10 Things to Learn About Good Teaching from “Teach: Tony Danza”
When I heard that a new A&E show was following Tony Danza as he spends a year teaching 10th grade English, I rolled my eyes. Tony Danza, of the 1980s sitcom "Who's the Boss?"? I expected a trashy reality show that made a mockery of teaching. At best, I thought it would be like other celebrity reality shows: like a train wreck, so awful that you can't look away.
I couldn't have been more wrong about "Teach: Tony Danza." It's a beautiful, honest portrayal of first-year teaching in a large, urban public school (Northeast High School is the largest high school in Philadelphia, with around 3,700 students who speak over 57 languages.)
Shot as more of a documentary film than a reality show, "Teach: Tony Danza" captures what urban high school life is really like today, from the perspective of both teachers and students. During a time where many teachers feel scapegoated for the sorry state of education, there's never been a stronger need for a show like this, one that highlights the heart and sacrifice necessary to be a good teacher.
I watched two episodes of the seven-episode series, #4 "Homesick," and #6, "To Cheat or Not to Cheat." I recommend "Homesick," (embedded below) because it captures the main themes and narrative of the show.
If you don't have time to watch the full episode, watch this short clip of two Northeastern High School students interviewing Danza for the school paper about why he became a teacher.
From watching "Teach: Tony Danza," I took away ten lessons about good teaching:
1. You can be a teacher and still be human.
Perhaps the most compelling quality of Tony Danza, the one you notice when you watch even a short clip of him, is that he's undeniably real. He's actually much like his character, Tony, from "Who's the Boss?": jovial, loving, and quick to show emotion. He tells stories from his life to illustrate concepts (sometimes going on tangents to a fault), and by his reactions he shows his teens that adults have feelings, too.
2. Relationships first, content second.
Kids, especially teenagers, learn much more from people they respect. In addition, they have a hard time learning when they're struggling in their lives outside of the classroom. Danza takes time to build relationships with his students. He notices when they're troubled, whether by boredom or relationship issues, and talks with them about it outside of class. On the wall behind his desk hangs a poster that says, "Love is the reason for teaching," which serves as a constant reminder to his students, and himself, about why Danza is there.
3. Have a game plan for the moments when teaching gets to you.
One day in class, Danza can't get his students' attention, and they talk and laugh and generally disrespect him. Danza says, "I give up. I can't fight this battle anymore," and storms out of the room with tears in his eyes. Later, he feels ashamed that he not only let the students get under his skin, but also that he let it show in class. His Instructional Coach, David Cohn, observes the chaos and reminds Danza that every teacher has a moment like that -- in his own first year of teaching, he threw a vocabulary book in a rage.
Anyone who's taught before knows the heartbreak of giving everything to your students and having them throw it back in your face. It's important to think about how you'll react if and when that happens, so you don't do something you'll regret.
4. Teach with your instincts.
It's clear from Danza's flustered moments of disorganization that he'll need a few more years of practice before he's a master teacher. But he naturally does what I think is essential for a teacher: He trusts his instincts. Danza senses when two students are cheating on a test with their cell phones and confronts them after class. In another scene, he mediates a conversation between two feuding girlfriends and helps them see the situation from each other's perspective.
Though Danza is open to applying veteran teachers' advice, he remains true to his own personal style as a teacher: He listens, asks questions, and gives guidance from the heart. There's something fatherly about the way he interacts with his students, and they seem to acknowledge the wisdom of what he says, even when they don't want to hear it.
5. Facilitate, don't indoctrinate.
After struggling for a while to engage his students, Danza takes the advice of a fellow rookie teacher and plans a paired activity that his students self-direct. He asks them to present a myth to the class, either well-known or made-up, and in any form they choose. He draws boundaries within which students can have freedom to be creative, and in doing so, he and the students both get their needs met. They learn what he's trying to teach, and they have fun doing it.
6. Be fully present.
Danza is truly there for his kids, all the time. He helps out with their marching band practices outside of school hours. He tells them, "You know I'm always here to talk," and he is -- more than once, his students come talk to him about their personal problems. He doesn't just tell the students that he cares; he shows them through his actions.
7. Walk in students' shoes.
When two of his female students get in a nasty fight, he confides to the boyfriend of one of the girls, "To me it seems kinda silly, but you gotta walk in their shoes." And he means it. He knows that the girls' feelings are real, and he sees the tears and anger the spat is causing them.
