teachers are the unrecognized front-line guardians of our society’s future—not just in academics, but in character development as well. This should be required reading in teacher preparation classes. It is easy to read, fair, and heartwarming.

BLURB: A Place of Learning

Imagine what it would be like if you could see everything that goes on during one teacher’s day. A Place of Learning: A Teacher’s Story, a fictionalized account based on my experiences in three city high schools, spans three decades. Those who have read the book tell me the anecdotes are outrageous, poignant, funny, and sad all at the same time. Best of all, the book comes off as wild and quirky. Events similar to those in my story continue to play out every day in urban classrooms across the nation. The players are different, but the events remain the same: violence, teenage pregnancy, drug addiction, and rampant academic failure due to lack of school funding, pervasive poverty, and dysfunctional families.

EXCERPT: A Place of Learning

There’s a picture on my wall, faded now, of my students marching down the aisle of our city’s largest university’s auditorium where our local high schools stage their graduations. Parents, grandparents, and children wave lollipop colored balloons in the bleachers. Sophomores and juniors jump up and shout out names of seniors as they enter the massive hall in their blue and gold robes. “Sheree, Willie, Jonette…”

The graduates march slowly down the aisle, right foot first, then the left foot meeting the right, then the left again, like a quaint wedding march. Mendelssohn isn’t playing. Instead, it’s the Sounds of Blackness singing “Optimistic.”

Dr. Leeds strides up to the podium. He doesn’t shout out his usual, “Looking good, feeling good, and smelling good.” Instead, he tells the graduates how he knows many of them are the first in their families to earn a high school diploma and that the act of their coming to school each day in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, such as teen parenthood, poverty, violence, and drug addiction, is an act of profound courage on their part.

“So, stand up now and applaud yourselves.” He is openly crying and gesturing with open arms to the audience. “Applaud each other.”

The crowd waves banners and balloons in a flurry of crayon colors. Restless babies squirm in their mothers’ arms and cry out for it to be over. Weary grandparents fan themselves. Dr. Leeds calls the graduates up one by one. He tries to say something personal to each one as he hands them their diplomas.

“Anna, you come back and see me when you finish community college. Maybe we’ll have a job for you here.”

“Demetrius, if I ever need a lawyer, I’ll be sure and look you up.” He smiles and whispers. “First, you need to go get a new haircut, and get rid of those ugly plaid shirts.”

Demetrius smiles widely. He is proud to be valedictorian.

Next Dr. Leeds moves toward Samuel, who beat up Mr. Parks, the security guard. He speaks in a low voice so the audience can barely hear. “Personally, I don’t believe you deserve to graduate, but I’m sending you off anyway. Got no choice. Others need to take your place, but if I see you anywhere near this building, I’ll take care of you myself. You hear?”

Dr. Leeds ambles back to his seat, his red velvet-stole draped over his black doctoral robes. Miss Janel, the choir director, approaches the dais. Mothers rub their babies’ backs to keep them from crying. Sisters and brothers stop waving their balloons. Relatives stop calling out names of their graduates. Their voices trail off. “Terrelle, Rosita, Malik…”

Miss Janel’s lone alto voice resonates through the hall. “When you walk through the storm, hold your head up high. And don’t be afraid of the dark…”

Everyone stands. We join hands and sing along with her. Dr. Leeds gives the signal, and the graduates begin to stride slowly down the center aisle.

No pomp and circumstance. No hoots and hollers, merely the hushed bustle of shoes brushing the glossy hardwood floors and voices in synchrony singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone.”.

Purple and gold robes blur into sun and sky as the class of ’93 marches out onto the city sidewalk and into the world.

AUTHOR BIO:

Catherine DePino, Ed.D, has published 15 books about bullying, grammar/writing, spirituality, and women’s issues. Her background includes a BS in English and Spanish education, a master’s in English education, and a doctorate in Curriculum Theory and Development and Educational Administration from Temple University. The author worked for many years as a teacher, department head, and disciplinarian in the Philadelphia School District. After this, she worked at Temple as an adjunct assistant professor and student teaching supervisor. Catherine has also written articles for national magazines, including The Christian Science Monitor and The Writer. Her self-help book, Fire Up Your Life in Retirement: 101 Ways for Women to Reinvent Themselves, recently appeared on the market. Cool Things to Do If a Bully’s Bugging You, debuted in 2016. Visit her website and contact her at www.catherinedepino.com.

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