Well, Mr. Done (rhymes with phone)...you've done it again!
Phillip Done, author and third grade teacher extraordinaire has just published his second book on his tremendous love of teaching in Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood (Center Street Publishers).
Honestly, I enjoyed his first tome, 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny, a book filled with loads of "kids do/say the darnedest things" stories...delightful one and all. But I've got to say I was absolutely blown away by Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind. It was filled with such deeply heartfelt love for both teaching and his students that I confess I grabbed a tissue or two while reading...and I read it twice!
Some of my favorite stories illustrate what a wonderful, intuitive teacher Mr. Done is. But this is no "back-patting ego trip", "Gee, ain't I great?" kind of memoir. Mr. Done captures beautifully his own thrill and surprise when one of his ideas to help a particular child grow and blossom in their unique way actually works. "Rebecca" tells the story of one such little girl:
Rebecca comes from troubled family and is often absent from school. Her reading skills are about two years behind the rest of the kids in her class. Mr. Done refers to her as one of his ""pillow students" -- the students we worry about before we fall asleep at night. How can we help them? What will happen to them when they leave our classes? Will they succeed in school?"
One night Mr. Done has a brainstorm. What if Rebecca read to Max? (Max is the school secretary's dog who comes into school a few afternoons each week. All the kids love him and he's become something of a school mascot.) Mr. Done speaks with Ellen the school secretary and an idea is born.
Rebecca is at first hesitant about the idea but Mr. Done convinced her, "Rebecca, Max likes to be read to, but Ellen is too busy. You'll be helping Max and if you don't like it you don't have to go back. Will you give it a try?"
Long story short, Rebecca is hooked after one session with Max and wants to go back the next day because, "I didn't finish the story." Within several months Rebecca's attendence, classroom enthusiasm and reading skills soar. Clearly Mr. Done got this young lady hooked on reading...Mr. Done, you rock.
Sprinkled throughout the book are also some of the cleanest dirty jokes (which clearly tickled my funny bone) on the planet such as when Mr. Done is correcting writing assignments and needs the student to clarify a word in his essay:
"Sweetie, can you read this word for me?"
"It's shirt."
"That's what I thought it was. You forgot the r."
Whether you're a parent, or just want to take a trip down memory lane to remember a time when the most important things to you were blowing bubbles, getting the best ball for a game of kick ball, and telling silly knock-knock jokes....go get a copy of Close Encounters of the Third Grade Kind and I swear you'll wish you'd had Mr. Done for your teacher.
Happy reading,
P.S. Did I mention that Mr. Done teaches in a town a mere twenty minutes or so from my house? I'm thinking that gives me four years to get us moved into his school district so my son Alex can be in his class!
Phillip Done is currently on a U.S. book tour. Check his website www.phillipdone.org to see when he'll be at a bookstore near you.
