From one of America's most celebrated educators, an inspiring guide to transforming every child's education In a Los Angeles neighbourhood plagued by guns, gangs, and drugs, there is an exceptional classroom known as Room 56. The fifth graders inside are first-generation immigrants who live in poverty and speak English as a second language. They also play Vivaldi, perform Shakespeare, score in the top 1 percent on standardized tests, and go on to attend Ivy League universities. Rafe Esquith is the teacher responsible for these accomplishments. From the man whom The New York Times calls "a genius and a saint " comes a revelatory program for educating today's youth. In Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire!, Rafe Esquith reveals the techniques that have made him one of the most acclaimed educators of our time. The two mottoes in Esquith's classroom are "Be Nice, Work Hard, " and "There Are No Shortcuts. " His students voluntarily come to school at 6:30 in the morning and work until 5:00 in the afternoon.

Rafe Esquith has taught at Hobart Elementary School for twenty-two years.