Charles Dickens New York - John Kaminski Books

In this honest and insightful book, teacher John Kaminski tells the story of a year in the life of an inner-city English teacher at an alternative high school. It is, as one reviewer wrote, "funny, frank, and consistently familiar to anyone who has worked in an urban school . . . and instructive to anyone who hasn't." The book chronicles Kaminski's experiences teaching in a non-traditional program for students in Jersey City, New Jersey, titled the Twilight Program (dubbed "The Twilight Zone" by many). It details day-to-day interactions with students, teachers, staff, and parents, and delves into the range of problems and issues that beginning teachers can never adequately prepare for. While teaching, Kaminski started a series of e-mail messages to friends, relaying some of his experiences with students and staff. "It started off to be lighthearted, but I found myself actually in the middle of what I felt was a compelling story," he said. As one reader wrote, "I love the realness of Mista. Kaminski doesn't just tell his readers what it's like to teach last-chance students in the inner city, he shows it. . . . What makes Mista different from other accounts I've read or seen regarding high school students is Mr. K's voice in the book - the dialogue is laugh out loud hilarious as he dishes it right back to the ludicrous and sometimes insanely insolent students. Even though there's madness and a very real sadness to what's happening in these schools and with these students, Mr. K manages to maintain his sense of humor and dignity and even connect with his classes. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an authentic perspective on teaching in inner city schools." As another wrote: "Mista provides an authentic year-long account of [teaching] in a setting mired by sociocultural apathy and systemic torpor. Kaminski's honest, witty, and visceral perspective is a delight, and one cannot help but admire his dedication to these students despite relentless antagonism. Mista . . . generates equal parts sympathy for the narrator, distress at the plight of the students, and anger at the tragic condition of many modern-day educational institutions. "Yet," he concluded, "[Kaminski] is clear that there is hope to be found even in such an oppressive environment." This book will be a valuable resource for teachers at all stages of their careers -- aspiring, beginning, or experience -- looking for an engaging account of real-life experiences teaching in a challenging inner-city setting.



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In this honest and insightful book, teacher John Kaminski tells the story of a year in the life of an inner-city English teacher at an alternative high school. It is, as one reviewer wrote, "funny, frank, and consistently familiar to anyone who has worked in an urban school . . . and instructive to anyone who hasn't." The book chronicles Kaminski's experiences teaching in a non-traditional program for students in Jersey City, New Jersey, titled the Twilight Program (dubbed "The Twilight Zone" by many). It details day-to-day interactions with students, teachers, staff, and parents, and delves into the range of problems and issues that beginning teachers can never adequately prepare for. While teaching, Kaminski started a series of e-mail messages to friends, relaying some of his experiences with students and staff. "It started off to be lighthearted, but I found myself actually in the middle of what I felt was a compelling story," he said. As one reader wrote, "I love the realness of Mista. Kaminski doesn't just tell his readers what it's like to teach last-chance students in the inner city, he shows it. . . . What makes Mista different from other accounts I've read or seen regarding high school students is Mr. K's voice in the book - the dialogue is laugh out loud hilarious as he dishes it right back to the ludicrous and sometimes insanely insolent students. Even though there's madness and a very real sadness to what's happening in these schools and with these students, Mr. K manages to maintain his sense of humor and dignity and even connect with his classes. I couldn't put this book down and highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for an authentic perspective on teaching in inner city schools." As another wrote: "Mista provides an authentic year-long account of [teaching] in a setting mired by sociocultural apathy and systemic torpor. Kaminski's honest, witty, and visceral perspective is a delight, and one cannot help but admire his dedication to these students despite relentless antagonism. Mista . . . generates equal parts sympathy for the narrator, distress at the plight of the students, and anger at the tragic condition of many modern-day educational institutions. "Yet," he concluded, "[Kaminski] is clear that there is hope to be found even in such an oppressive environment." This book will be a valuable resource for teachers at all stages of their careers -- aspiring, beginning, or experience -- looking for an engaging account of real-life experiences teaching in a challenging inner-city setting.