Publisher's Synopsis
Tony Danza had it good. He was a successful actor, well liked, with several hit shows to his name. But he'd always had a nagging doubt--was this all there was? Make some jokes, flash a smile, collect a paycheck? Could he be doing something more meaningful, could he go beyond getting laughs and actually make a difference? As an actor, maybe not. But what if he became, of all things, a teacher? It seemed a little far-fetched, true. He had little training and no experience. But he had lived a rich life, and he knew and loved language, drama, and poetry. He had enthusiasm and a commitment to doing whatever it took to do the job well. He was ready to learn. So how hard could it be, really? Well, as Tony discovered over a year teaching English at Philadelphia's Northeast High, hard. Really hard. But also rewarding, infuriating, inspiring, terrifying, and, ultimately, life-changing. Teaching was in fact the best and most difficult thing he ever attempted, and this book relives the amazing story of what happened.
