The Great Expectations School: A Rookie Year in the New Blackboard Jungle

by Dan Brown

Book Overview

At twenty-two, Dan Brown was an idealistic first-year elementary teacher at P.S. 85 in the Bronx. He was even assigned a class of his own: 4-217. What he wasn't told was that 4-217 was the dumping... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1611450330
• ISBN13: 9781611450330
• Release Date: September 2011
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A sobering look at the current state of public education in America

At times heart-wrenching and then laugh out loud funny, The Great Expectations School is a sobering look at the current state of public education in America. Brown offers a unique and personalized glimpse into the daily struggle of elementary school with undauntedly heroic teachers, tragic students, and conniving administrators. I recommend this book to anyone who values education and wants to change the system. I also recommend it to those who don't; you will care by the end of the book.

Fellow Fellow

I'm Elizabeth Camaraza, one of the rookies who joined the NYC Teaching Fellows and taught with Dan Brown at PS 85 in the Bronx. His beautifully tragic story expertly captures every nuance of a first year teacher's experience in an inner city school. He tells his story with such a profound sense of love, honesty and humor that you will be emotionally wiped-out after reading it. I recommend this book to anyone who cares about kids. Dan Brown is a genius! (PS. I'm in the book!)

A Beautiful Human Drama

This book opens a window on a world completely unknown to 95% of the country. Dan Brown's tale of teaching in the Bronx will draw in even the hardest of hearts. He writes with an honesty and humility not easily found. As a teacher you will recognize yourself and your students on every page. As a person you can't stop the range of emotions you feel for every child and teacher in the book.

Great Expectations for this book? SURPASSED!

After reading Dan Brown's articles and blog entries on The Huffington Post, I had to pick this book up. I wasn't disappointed. While The Huffington Post blog showed me he has a deep understanding and love of teaching and all that it requires, I didn't know that he was funny-- this book changed that. I found myself laughing out loud pretty frequently, which is weird since this is first and foremost a non fiction piece on the trials of being a first year teacher in a NYC public school. But, his voice is so unique that you end up finding humor in the way he views even the simplest of situations. So the real question is, is this Dan Brown a better writer than Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code fame? Only time will tell, but the new Dan Brown is off to a fine start.

Fast and Good.

Okay, we all know that this isn't the same author as the davinci Code. But this is a very, very good book that I read in one day. Mr. Brown has to teach a class with lots of troubled kids and the stories about the kids and the ups and downs really got me. Especially with Jimmarie and Sonandia (Read the book and youll know what I mean) The end is both satisfying and very thought provoking. I think this should be required reading for teachers and everyone involved in the school system.