The Teachers: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable, Important Profession
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- Create Date：2023-04-07 06:53:01
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Alexandra Robbins
- ISBN：1101986751
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Summary
A riveting， must-read， year-in-the-life account of three teachers， combined with reporting that reveals what's really going on behind school doors， by New York Times bestselling author and education expert Alexandra Robbins
Alexandra Robbins goes behind the scenes to tell the true， sometimes shocking， always inspirational stories of three teachers as they navigate a year in the classroom。 She follows Penny， a southern middle school math teacher who grappled with a toxic staff clique at the big school in a small town; Miguel， a special ed teacher in the western United States who fought for his students both as an educator and as an activist; and Rebecca， an East Coast elementary school teacher who struggled to schedule and define a life outside of school。
Interspersed among the teachers' stories--a seeming scandal， a fourth-grade whodunit， and teacher confessions--are hard-hitting essays featuring cutting-edge reporting on the biggest issues facing teachers today， such as school violence; outrageous parent behavior; inadequate support， staffing， and resources coupled with unrealistic mounting demands; the "myth" of teacher burnout; the COVID-19 pandemic; and ways all of us can help the professionals who are central both to the lives of our children and the heart of our communities。
Alexandra Robbins goes behind the scenes to tell the true， sometimes shocking， always inspirational stories of three teachers as they navigate a year in the classroom。 She follows Penny， a southern middle school math teacher who grappled with a toxic staff clique at the big school in a small town; Miguel， a special ed teacher in the western United States who fought for his students both as an educator and as an activist; and Rebecca， an East Coast elementary school teacher who struggled to schedule and define a life outside of school。
Interspersed among the teachers' stories--a seeming scandal， a fourth-grade whodunit， and teacher confessions--are hard-hitting essays featuring cutting-edge reporting on the biggest issues facing teachers today， such as school violence; outrageous parent behavior; inadequate support， staffing， and resources coupled with unrealistic mounting demands; the "myth" of teacher burnout; the COVID-19 pandemic; and ways all of us can help the professionals who are central both to the lives of our children and the heart of our communities。
Reviews
Laurie Lichtenstein
，
If you're not a teacher， I highly recommend this book as it will give you insight into the profession and you will learn。 For me， as an educator， nothing surprised me in this book， although I do have a renewed appreciation for where I work。 If you're not a teacher， I highly recommend this book as it will give you insight into the profession and you will learn。 For me， as an educator， nothing surprised me in this book， although I do have a renewed appreciation for where I work。 。。。more
Jenna 🧵
，
As much as I hate to， I HAVE to dock at least a star for this despite the important and interesting content because the audiobook was practically unlistenable。 The author reads the book in various attempted “regional accents” and put-on character voices that were cartoonish， distracting， irritating， and borderline offensive。 It legitimately comes across like she is making fun of the people whose words she is reading， even though I know that cannot be true。 （They sound like SNL skit character acc As much as I hate to， I HAVE to dock at least a star for this despite the important and interesting content because the audiobook was practically unlistenable。 The author reads the book in various attempted “regional accents” and put-on character voices that were cartoonish， distracting， irritating， and borderline offensive。 It legitimately comes across like she is making fun of the people whose words she is reading， even though I know that cannot be true。 （They sound like SNL skit character accents or something - over the top， ridiculous， and horrible！） It all seems like such poor judgement to me that I can’t grasp how it was ever possibly green-lit。 And， as someone else commented in their Audible review， this choice threatens to undermine the credibility of the whole project。 I get the author’s desire to bring to life the teachers she portrays， but this isn’t the first time at the rodeo for this author in creating these sociological portraits of various professional or institutional environments and by now she can rely on her reporting alone to do this - the teachers’ own words speak for themselves。 I honestly can’t believe I made it through this whole thing - I was looking forward to the book， but it was torture and the voices never got better。 。。。more
Beth Orr
，