8. Exchange stories with more experienced teachers.
Danza tells his Instructional Coach, David Cohn, about how one of his bright students doesn't like his "off-topic topics." Cohn says that he does have a tendency to go off on tangents when flustered, which Danza acknowledges. He then tells his own personal story that helps Danza plan more engaging activities:
9. Replenish your stores.
Danza gives everything he has to teaching. He moves to Philadelphia from Los Angeles to take the teaching job, living across the country from his wife and children and missing them like crazy. He even stays in Philadelphia to attend the school marching band competition instead of flying home as planned.
Danza gets through the rough patches by seeking out the bright spots in his week (like the grin on a student's face when he said he'd attend her band competition) and makes an effort to create more (like organizing a teacher bowling night). It's important to remember that if you burn out, you'll have nothing left to give.
10. As a country, we need to figure out how to make sure that teachers like Tony Danza stay in teaching.
He's rough around the edges but will be an excellent teacher over time. So what does he need to get there, and how can we give it to him?
Thanks to Gretchen Wegner for recommending this show. Read the New York Times and Newsweek reviews.
Posted in Teaching on Nov 26, 2010 - 05:23 PM
“Teachers are expected to reach unattainable goals with inadequate tools. The miracle is that at times they accomplish this impossible task.” - Haim GinottWhen I heard that a new A&E show was following Tony Danza as he spends a year teaching 10th grade English, I rolled my eyes. Tony Danza, of the 1980s sitcom "Who's the Boss?"? I expected a trashy reality show that made a mockery of teaching. At best, I thought it would be like other celebrity reality shows: like a train wreck, so awful that you can't look away.
I couldn't have been more wrong about "Teach: Tony Danza." It's a beautiful, honest portrayal of first-year teaching in a large, urban public school (Northeast High School is the largest high school in Philadelphia, with around 3,700 students who speak over 57 languages.)
Shot as more of a documentary film than a reality show, "Teach: Tony Danza" captures what urban high school life is really like today, from the perspective of both teachers and students. During a time where many teachers feel scapegoated for the sorry state of education, there's never been a stronger need for a show like this, one that highlights the heart and sacrifice necessary to be a good teacher.
I watched two episodes of the seven-episode series, #4 "Homesick," and #6, "To Cheat or Not to Cheat." I recommend "Homesick," (embedded below) because it captures the main themes and narrative of the show.
If you don't have time to watch the full episode, watch this short clip of two Northeastern High School students interviewing Danza for the school paper about why he became a teacher.
From watching "Teach: Tony Danza," I took away ten lessons about good teaching:
1. You can be a teacher and still be human.
Perhaps the most compelling quality of Tony Danza, the one you notice when you watch even a short clip of him, is that he's undeniably real. He's actually much like his character, Tony, from "Who's the Boss?": jovial, loving, and quick to show emotion. He tells stories from his life to illustrate concepts (sometimes going on tangents to a fault), and by his reactions he shows his teens that adults have feelings, too.
2. Relationships first, content second.
Kids, especially teenagers, learn much more from people they respect. In addition, they have a hard time learning when they're struggling in their lives outside of the classroom. Danza takes time to build relationships with his students. He notices when they're troubled, whether by boredom or relationship issues, and talks with them about it outside of class. On the wall behind his desk hangs a poster that says, "Love is the reason for teaching," which serves as a constant reminder to his students, and himself, about why Danza is there.
3. Have a game plan for the moments when teaching gets to you.
One day in class, Danza can't get his students' attention, and they talk and laugh and generally disrespect him. Danza says, "I give up. I can't fight this battle anymore," and storms out of the room with tears in his eyes. Later, he feels ashamed that he not only let the students get under his skin, but also that he let it show in class. His Instructional Coach, David Cohn, observes the chaos and reminds Danza that every teacher has a moment like that -- in his own first year of teaching, he threw a vocabulary book in a rage.
Anyone who's taught before knows the heartbreak of giving everything to your students and having them throw it back in your face. It's important to think about how you'll react if and when that happens, so you don't do something you'll regret.
4. Teach with your instincts.
It's clear from Danza's flustered moments of disorganization that he'll need a few more years of practice before he's a master teacher. But he naturally does what I think is essential for a teacher: He trusts his instincts. Danza senses when two students are cheating on a test with their cell phones and confronts them after class. In another scene, he mediates a conversation between two feuding girlfriends and helps them see the situation from each other's perspective.
