If you found yourself out of your depth trying to teach students from a poor socio-economic background with little apparent interest in learning, how would you go about fixing the problem? That is essentially the problem that Mike Feinberg and Dave Levin, two fresh graduates participating in the Teach for America program faced, as described in Jay Mathews’s book Work Hard Be Nice: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America.
The book tells the story of the problems and obstacles faced by Feinberg and Levin in the US public school system which led to the creation of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) chain of charter schools. The schools are built around five principles: high expectations, choice and commitment, more time, power to lead, and focus on results. Most KIPP schools run from 7.30am to 5pm on weekdays and 8.30am to 1.30pm on alternate Saturdays, so that teachers have a lot more teaching time than in normal schools.
KIPP schools use highly engaging teaching methods designed to bring out the best in each student, and they achieve outstanding academic results. The book is well worth reading for any parent or teacher interested in educational techniques, or any communicator interested in holding the attention of an audience, but prospective readers should be aware that the story is told in a warts-and-all manner including occasional coarse language.