Both Sides

The Classroom from Where I Stand

Non-Fiction - Education
134 Pages
Reviewed on 09/10/2020
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Author Biography

I have been an English teacher for almost twenty years, and I have been in love with the written word for much longer. It was only natural for me to write about my experiences in the classroom. I wanted to share with others the relational aspect of education. It's the part of teaching that can encourage or tear down, and it is the part that keeps me in the profession. I wanted to explore my experiences in the classrooms as a student and teacher in order to offer myself and my reader some new clarity about what it really means to educate a child. I like what I have discovered.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

Both Sides: The Classroom From Where I Stand by Rebecca Potter is a wonderful book that shares stories of teaching and the connection between a teacher and a student. The collection of narratives shared by the author connects readers to crowded classrooms, students, and their lives, school shootings, her own life, and the education system as it is today. Her life as a teacher, a wife, a mother, and how she used her life lessons from these roles and incorporated them into her school routine is fascinating and will give readers a new perception of education and the life of both a student and a teacher. She also speaks about supporting the effort to ensure teachers are fairly compensated and how she will continue to work hard for her students.

The role of teachers has changed since the inception of public education and Both Sides: The Classroom From Where I Stand gives readers a lot of reasons why they should put their hope in public education. Rebecca Potter is very vocal about her thoughts and feelings when it comes to the role of a teacher, and the book can be used as a guide; it is part memoir too. The approach is interesting and she voices her opinions honestly and extensively. Some of the stories shared by the author are worth remembering; they are warm, kind, human, and focus on teachers who love their students and vice versa.