Readers – both teachers and those outside the teaching profession – have responded strongly to this book.
“Jo Scott-Coe gives the reader a direct look at public high school teaching with the benefit of an insider’s experiences, rewarding and chilling, personal and yet true. The author describes the pressures of standardized testing, violence-prone students, overbearing parents, demanding autocratic administrators and a media-informed social construct of idealized teachers who sacrifice themselves for their students, with sometimes serious consequences. As teaching has undoubtedly left a mark on Ms. Scott-Coe, this book will make a permanent impression on the reader.” – Amazon Reader Review
An email that came in after recent reading in Riverside:
“Bonnie and I went to the Downtown Library for the reading and book signing of our friend Jo Scott-Coe’s (first) book, about being a female teacher: Teacher at Point Blank–Confronting Sexualtiy, Violence, and Secrets in a Suburban School. It’s amazing having someone (younger) speaking for us (teachers) about things that were so entrenched that we (especially older teachers) denied/didn’t notice/just accepted/tolerated…e.g. like the way women used to accept their station in life as (only) wives and mothers, or how we tolerated (relished?) those cat calls or what is now recognized as sexual harrassment in the workplace. Jo speaks to the societal attitudes towards (women) teachers, as well as to the dangers, both psychological and physical, of being in the classroom, generally without real support. I am so grateful to Jo for noticing and taking seriously her awarenesses, for taking time out to discern what was of concern to her, and then for writing about it, thus opening/raising consciousness for us all. Thanks, Jo…oh, the power of writing!
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