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    I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High
    I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High
    I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High
    Audiobook6 hours

    I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High

    Written by Tony Danza

    Narrated by Tony Danza

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Long before he starred on some of television’s most beloved and long-running series such as Taxi and Who’s the Boss? and went on to distinguish himself in a variety of film and stage roles, Tony Danza was a walking contradiction: an indifferent student who dreamed of being a teacher. Inspiring a classroom of students was an aspiration he put aside for decades until one day it seemed that the most meaningful thing he could do was give his dream a shot.

    What followed was a year spent teaching tenth-grade English at Northeast High — Philadelphia’s largest high school with 3,600 students. Entering Northeast’s crowded halls in September 2009, Tony found his way to a classroom filled with twenty-six students who were determined not to cut him any slack. They cared nothing about “Mr. Danza’s” showbiz credentials, and they immediately put him on the hot seat.

    It was only after experiencing abject terror for several weeks — and even dissolving into tears on several occasions — that Tony began to pick up the tricks of how to get kids to learn.

    Featuring indelible portraits of students and teachers alike, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had reveals just how hard it is to keep today’s technologically savvy — and often alienated — students engaged, how impressively committed most teachers are, and the outsized role counseling plays in a teacher’s day, given the psychological burdens many students carry. The audiobook also makes vivid how a modern high school works, showing Tony in a myriad of roles — from lecturing on To Kill a Mockingbird to coaching the football team, organizing a talent show, leading far-flung field trips, and hosting teacher gripe sessions.

    Inevitably, Tony’s students steal their way into our hearts — in a way that always feels authentic. A surprisingly poignant account, I’d Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had is sometimes laugh-out-loud funny but is mostly filled with hard-won wisdom and feel-good tears.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateSep 11, 2012
    ISBN9781469217307
    I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had: My Year as a Rookie Teacher at Northeast High
    Author

    Tony Danza

    Tony Danza, before he grew up and starred in such classic TV series as Taxi and Who’s the Boss? as well as on screen and on Broadway, was “a discipline problem” at Long Island’s Malverne High School, for which he is deeply apologetic. These days he divides his time between New York City and Los Angeles.

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    Reviews for I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had

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    116 ratings19 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Love it! Thank you Tony Danza for your passion and stories!! (And thanks to all the teachers everywhere!) Now I’m going to have to watch the show!!
    • 5/5
      I’m a teacher and can identify with the struggle. It is a blunt, realistic story and it definitely boosted my motivation in teaching well.
    • 5/5
      A great introspective of the challenges and victories of being a first year teacher! I’m SURE the book was much better than the show!
    • 5/5
      A very poignant open look at the true classroom experience no I did not pick up the ukulele but I have picked up the Ocarina thank you..
    • 5/5
      Mr. Danza gives a rare glimpse to teaching. Thank you for your resilience and keeping your word to those kids. As an educador who's also an inmigrant, your book resonated with me more than I can express.

      I watched the series as well but felt it didn't do your experience justice. I would LOVE to see the album the kids put together for you at the end. Whatever became of Alex?

      Thank you, Mr. Danza for all you've done for society. We see you and we love you!

