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Losing My Faculties: A Teacher's Story
I am just one of those rare and probably defective people who really enjoy the company of teenagers.
Brendan Halpin’s It Takes a Worried Man —a memoir of how he and his family dealt with his wife’s battle against breast cancer—was praised for its can-dor, raw humor, and riveting voice. Halpin now turns his unique talent to an unforgettable account of the pursuit of his true teaching.
Losing My Faculties follows Halpin through teaching jobs in an economically depressed white ethnic town, a middle-class suburb, a last-chance truancy prevention program in the inner city, and an ambitious college-prep urban charter school. In the same cuttingly observant voice that marked It Takes a Worried Man , Halpin tells us what it really means to be a teacher—the ups and downs in the classroom, the battles with administrators and colleagues, and the joy of doing a job that matters. Not the tale of a hero who changes his troubled students’ lives in one year, Losing My Faculties is, rather, the story of an all-too-fallible teacher who persists in spite of the frustrations that have driven so many others from the profession. After nine years of teaching, Halpin finds his idealism in shreds but his sense of humor and love for his work blessedly intact.
From the Hardcover edition.
Brendan Halpin’s It Takes a Worried Man —a memoir of how he and his family dealt with his wife’s battle against breast cancer—was praised for its can-dor, raw humor, and riveting voice. Halpin now turns his unique talent to an unforgettable account of the pursuit of his true teaching.
Losing My Faculties follows Halpin through teaching jobs in an economically depressed white ethnic town, a middle-class suburb, a last-chance truancy prevention program in the inner city, and an ambitious college-prep urban charter school. In the same cuttingly observant voice that marked It Takes a Worried Man , Halpin tells us what it really means to be a teacher—the ups and downs in the classroom, the battles with administrators and colleagues, and the joy of doing a job that matters. Not the tale of a hero who changes his troubled students’ lives in one year, Losing My Faculties is, rather, the story of an all-too-fallible teacher who persists in spite of the frustrations that have driven so many others from the profession. After nine years of teaching, Halpin finds his idealism in shreds but his sense of humor and love for his work blessedly intact.
From the Hardcover edition.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Brendan Halpin
21 books172 followersI grew up in Cincinnati, went to college in Philadelphia, and also lived in Taipei and Edinburgh along the way. I've lived in Boston since 1991.
I became a professional writer in 2000, writing about my late wife Kirsten's breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Kirsten died in 2003, leaving me and our daughter Rowen. I married Suzanne in 2005 and got her kids Casey and Kylie in the deal too. Bargain! Suzanne and I live with our three kids and dog in the shadow of Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, best neighborhood on earth.
I became a professional writer in 2000, writing about my late wife Kirsten's breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Kirsten died in 2003, leaving me and our daughter Rowen. I married Suzanne in 2005 and got her kids Casey and Kylie in the deal too. Bargain! Suzanne and I live with our three kids and dog in the shadow of Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, best neighborhood on earth.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
June 9, 2007
Funny and refreshing; makes me feel a LOT better about the school I'm at, the teachers I work with, and even the administration I'm stuck with, not to mention my own abilities (or lack thereof).
October 25, 2012
(I love everything this guy writes!)
This is a hilariously irreverent memoir about Halpin's experiences as a high school teacher in the Boston area. I know nothing about what it's like to be a teacher, my only experiences being as an unappreciative, uncooperative student, and then being the parent of unappreciative, uncooperative students, but this is a really entertaining behind-the-scenes look at our educational system.
It starts out with Halpin as a new teacher, full of enthusiasm and idealism, and wanting to teach in an urban environment where his skills will REALLY matter and where he can REALLY help kids(!!!). But he can only find a position at a suburban high school, a long commute from his home, where he comes face to face with "bitter old fucks" - teachers who have been there forever and are just mailing it in and putting in their time. (He does make it clear, though, that not all the veterans are like this, and he is lucky enough to meet a few who really inspire him.)
We follow him through a couple positions in suburbia and then finally he gets to work in that dreamed-for urban setting and then at one of those (self-)important charter schools, which initially seems to share in his idealism for making a difference in kids' lives. (What eventually ends up happening there sounds a lot like what's happening in NYC, just from what I read in the papers...)
Along the way we learn that, yes, the majority of school administrators are as smarmy and clueless as they appear to be, and we already know how difficult the students can be. Luckily, Halpin has some great colleagues he can commiserate with and some shining moments where he does connect and make a difference with some kids - just enough to keep him going when he's all but given up on teaching and afraid that he's becoming one of the "bitter old fucks."