Though Danza is open to applying veteran teachers' advice, he remains true to his own personal style as a teacher: He listens, asks questions, and gives guidance from the heart. There's something fatherly about the way he interacts with his students, and they seem to acknowledge the wisdom of what he says, even when they don't want to hear it.
5. Facilitate, don't indoctrinate.
After struggling for a while to engage his students, Danza takes the advice of a fellow rookie teacher and plans a paired activity that his students self-direct. He asks them to present a myth to the class, either well-known or made-up, and in any form they choose. He draws boundaries within which students can have freedom to be creative, and in doing so, he and the students both get their needs met. They learn what he's trying to teach, and they have fun doing it.
6. Be fully present.
Danza is truly there for his kids, all the time. He helps out with their marching band practices outside of school hours. He tells them, "You know I'm always here to talk," and he is -- more than once, his students come talk to him about their personal problems. He doesn't just tell the students that he cares; he shows them through his actions.
7. Walk in students' shoes.
When two of his female students get in a nasty fight, he confides to the boyfriend of one of the girls, "To me it seems kinda silly, but you gotta walk in their shoes." And he means it. He knows that the girls' feelings are real, and he sees the tears and anger the spat is causing them.
8. Exchange stories with more experienced teachers.
Danza tells his Instructional Coach, David Cohn, about how one of his bright students doesn't like his "off-topic topics." Cohn says that he does have a tendency to go off on tangents when flustered, which Danza acknowledges. He then tells his own personal story that helps Danza plan more engaging activities:
"I had a moment when I was a first-year teacher. I was up there doing everything. I was teaching, I was up at the chalkboard, and I thought I was doing great. I'll never forget little Andrea -- she was writing a note. Clearly, she wasn't taking notes on what I was doing. So I went up to her, and I grabbed the note, she's writing to her friend. She said, 'I'm sitting in third period, in Mr. Cohn's class. I am soooooo bored.' And the 'so' piece, it had like 12 o's on it, so she was really bored. It was devastating, deflating, anything you want to call it. But from that moment forward, I changed my mentality, from 'What am I going to do?' to 'What are the kids going to do?'
... You're going to have a moment again of feeling flustered; it's guaranteed ... And while you're doing all that, Eric is doing origami, back here, Oleg is back there doodling in his (notebook). And for me, it was Andrea writing notes to her friend and saying 'I'm in Cohn's class; I can't wait 'til the bell rings.' So that's what the kids are doing when we're up there thinking that we're changing the world."
9. Replenish your stores.
Danza gives everything he has to teaching. He moves to Philadelphia from Los Angeles to take the teaching job, living across the country from his wife and children and missing them like crazy. He even stays in Philadelphia to attend the school marching band competition instead of flying home as planned.
Danza gets through the rough patches by seeking out the bright spots in his week (like the grin on a student's face when he said he'd attend her band competition) and makes an effort to create more (like organizing a teacher bowling night). It's important to remember that if you burn out, you'll have nothing left to give.
10. As a country, we need to figure out how to make sure that teachers like Tony Danza stay in teaching.
He's rough around the edges but will be an excellent teacher over time. So what does he need to get there, and how can we give it to him?
Thanks to Gretchen Wegner for recommending this show. Read the New York Times and Newsweek reviews.
Tags for this entry:
teach: tony danza,
mentorship,
reality television,
relationships,
good teaching,
teaching advice
Comments
Dec 15, 2010 - 05:53 PM
Thank you for the info, Topher—I hadn’t heard of that study and added it to IDEA’s research database, which will soon be public. Fantastic that this major longitudinal study is happening.
All of your suggestions ring true in my experience working with teachers. Several new public school teachers that I knew felt that their new teacher program and professional development requirements were a waste of their time, when they already felt overburdened. It would, of course, be much better if those programs helped unburden them, rather than adding extra strain.
Melia Dicker
Nov 27, 2010 - 01:05 AM
Thanks, Gretchen, for the comment and for recommending the show in the first place!! I can see why you’d have hesitated to sing the praises of the show, when most folks probably have the initial reaction that I did. Maybe with both of our testimonials, people will give the show a chance. It does show a side of teaching that isn’t being represented in mainstream dialogue about education reform.