An incredible behind the scenes look at America’s schools and the daily crud that our teachers deal with。 The students are not the crux of the problems; it’s clueless board members， bullying administrators， teachers’ toxic cliques， and nightmarish parents。 There are: little or no money for supplies， shamefully low salaries with expensive and time consuming additional education requirements， extra classes and/or students piled on you with no warning or extra help， expectations to sub during prep An incredible behind the scenes look at America’s schools and the daily crud that our teachers deal with。 The students are not the crux of the problems; it’s clueless board members， bullying administrators， teachers’ toxic cliques， and nightmarish parents。 There are: little or no money for supplies， shamefully low salaries with expensive and time consuming additional education requirements， extra classes and/or students piled on you with no warning or extra help， expectations to sub during prep time and lunches with zero compensation， and a total disregard for the fact that many teachers work an additional one-two jobs to barely make ends meet。 The states that don’t have teachers unions are by far the worse。 In both school districts that I worked for， the unions negotiated things like a required lunchtime and so much money per class when you give up your prep to sub， and many other things that ensure that teachers have a life outside of the school。 Our schools are in TROUBLE！ Excellent book。 。。。more
Megan
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I am in the middle of this book and just can't stop reading。 However， I force myself to take breaks because I need to process。 I started teaching in 1998， and wow have things changed。 I am reading this book in solidarity with all the teachers who are still at it。 My love for teaching will never change。 My love for the students will never change。 But wow， the politics， bullying， underfunding。。。。 has made me want to do my own thing many times。 I have lived overseas， and taught where teachers were I am in the middle of this book and just can't stop reading。 However， I force myself to take breaks because I need to process。 I started teaching in 1998， and wow have things changed。 I am reading this book in solidarity with all the teachers who are still at it。 My love for teaching will never change。 My love for the students will never change。 But wow， the politics， bullying， underfunding。。。。 has made me want to do my own thing many times。 I have lived overseas， and taught where teachers were viewed like doctors and lawyers with utmost respect and appreciation。 But the comment "teachers teach because they can't do anything else" completely reverberates with me。I am beyond frustrated the most by the administration in schools not supporting teachers。 Reading Rebecca's story， Penny's story， and Michael's story - seeing teachers be bullied and pushed to do more and more breaks my heart。 As much as I know I am called to be a teacher， I hope to never go back to full-time。 The pay is not worth the stress。 Summers aren't summers。 My heart just hurts hurts for those 70% of teachers who have to have 2nd and 3rd jobs， and I thank my husband daily for all he does so that I can do part-time。 And substitute teaching is great and helps teachers get a break， so if I can do it， I will continue。 To think that some teachers have to pay for their subs？ UGH！The structure of the book is interesting - month by month progressing throughout the school year following the three main teachers。 My issue thus far is extremely long sentences that overwhelm me and make me really need to slow down to read them。 And jumping all over the place in thoughts。 I have to focus hard。 BUT the research and examples of teachers all over the country is amazing！ 。。。more
Tracy
，
As a teacher myself， I did not learn anything from this book。 However， non-teachers need to read this book to realize that our education system is failing its teachers。
Sarah
，
This book was phenomenal。 I feel so seen as a teacher。 It underscores things that I’ve been saying for my whole career。
Eric
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Whine after whine after whine。
Erika
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Did not finish， or even get very far。 Writing was poor。 I am pro-teacher and I support the premise of this book…however early on she gives an anecdote about how a teacher was told their work week ends at midnight on Friday and begins 12:01am Saturday。 While she may have been trying to illustrate the unreasonable demands on teachers’ time （I see it every week in my own family）， any reasonable person recognizes this as a guideline for time/attendance systems and not a literal requirement。 From tha Did not finish， or even get very far。 Writing was poor。 I am pro-teacher and I support the premise of this book…however early on she gives an anecdote about how a teacher was told their work week ends at midnight on Friday and begins 12:01am Saturday。 While she may have been trying to illustrate the unreasonable demands on teachers’ time （I see it every week in my own family）， any reasonable person recognizes this as a guideline for time/attendance systems and not a literal requirement。 From that point her credibility was damaged。 。。。more