I have an even greater respect for teachers after reading this book!
This is a hilariously irreverent memoir about Halpin's experiences as a high school teacher in the Boston area. I know nothing about what it's like to be a teacher, my only experiences being as an unappreciative, uncooperative student, and then being the parent of unappreciative, uncooperative students, but this is a really entertaining behind-the-scenes look at our educational system.
It starts out with Halpin as a new teacher, full of enthusiasm and idealism, and wanting to teach in an urban environment where his skills will REALLY matter and where he can REALLY help kids(!!!). But he can only find a position at a suburban high school, a long commute from his home, where he comes face to face with "bitter old fucks" - teachers who have been there forever and are just mailing it in and putting in their time. (He does make it clear, though, that not all the veterans are like this, and he is lucky enough to meet a few who really inspire him.)
We follow him through a couple positions in suburbia and then finally he gets to work in that dreamed-for urban setting and then at one of those (self-)important charter schools, which initially seems to share in his idealism for making a difference in kids' lives. (What eventually ends up happening there sounds a lot like what's happening in NYC, just from what I read in the papers...)
Along the way we learn that, yes, the majority of school administrators are as smarmy and clueless as they appear to be, and we already know how difficult the students can be. Luckily, Halpin has some great colleagues he can commiserate with and some shining moments where he does connect and make a difference with some kids - just enough to keep him going when he's all but given up on teaching and afraid that he's becoming one of the "bitter old fucks."
I have an even greater respect for teachers after reading this book!
December 26, 2011
I thought this book was very good!!!!!!
I have no idea where I heard about this book. I mean, I read a lot of teacher blogs and teacher-related internet things, so it was somewhere online, haha. I love reading teacher books, as lame as that sounds.
This was the memoir of a teacher who has taught in and around Boston in a variety of school settings. Unlike Rafe Esquith, Brendan Halpin seems real to me. He gets frustrated with decisions that affect him, he becomes angry with disillusioned teachers who just don't care, and he doesn't do everything perfectly. It really makes me feel better, as a first-year teacher. It makes me feel good that he was in survival mode, just as I am. I mean, sometimes we have GREAT days, and I am like, "Wow, go me!" But other days I just want to go to sleep and forget whatever weird things happened. A lot of times teachers can feel very isolated in their classrooms, assuming that everyone knows what they are doing. Well, I am glad Brendan reassured me that I'm not the only one who sometimes isn't 100% ready to go every day.
He uses a lot of strong language. This didn't bother me at all because it felt authentic. I felt he and I were just chit chatting. This also is not an uplifting book, and I think that is perfect, because teaching is not always uplifting. When you're in college, you imagine yourself leading Socratic seminars and inspiring kids to do amazing stuff, but when you're in the real world, there is just so much on your plate that you didn't expect.
I read some other reviews here that said he was too whiny. Seriously?? That's pretty much all I have to say about that.
Even though I teach first grade and he teaches high school, I really hope we can teach in the same school someday. I'm on your side, Brendan!!!!!!
I have no idea where I heard about this book. I mean, I read a lot of teacher blogs and teacher-related internet things, so it was somewhere online, haha. I love reading teacher books, as lame as that sounds.
This was the memoir of a teacher who has taught in and around Boston in a variety of school settings. Unlike Rafe Esquith, Brendan Halpin seems real to me. He gets frustrated with decisions that affect him, he becomes angry with disillusioned teachers who just don't care, and he doesn't do everything perfectly. It really makes me feel better, as a first-year teacher. It makes me feel good that he was in survival mode, just as I am. I mean, sometimes we have GREAT days, and I am like, "Wow, go me!" But other days I just want to go to sleep and forget whatever weird things happened. A lot of times teachers can feel very isolated in their classrooms, assuming that everyone knows what they are doing. Well, I am glad Brendan reassured me that I'm not the only one who sometimes isn't 100% ready to go every day.
He uses a lot of strong language. This didn't bother me at all because it felt authentic. I felt he and I were just chit chatting. This also is not an uplifting book, and I think that is perfect, because teaching is not always uplifting. When you're in college, you imagine yourself leading Socratic seminars and inspiring kids to do amazing stuff, but when you're in the real world, there is just so much on your plate that you didn't expect.