      Ms. Q
    • 5/5
      A must read or listen for all teachers. What we do is hard and Tony Danza spells that out so poetically.
    • 4/5
      This isn't my usual sort of reading material. But my kid sister is in grad school to become a teacher, so I wanted to read something on the subject, and this caught my eye. I'm going to give her a copy, I think. It was a good book; heart-breaking but left me smiling. Teachers have so much shit to deal with from politicians and the media, and from uncaring parents. I really felt for the faculty and staff in this book. I hope my sister likes it.
    • 5/5
      This was a wonderful book. I love that Tony Danza wasn't scared to admit that he cried. I also love that he really did want to teach the kids. I wish I had know about the show so I could have watched it. I hope Tony thinks about teaching in the state he lives in. He really could make a difference.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic and interesting read about Tony Danza's year teaching in the inner city.
      I think this should be a "must read" for any teacher or want to be teacher.
    • 4/5
      I listened to the audio version, read by the author. I highly recommend this book to any teacher, parent, or anyone with an interest in the state of education in the U.S. today. Danza perfectly captures the day-to-day frustrations, challenges and triumphs of his year as a 10th grade English teacher in a Philadelphia high school, and serves it up with honesty and humor.
    • 5/5
      Never boring.
    • 3/5
      Teachers are going to say, "Danza didn't even get a dose of what we deal with. One class, one year..." Danza, however, fully acknowledges that point.. As a cheerleader for teachers, we would be hard pressed to find one more sincere than Tony Danza. I also applaud his guts in going back to try the road untaken. When Danza graduated college he did so with the intention of teaching history, but felt he wasn't mature enough to teach. His life took another course. Danza's book is heartfelt. He really did give teaching his all. Yeah, sure there was a TV connection, but that wasn't his draw. I think one of the things this book thoroughly illustrates is that programs like Teach for America do not prepare teachers for the realities of teaching. With more training, I think he could be a fine teacher. He has a passion for the job and his subject, literature, and a big heart. However, was a millionaire pushing 60, it's not a gig I would take. Oddly, Danza cried more in one year of teaching than I have in 15. Oh well. All and all this is a quick and interesting enough book.
    • 4/5
      Danza's account of teaching in an inner-city h.s. was entertaining and it rang true. Initially, he made the same mistakes that many new teachers make, e.g., talking too much, particularly talking too much about himself and the lessons he had learned in life. Also, he seemed to have trouble setting boundaries around his appropriate role in kids' lives, e.g., worrying about what would happen to them if he wasn't there for a Thanksgiving Day football party. However, he more than made up for those initial failings with sincere caring and very hard work. His ideas for engaging the kids were fairly unconventional at times, but they worked. A regular teacher could not have afforded some of them, but a regular teacher wouldn't have subjected the kids to tv filming either, so it balances out. The last chapter of his book was a little preachy, but many teachers will undoubtedly like it. I wasn't sure how this book would turn out. Danza somehow had to present his own foibles honestly without spoiling his reputation too much, he had to allude to his own family problems (where they relate to his teaching) without dragging his wife and kids into the spotlight, and he had to relate the daily dramas of his students while also protecting their privacy. All of that must have been challenging, but I think he pulled it off.
    • 3/5
      Elton John is stuck in my head while I am reading this - "hold me close Tony Danza".
    • 4/5
      This is a great book. I did not "enjoy" it as I had thought I would - it is too true. Given Tony's reputation as a comedian, I thought it might be funny; it isn't funny - just realistic. Tony is really telling it like it is! As a retired teacher, I especially appreciate his Epilogue.
    • 4/5
      This was the March book club book and I read it for that. I liked it anyway. Ton Danza is a celebrity,and he did turn this into a reality television series, and he wrote about the experience for the general public. His admitted purpose was twofold; he wanted to try a profession he had thought to take up when he was much younger, and he wanted to present to the general public what it was like to teach in a city center school these days. We have several books written by teachers about teaching that are much better at showing that, but most of us barely remember our education days, and we hold those memories closely against the reality of today. Mr. Danza's celebrity and advantages prevented him from getting and presenting a true picture of real life in inner city schools. Maybe if he had done it for three or four years, he might have given us a better book.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book. While I don't think he had a completed authentic experience, it was probably as close as a celebrity could get. I think his views and how he reacts to different situations was interesting. I also thought how he felt about public education was thoughtful and he honestly cared about the kids he taught. it would be interesting to see if he continues to support and fight for American schools. I think it is a good read to understand some of what is happening in schools. Every school is different, but the different snapshots help parents and community members see there is more going on then they believe.
    • 3/5
      B-list celebrity memoir education wank, together at last! This ought to have been THE BOOK for me.

      And it might have been, if I didn't find Danza so creepy in how he referred to every high school girl as "an attractive girl" or "a pretty young woman" and other such adjectives. (The guys? Tall or scrawny, and that's about as far as his descriptions went.) Just... eww.

      But he did put in the actual work of teaching and I think he really liked it--but it's hard to move into a low-paying, high-work, low-profile career when you've spent your whole life in the opposite. I'd be surprised if he went back and did more teaching, but I think he managed to do a decent job for his first time out.
    • 5/5
       Nearing 60 years of age, Tony Danza decides to follow his early childhood dream of becoming a teacher. He takes an inner city job at Northeast High School with a camera crew in tow to try and get people to understand the state of education in the United States today. Heart-warming and frustrating, his message is a good one that it would be wise for people to heed.