Letters to a Young TeacherLetters to a Young Teacher is a very inspiring novel written by Jonathon Kozol. It is a collection of letters written to a teacher under the pseudonym Fancasca, who teaches in an inner-city school. Kozol gives advice that every new teacher needs to hear. It also discusses some of the policies that affect teachers around the world. I really enjoyed reading this book. He spoke about his own experiences teaching elementary school; it made the whole book feel very real and relatable. Her concerns about policies that affect teachers gave the book additional depth and is something all teachers can share. As inspiring as this book was, it was also very scary and discouraging at times. The disparity between what children need and the policies put in place is terrifying. I've even seen a teacher be handed what is essentially a script and told to teach it. Kozol says it very well. He compares it to "those miserable 16-city European tours where people are told they can never get off the bus" (Kozol, 50), and it's true. Also in Letters to a Young Teacher, he objects to the need to “teach to the test.” He argues that there are qualities that students can bring to the classroom that cannot be measured by standardized tests. Letters to a Young Teacher does an excellent job of highlighting the differences between the values ​​of teachers and those who control the policies adopted in the education system. In the lessons present in today's classroom, there is little room for creativity or deviation from the highly scripted curriculum. Students are not encouraged to raise their hands and make connections to everyday life to share with the rest of the class... middle of paper ......importance of why you should never give up the children. Although the stories about politics were powerful, it was the ones that involved children that touched me the most. He understands very well that “victories are victories” (Kozol, 68 years old). A teacher's job and top priority is student success and giving them the tools and lessons they need to succeed. This is not limited to the skills and tools taught by the program. Things like curiosity and critical thinking, humanity and empathy are also necessary. Nowhere in today's school curricula is there mention of "fun", "joy" or "kindness", which are just as important in schooling as technical skills. (Kozol, 100). That's really what I took away from the book, the need to incorporate these elements into education to create student motivation to learn and grow...