Josh
，
As a teacher， I knew I needed to read this book。 I didn’t realize I would finish the whole thing in a single weekend， it is that compelling。 This book will tear your heart into pieces and then put it back together again。 I would encourage anyone to read it。
Jenna W
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ommgg I will never think of my kids teachers the same ever again。 This book was amazing and I couldn't put it down。 Now I want to give all the teachers a hug。 ommgg I will never think of my kids teachers the same ever again。 This book was amazing and I couldn't put it down。 Now I want to give all the teachers a hug。 。。。more
Alex O'Donnell
，
It’s a lightweight book。 Miguel’s story is interesting， but the other two teachers I could care less about their troubles。 Also， this book does not focus enough on the important context of education’s role in long term success。 Mainly just a litany of complaints。
Ginna
，
This book did a good job of describing what it is like to be a teacher in the US today。 By following 3 teachers over a year， the reader could experience the ups and downs of classroom teachers My only criticism would be that I think the perspective of a private school teacher would have been useful。 The biggest takeaway？: the United States better get its act together over how they treat teachers。 It is a tough， under respected and under compensated profession whose numbers since the pandemic hav This book did a good job of describing what it is like to be a teacher in the US today。 By following 3 teachers over a year， the reader could experience the ups and downs of classroom teachers My only criticism would be that I think the perspective of a private school teacher would have been useful。 The biggest takeaway？: the United States better get its act together over how they treat teachers。 It is a tough， under respected and under compensated profession whose numbers since the pandemic have dwindled alarmingly。 。。。more
Ann
，
A Must Read for School Boards/Politicians If you are a School Board member and/or are running for one， or if you are a politician who thinks you know what’s best for schools， this book is a must read！ We need to move past the red state/blue state divide， the hysteria over Critical Race Theory （which has never been taught in a public K-12 school）， and the banning of books deemed inappropriate for my child by someone else’s parent， and get together to educate the next generation。 Provide classroom A Must Read for School Boards/Politicians If you are a School Board member and/or are running for one， or if you are a politician who thinks you know what’s best for schools， this book is a must read！ We need to move past the red state/blue state divide， the hysteria over Critical Race Theory （which has never been taught in a public K-12 school）， and the banning of books deemed inappropriate for my child by someone else’s parent， and get together to educate the next generation。 Provide classrooms with the tools and supplies necessary to run smoothly。 Pay the teachers and paraprofessionals a salary commensurate with their level of education。 Hire principals that put students first over test scores， and who acknowledge that teachers are professionals。 Stop the endless testing and adoption of the latest and greatest program that promises all students will be high achievers。 Get the politicians and lobbyists out of education completely and let’s focus on educating children。 After all， they will be in charge one day！ 。。。more
Yujie Ling
，
If I didn't work in education， I'd only give it 4 stars。The combination of teacher testimonials presented in a narrative style and more formal thematic essays creates an appealing balance。 Without the essays， it would have been too informal for me。 I also appreciate that the author took a long-term substitute teaching position and has some first-hand experience with the subject matter。 If I didn't work in education， I'd only give it 4 stars。The combination of teacher testimonials presented in a narrative style and more formal thematic essays creates an appealing balance。 Without the essays， it would have been too informal for me。 I also appreciate that the author took a long-term substitute teaching position and has some first-hand experience with the subject matter。 。。。more
Kasaundra
，
ARC read through NetGalley， all opinions are my own。This book。 Wow is all I can say。 As a teacher， I wouldn't say it was eyeopening because I personally have experienced some of the things discussed or have heard of people experiencing them， but it still was eyeopening in its own way。 I wouldn't say I enjoyed this book， so much as I related to it and wanted to keep living the school year through these teachers。 I don't say this much， but I think everyone， especially parents with kids in school， ARC read through NetGalley， all opinions are my own。This book。 Wow is all I can say。 As a teacher， I wouldn't say it was eyeopening because I personally have experienced some of the things discussed or have heard of people experiencing them， but it still was eyeopening in its own way。 I wouldn't say I enjoyed this book， so much as I related to it and wanted to keep living the school year through these teachers。 I don't say this much， but I think everyone， especially parents with kids in school， should read this book。 。。。more
