29 pages • 58-minute read
Educating Esmé: Diary of a Teacher’s First Year
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Essay Topics
What role do sexism and gender expectations play in the book, both for students and staff?
How do teachers and administrators interact in the book? What seems to be the main focus for each of these groups? Are their purposes aligned?
What role does gang violence play in the book? How does it impact Esme and her class?
Why does Esme insist on being called Madame Esme? Is this a purposeful or frivolous fight to persist in, with the school administration?
How does racism impact the students’ lives and educational experiences?
What unconventional teaching choices does Esme make and how successful are they?
How does Esme deal with defiance and discipline problems in her classroom?
How does Esme manage to make students of diverse cultural groups feel welcome and accepted in her class?
What does Esme do to try and ameliorate the effects of abuse or violence in the lives of her students? What limitations does she realize she is up against?
By the end of the year, what does Esme see as her biggest accomplishment? What does she feel she has lost by moving on to a librarian job?
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