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Reading With Patrick

a Teacher, a Student, and a Life-changing Friendship
Aug 16, 2017Manateestarz rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Every teacher would like to have an attentive, bright student like Patrick. But, his situation presents us with some moral questions. These questions are touched upon too briefly by the author, but Teach for America alum , Michelle K. still writes about her relationship with former student Patrick and her experiences teaching kids at a school for at risk youth in the Mississippi Delta with humor, compassion, and a compelling sincerity. She takes the reader into the world she encounters and makes us understand what about James Baldwin's work and the work of other African-American writers inspired her to make a difference by enrolling in Teach for America in Helena, Arkansas . She writes about the people she encounters in the Delta without condescension and great understanding. Michelle Kuo also writes compellingly of her inner struggles, her differences with her parents and her search for meaning in her own career. She makes us care about her neighbors and friends in the Delta and about her own life. This is a very good book.