Christine
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DNF！ I can't read anymore of it nor can I rate it。 All I can say is that this is the saddest book ever！ If I was just starting out as a new teacher， this book would make me stop and really think about it。 There is so much in this book that needs to be shared， or made known， to people outside of education。 DNF！ I can't read anymore of it nor can I rate it。 All I can say is that this is the saddest book ever！ If I was just starting out as a new teacher， this book would make me stop and really think about it。 There is so much in this book that needs to be shared， or made known， to people outside of education。 。。。more
Tina
，
I received this advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley。 None of this is surprising if you are a teacher or live with a teacher。 But it's nice to know we're not alone。 I received this advanced reader copy provided by NetGalley。 None of this is surprising if you are a teacher or live with a teacher。 But it's nice to know we're not alone。 。。。more
Meghan Poole-Van
，
Thank you！ This book makes me feel seen and not alone as an educator！ You have called out problems and shown the truth of a profession that is deeply difficult to survive for a myriad of reasons currently。 You have shown the level of professionalism and education that goes into this career a long with the social navigation。 It was a quick read， possibly because I didn’t want to put it down！
Bkrieth
，
It’s hard for me to write a review of this book。 As a teacher， I find it both true and painful。 Even if I have personally experienced only some of the included maddening circumstances， I am aware that all the rest are blindingly accurate for colleagues across the nation。 In reading Robbins account （and thank you， Ms。 Robbins， for walking in our shoes）， I feel both seen and very sad。 Sad lingers， because I am doubtful that anyone who actually needs this insight will read the book in our bifurcate It’s hard for me to write a review of this book。 As a teacher， I find it both true and painful。 Even if I have personally experienced only some of the included maddening circumstances， I am aware that all the rest are blindingly accurate for colleagues across the nation。 In reading Robbins account （and thank you， Ms。 Robbins， for walking in our shoes）， I feel both seen and very sad。 Sad lingers， because I am doubtful that anyone who actually needs this insight will read the book in our bifurcated culture。 Thank you nonetheless to the author and the many professionals that shared their lived experience。 。。。more
Staci
，
100% facts and such a great look into what it’s like to be a teacher now。 I found myself feeling every emotion while reading and saying YEP and agreeing with it all！ You think you know what it’s like to be in a classroom now， but you really have no idea。 This gives a fantastic perspective。
Abby
，
Loved this。 A， I love Alexandra Robbins， and B， I'm quoted in it。 So naturally I'm a fan。 Loved this。 A， I love Alexandra Robbins， and B， I'm quoted in it。 So naturally I'm a fan。 。。。more
Christina Bartholet
，
I’ve been reading Alexandra Robbin’s books since Pledged and have loved every one。 I was so excited when she announced she was doing a book about teachers because I am a teacher that have had a lot of ups and downs in the profession。 The book exceeded every one of my expectations。 She showed not only the challenges of the professions， but also the joy。 I’ve been on the verge of quitting numerous times， but I keep coming back and this book explains why。 It is job unlike any other， where I can hav I’ve been reading Alexandra Robbin’s books since Pledged and have loved every one。 I was so excited when she announced she was doing a book about teachers because I am a teacher that have had a lot of ups and downs in the profession。 The book exceeded every one of my expectations。 She showed not only the challenges of the professions， but also the joy。 I’ve been on the verge of quitting numerous times， but I keep coming back and this book explains why。 It is job unlike any other， where I can have a direct impact， changing a kids life for the better。 That being said， there are challenges beyond just funding， which Robbins does a wonderful job outlining。 She does it through following three teachers over the course of the year and also adding sections that explain the big picture with data and anecdotes from a huge variety of teachers。 This is the first book on education where I actually feel seen and it made me feel less alone。 I would recommend this book to any teacher， but also to anybody who wants a peek at what being a teacher in America entails and the changes that have happened in the last couple of decades。 It is a perfect book。 。。。more
