Review Detail

Reader reviewed by c-alexis

First off, what really got me interested in this book was its title and cover. I was really curious as to how a shopping bag with the word "Schooled" on it could possibly be a book about teaching. But after reading the summary, I was hooked for sure. I am an undergrad student, currently in the Faculty of Education, and to read a book about an interesting private school education, it was truly inspiring and invoked a lot of questions I have for myself now.
I have to say though, that I generally don't like to read bad reviews about a book before I even get a chance to read it, because then you never know if that review is stuck at the back of your mind, and influencing your own thoughts. Or in my case, it just pointed out things to me as I was reading it, and still, I like to generally come to conclusions on my own. (Unless there's so many bad reviews about a certain book out there, then obviously I don't bother even reading it.) In this case, I had read a review about how "Schooled" was just a name-dropper and had no substance. Well, I beg to differ. Sure there was a lot of name dropping, but surely, that was the author's intention. It is the seduction of all those brand names that Anna is hooked on, and even as a reader myself, I could feel that want and need of a better living condition and style. As for the substance, well I guess it depends on your point of view. Personally, I gained perspective on teaching. I don't think I'm naive enough like Anna to walk into my first classroom and think that I will inspire and change my students' lives. I think something like that takes time and patience, and you can't go in with unrealistic feelings. As for Anna, readers can see her character, her flaws and her assets. She wants the better things in life, but we also see that her desire to teach wins out in the end. With her students, though they seem shallow throughout, the fears and insecurities are shown when near the end, her student shows that he is dependent on the lifestyle in which he is brought up in.

I don't think that I can say whether this book has really changed my own perspective of teaching as my own profession. I personally just feel that I wouldn't really want to teach at a private school one day, but that feeling has always been kind of there. Anyways, whether you are interested in teaching or not, I think it's an insightful book about our jobs that we choose and need to make a living. It's a "go-get-em'" book for those who want to fulfill a dream that may not give them that great of an income. It's a book about how we might fall off our path, but as long as we make our way back to it, then things can turn around.

Reprinted here with author's permission.