I read some other reviews here that said he was too whiny. Seriously?? That's pretty much all I have to say about that.
Even though I teach first grade and he teaches high school, I really hope we can teach in the same school someday. I'm on your side, Brendan!!!!!!
June 8, 2012
You know that saying, "if you have a problem with everyone, maybe you're the one with the problems"? I have to take this teaching-biography with a grain of salt, because, man, does Halpin go through a lot of schools, and each one is full of people that he can't stand: drunks, commuters who listen to classic rock, theory bigwigs, worksheet assigners, would-be world-changers, slackers, racists, anti-white racists, Republicans, celebrity-backed educators, people who take long lunches, etc. You get the idea. There are maybe 2-3 people (besides Halpin) who evidently care about the students and their educations. Halpin himself, breezes over the times he leaves early, the movies he watches in class, and trumpets his non-conventional English education methods (updating the language in Romeo and Juliet ! Talking about issues that concern them! Writing about their personal experiences!). Still, the crowning insight from this book is this:
Education is an easy profession for people who do a bad job of it. Education is a difficult profession for people who work hard in it.
That strikes me as very true, and while I keep pouring on the salt that I take this book with, it does provide a series of shocking vignettes of administrative, educational and political incompetence. It was hard to stop reading.
Education is an easy profession for people who do a bad job of it. Education is a difficult profession for people who work hard in it.
That strikes me as very true, and while I keep pouring on the salt that I take this book with, it does provide a series of shocking vignettes of administrative, educational and political incompetence. It was hard to stop reading.
January 28, 2011
I appreciated that Halpin spent almost all of his time writing about his job (seriously, if I pick up an occupation memoir, I expect to read about what it’s like to be a _______, not about fights you’ve had with your spouse, complaints about in-laws, etc. A lot of writers still haven’t “gotten” this).
Unfortunately, in the second half of the book, the author shifts almost entirely away from writing about his experiences teaching in urban Boston, and instead focuses squarely on the incompetence and rivalries of the administrators at his school. You know, I get it, but this isn’t why I picked up the book—and I suspect I’m not the only reader who feels that way.
Unfortunately, in the second half of the book, the author shifts almost entirely away from writing about his experiences teaching in urban Boston, and instead focuses squarely on the incompetence and rivalries of the administrators at his school. You know, I get it, but this isn’t why I picked up the book—and I suspect I’m not the only reader who feels that way.
July 2, 2011
"Losing My Faculties" is one of those books that reminds you of those few great teachers you had and the many lousy ones you suffered under. It also made me think of all the teachers I wanted to recommend it to, each time open its pages.
July 22, 2009
I appreciate the author's candor and cynicism. I am exceptionally fearful that I will be penniless and employed as a griping teacher, some day.
January 31, 2020
Very good! Thank you for writing!
File under: relatable, freshly voiced memoirs, humorous, racially thought provoking
Learned about: Boston, charter schools, teaching, being a professional, Boston public schools, alternative education programs, BHalps
File under: relatable, freshly voiced memoirs, humorous, racially thought provoking
Learned about: Boston, charter schools, teaching, being a professional, Boston public schools, alternative education programs, BHalps
June 26, 2020
A fellow student recommended this book to me back when I first started my post-bac work at WSU. I never got around to reading it until the pandemic hit, almost 10 years later!! It wasn't worth the wait. It started out promising, but did not hold my interest and was depressing to read the author's negative viewpoint.
July 2, 2007
What an awesome book. Halpin tells it like it is without giving in to the teachery catch-phrases of the day. He writes about the lack of time teachers have, the traps schools fall into to make them have low standards and fake programs to make them look like the standards are high, as well as frustrations with differing teaching philosophies. It's a good read. Unfortunately it's too quick of a read.
September 6, 2007
This is a laugh-out-loud funny book about teaching that has REALISTIC insights about the profession (with specific regard to working in urban schools). So far it is never "too neat" a book, but it is also not at all bitter and negative.
August 5, 2010
As a former high school English teacher, I could relate well to this book! I definitely admired Halpin's style of dealing with administrative conflicts! The best part is knowing that these types of issues are universal in the field of education.
February 22, 2007
My favorite teacher memoir. Hilarious! It saved me from going insane as a first-year teacher in the Bronx. Based on Halpin's experience in several Boston-area schools.