Kate Olson
，
As a veteran educator in the American public school system， this book was everything I needed it to be， but it also triggered so many complicated emotions about my current and past situations。 For anyone in the profession， this book is validating and a rally cry to share with the rest of the world to SUPPORT TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS。 For non-educators， this is such an amazing book to read to better understand why and how to support us。 It always amazes me how much politics dictate what happens in sc As a veteran educator in the American public school system， this book was everything I needed it to be， but it also triggered so many complicated emotions about my current and past situations。 For anyone in the profession， this book is validating and a rally cry to share with the rest of the world to SUPPORT TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS。 For non-educators， this is such an amazing book to read to better understand why and how to support us。 It always amazes me how much politics dictate what happens in schools， but so many voters are unaware of what teachers actually do all day。 Robbins really shares it all here ~ from the struggles to the ways we decompress to how teachers really feel about parents and conferences and more， along with in-depth accounting of the research on schools today。 I loved the essays accompanying narratives of three different teachers in the US over the course of a school year， as this combination humanized the topic and made the book immensely readable。 My very favorite chapter was the one about school libraries， but there were so many amazing essays that I can't begin to list my next favorites。 The fact that Robbins substitute teaches and has done so for years ~ including a semester long term sub position ~ elevates her to an insider and eminently qualified to do this reporting。 I would love for every voter in our country to read this book。Source: Kindle and Audible audiobook 。。。more
Mj Brodie
，
This book is a must-read for anyone involved in the education sector， including parents of children currently in school。 Robbins’ on-the-ground reporting as a substitute teacher herself and a journalist shadowing 3 teachers in very different settings is detailed， insightful and paced well by following the school calendar month by month。 Of all the teachers， Penny had it worst because her administrator did not support her and in fact was working to undermine her in every way while her monster of This book is a must-read for anyone involved in the education sector， including parents of children currently in school。 Robbins’ on-the-ground reporting as a substitute teacher herself and a journalist shadowing 3 teachers in very different settings is detailed， insightful and paced well by following the school calendar month by month。 Of all the teachers， Penny had it worst because her administrator did not support her and in fact was working to undermine her in every way while her monster of an ex-husband tried to undermine her personal life。 Miguel also was let down by the system but mainly by his school district， as it starved his low income school of resources while pushing for a charter school to replace it。 Rebecca was well supported and taught in a good school but was still finding her feet as a teacher and trying to do too much。 Lack of money is one of the major problems outlined in the book but the downright meanness of parents and administrators and even fellow teachers is worse。 A lot can be done in an under resourced setting if you have a whole community pulling together and supporting each other but American education in public schools at least seems to have become so riven with conflict and low morale this eats away at the heart of the educational communities。 The teachers in this book don’t mention unions but in California at least the public teachers’ union has a lot of political clout and fights for its teachers’ rights。 More labor activism is what’s needed in the USA。 Workers need to stand up for their rights and push back against exploitation and abuse。 。。。more
Tamala Love Everett
，
Important。 A must read。
Robyn Ringler
，
Phenomenal book。 A beautifully written， devastating， behind-the-scenes account of what it is like to be a teacher today。 These true accounts of teachers' experiences are riveting and disturbing。 A must-read。 Phenomenal book。 A beautifully written， devastating， behind-the-scenes account of what it is like to be a teacher today。 These true accounts of teachers' experiences are riveting and disturbing。 A must-read。 。。。more
Carrie
，
