There Are No Shortcuts (Rafe Esquith, Living Hero)

On the wall of Rafe Esquith's fifth-grade classroom, the words "There Are No Shortcuts" are displayed prominently above the rules "Be Nice" and "Work Hard". Every year, his students excel beyond the expectations of ordinary fifth graders. They attend school from 6:30am until well after 4:00pm, even through their vacations, reading texts far beyond their grade level with understanding and passion in their voices, challenging themselves with algebra problems, and perform Shakespeare at a level that even impresses Sir Ian McKellen, a celebrated Shakespearean actor!

There is no place for mediocrity in Esquith's classroom, and his students love it. That attitude follows them long after they end their fifth-grade year, as many of them go on to colleges like Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford, some even returning to volunteer their time and energy to contribute towards the work of their teacher. These results would be impressive at any school, yet what stands out even more is that Esquith teaches in an L.A. inner-city school known as the Jungle, where many of his students come from poor or troubled families and do not speak English at home.

His secret? Hard work and no quitting, mixed with a healthy abundance of kindness and fun while learning intensely.

In his book, "There Are No Shortcuts", Esquith gives insight into his experiences at the Jungle with a refreshing candor that highlights his successes without downplaying the usefulness of his mistakes in crafting his teaching style.

I remember watching videos about Rafe and his students while completing my teaching credential program in grad school. He's a dynamic educator, possessed of a fierce idealism and a genuine love for his students. For a man who works 14-16 hour days like he does, you need to view your work as your passion in order to avoid burnout and breakdowns. I find his passion admirable. I don't necessarily recommend the 16-hour workdays to everyone, but I can definitely sympathize with the idea that when you are that passionate about your work, it doesn't necessarily feel like work.

You do it because it must be done.

(Note: Rafe Esquith is the third of 10 living heroes that I will be profiling as part of my UBBT goals. "There Are No Shortcuts" is the second of 12 books that I will be sharing with you. More to come, stay tuned!)