Review: Class Dismissed by Cheryl Clark and Camille Leonardo

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About the Book

After almost forty years of teaching English and English as a Second Language to teens and adults in inner city schools in Indianapolis and Los Angeles, Cheryl Clark looks back on her career in this compelling memoir. Along with the rewards she reaps from grateful students learning by her witty and sometimes irreverent teaching style, Clark contends with a boy who overdoses on cocaine in her classroom, the frustrating whims of school boards, and the interference of an-ever changing line of principals.Clark recounts her journey from novice, fresh-faced neophyte -- always the youngest on the staff -- to wizened veteran educator who's seen pretty much everything, and doles out practical, no-nonsense advice for new teachers just starting on their career road.Included is an appendix of lesson plans, tests, and other helpful teaching tools.

Review

The memoir, Class Dissmissed! by Cheryl Clark and Camille Leonardo, was an intriguing piece of work. Showing us the world and minds of a real-life teacher, we readers were allowed the chance to experience some of the true frustrations and accomplishments felt by every-day teachers in their classrooms. I feel as though the book made me more aware of the struggle that teachers face in the classroom, and that it definitely made me value their work much more than I already did. The book was very well written and expressive, with a fun story-line that was fast-paced and entertaining. At the end, Clark's favorite assignments are shared, making the writing a great piece for new teachers seeking a bit of advice when entering the teaching world after graduation, and also when looking for new materials that have worked for experienced professionals before them.

Reviewed by Sofia Millar