Teacher Man

McCourt writes in the Prologue of the importance of persevering. Describe a time you persevered and kept trying to achieve something in the face of failure. What did you learn from the experience? How did it change your perception of yourself?

Chapters 2-4 consist of flashbacks of things that occurred before McCourt started teaching. Why do you think he wrote so much about his early life, especially his childhood, which was covered at length in Angela’s Ashes? Explain what purpose each of the narratives prior to 1958—his childhood in Ireland, his immigration to America, his college years at NYU, and his days working on the piers—has in the book.

How does McCourt get his students to work when they don’t want to? Do you think his methods are effective? Why or why not?

Interview a grandparent (or an elderly friend) and write up their story, like McCourt has his students do in the book. What surprised you about their earlier life? How did it change your perspective of or your relationship with them?

McCourt taught students from all different backgrounds. How does he deal with the issue of ethnicity and race in the book? Do you think his approach was appropriate and effective? Why or why not?

Analyze McCourt’s writing style. Why do you think he includes so much humor? Do you think a serious, reflective approach would have worked as well? Explain your reasoning. What other elements of his style did you notice, and what did each element do for his storytelling?

Why do you think McCourt writes so disparagingly about administrators? He doesn’t seem to want any oversight or feedback about his teaching, but also acknowledges that a lack of authoritative teacher training hampered him early in his career. Analyze the different perspectives on education that the administrators and McCourt represent. Is there a way of reconciling their differing approaches and perspectives?

In your opinion, what was the biggest impediment that McCourt faced in the classroom? How did he deal with it?