You hear terrible stories because there'll be a story about some terrible kid, but most of the kids I work with are terrific kids. They're poor, maybe their families are broken, so they're not coming home to a mom and… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share Image
I try to show the children how every lesson I teach them is going to be something they use in their real life. That's why my kids work so hard, not because I'm so cool. They're working for themselves. — Rafe Esquith Copy Share Image
I have students who are PhDs in music who come back and scored the music and teach the kids the instruments that I don't… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
I don't think we expect enough of students. They just need someone to show them the way. — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' I realized then where the problem lay. My students, and so many of our young people today,… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
“Those who celebrate failure will not be around to help today's students celebrate their jobs flipping burgers.” — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
I always tell the kids that excellence is like pregnancy. You can't be a little bit pregnant. You either are or you're not. — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
Good teachers are an endangered species because they're giving up because of the tests and everything. — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
I'd like to give every young teacher some good news. Teaching is a very easy job. Administrators will tell you what to do. You'll… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
You hear terrible stories because there'll be a story about some terrible kid, but most of the kids I work with are terrific kids.… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
“Everything has become too easy for our young people, and we make things worse by lying to them. We don't help them face reality.… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
I am asking teachers to understand that we must make the education relevant for the children. If they're only working for the tests or… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
“I didn't realize that many people, who may be good people, feel that working in schools is just a job and not a holy… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
But to paraphrase Henry Drummond in Inherit the Wind, ignorance and mediocrity are forever busy, and the forces of mediocrity aren't content with being… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
The reason I love teaching, it's like being a miner. I find all these undiscovered jewels and, with the right motivation, they're amazed at… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
With better vision, we sacrifice for students for whom that sacrifice will most likely pay off. I'm sorry to say this, but there are… — Rafe Esquith Copy Share