I couldn’t stop saying “YES” over and over again while reading this book。 As a teacher for 15 years， I’ve read a lot of books about teaching， but none have spoken to me like this book。 The personal stories of the teachers the author followed along with the real， accurate descriptions of the current atmosphere of the teaching profession are captivating。 Being married to a non-educator， I asked my husband to read this book because it’s so often hard to put into words what teaching really is。 Thank I couldn’t stop saying “YES” over and over again while reading this book。 As a teacher for 15 years， I’ve read a lot of books about teaching， but none have spoken to me like this book。 The personal stories of the teachers the author followed along with the real， accurate descriptions of the current atmosphere of the teaching profession are captivating。 Being married to a non-educator， I asked my husband to read this book because it’s so often hard to put into words what teaching really is。 Thanks to the author for a fantastic read！ 。。。more
Marianne
，
Absolute must read for everyone。 What a well-researched book that Robbins went above and beyond to cover so much of what educators are going through。
Diana
，
This is a good - albeit somewhat depressing - insider look at what it’s like to be a teacher。 The author， who is herself a substitute teacher， closely followed the professional and personal lives of three teachers for a school year。 This was interspersed with short essays and statistics about education and teaching。 The author did an excellent job of portraying how teachers end up caught between the needs of their students， the demands of parents and the intransigence of administrators。 I wish s This is a good - albeit somewhat depressing - insider look at what it’s like to be a teacher。 The author， who is herself a substitute teacher， closely followed the professional and personal lives of three teachers for a school year。 This was interspersed with short essays and statistics about education and teaching。 The author did an excellent job of portraying how teachers end up caught between the needs of their students， the demands of parents and the intransigence of administrators。 I wish she had taken a stab at what could be done （other than the obvious - raising teachers’ salaries and making this a sought-after and prestigious profession） to better the lot of teachers and students。 If you dislike voice impersonations I would steer you to the book rather than the audiobook。 The author narrates the audiobook。 When doing normal narration she was wonderful but she did a horrible loud nasal impersonation of a New Jersey accent for one of the main protagonists and it was very difficult for me to listen to。 Less obnoxious but annoying were a southern accent for one of the other teachers she followed and cartoonish high-pitched voices for some of the children， especially the girls。 。。。more
Jen
，
She really breaks down all the problems currently facing teachers these days- unsustainable！ She makes it interesting with the personal stories， it was a great listen。
tpg0
，
As an AI language model， I can not have any personal opinions or views about any particular book。 However， "The Teachers: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable， Important Profession" is a nonfiction book that explores the lives of teachers in America and provides insight into the challenges and rewards of being an educator。 The author， Alex Kotlowitz， spent a year in a public school system in Chicago， observing the daily struggles of teachers working with underprivileged students。 The book sheds light on the inadequacies of the American education system and the impact of poverty on educational outcomes。 The Teachers is an informative and thought-provoking read， providing a valuable perspective on the challenges faced by teachers and the role of education in American society。
tpg1
，
As an AI language model， I don't have personal opinions， but I can provide a brief summary of the book you suggested。 "The Teachers: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable， Important Profession" by New York Times best-selling author and journalist， Alexandra Robbins， delves into the complex world of teaching。 The book explores the lives of four teachers working in different parts of the United States， portraying both the joys and struggles they face while trying to educate their students。 It also sheds light on the structural and societal issues that contribute to the challenges faced by teachers in America。 Overall， the book offers a thought-provoking insight into the world of education and the role of teachers in shaping future generations。
tpg2
，
As an AI language model， I cannot accurately review books as I do not have personal experiences or opinions。 But， "The Teachers: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable， Important Profession" by Alexandra Robbins， is a non-fiction book that follows the journeys of eight teachers from different backgrounds and levels of experience for a year。 The book highlights the challenges and rewards of the teaching profession in America， addressing issues such as low pay， lack of resources， and violence in schools。 Overall， it provides a thought-provoking insight into the realities of being a teacher in America。
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the teachers a year inside america's most vulnerable important profession