April 7, 2013
Teachers: I implore you, stay away from this book. It was terribly disheartening. I think he meant to end on an upward note, but there was too much muck before the end for it to be effective.
May 3, 2018
What a relief to read a teacher book that wasn't about how much of a super star the teacher was. A book where the teacher had good days and bad days and wasn't telling me that this is the formula for how to be the best teacher on the entire planet.
It made me feel so much less like a complete failure than those other books do.
It made me feel so much less like a complete failure than those other books do.
July 28, 2017
I really enjoyed this. I've seen a lot of dysfunction in the three charters where I've taught and Mr. Halpin's experiences rang so true. An excellent memoir and an excellent view into what teaching is like.
May 6, 2020
I like taking a glimpse into another profession. So I enjoyed this book as expected. I wish there would be more of those accounts, perhaps even of the good schools...
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February 20, 2017This is a great book for anyone who has taught junior or senior high school students. I totally lost it at with some of the scenes and often drifted back to my high school teaching days. The characters were well developed, and the narrator is someone We should applauded for his educational ideals. We need more teachers like the author of this memoir, and I'd love to read more of his tales of teaching.
July 30, 2008
Damn you, Halpin. When are you going to quit writing books that make me cry? (Okay, I should probably explain that I cry easily, but still...you are 2 for 2 right now, buddy. And I've got your memoir waiting next, and we know how that one goes...)
I'm gonna have to find some fiction from you first. Geez...
Anyway, enough blather. Halpin's take on what it's like to be a teacher -- a new, idealistic, ready-to-take-on-the-world-and-change-it, scared, doesn't-have-a-clue-what-he's-doing teacher -- just nails it. Perfectly. This is the book I could've written, but now I don't have to because he's done such a brilliant job of it. There's no sugar-coating here, the truth is that teaching sucks most of the time but the kids, oh the kids, how I miss the kids. I taught middle and high school English for 6 years before getting involved with an education grant at a local university, which is great because I still get to see my kids here. But like I said, Halpin gets it, and he doesn't tiptoe around his point. Basically, there's a whole lot of bullshit that goes on in education, and the key is just hanging on and doing what you know you need to do until you simply can't deal with the bullshit anymore and then you throw a fit and start over... (I'm joking, well, kinda.) Teaching is a wonderfully rewarding, painful, complex, political, confusing career, and it's obvious Halpin was cut out for this work.
So thanks, Brendan, for making me miss being in the classroom more than I've missed it in a while. Count me among the defective folk like you who just love being around teenagers. :)
I'm gonna have to find some fiction from you first. Geez...
Anyway, enough blather. Halpin's take on what it's like to be a teacher -- a new, idealistic, ready-to-take-on-the-world-and-change-it, scared, doesn't-have-a-clue-what-he's-doing teacher -- just nails it. Perfectly. This is the book I could've written, but now I don't have to because he's done such a brilliant job of it. There's no sugar-coating here, the truth is that teaching sucks most of the time but the kids, oh the kids, how I miss the kids. I taught middle and high school English for 6 years before getting involved with an education grant at a local university, which is great because I still get to see my kids here. But like I said, Halpin gets it, and he doesn't tiptoe around his point. Basically, there's a whole lot of bullshit that goes on in education, and the key is just hanging on and doing what you know you need to do until you simply can't deal with the bullshit anymore and then you throw a fit and start over... (I'm joking, well, kinda.) Teaching is a wonderfully rewarding, painful, complex, political, confusing career, and it's obvious Halpin was cut out for this work.
So thanks, Brendan, for making me miss being in the classroom more than I've missed it in a while. Count me among the defective folk like you who just love being around teenagers. :)
November 9, 2012
This is a non-fiction book describing the first 9 years of Brendan Halpin's teaching career, and I guess it flows along with his attitude and feelings about teaching. It starts off enthusiastic and funny with lots of fun stories about his students and his idealistic way of looking at the job. But as he goes from job to job, experiencing different types of teaching styles, the story deteriorates into a whiny series of complaints about the administration--us vs. them. He sounds as though he was outspoken and bitter, not someone I'd want to be teaching my kids but probably not an uncommon philosophy. While I appreciate that there are probably lots of dumb rules and regulations insisted upon by the administration, this is pretty much the case in all jobs--you've got to take the good with the bad. He seems to spend a lot of time focusing on the bad. Although he keeps saying that he loves teaching and telling nice stories about his students, his overall bad attitude leaves me feeling depressed and unsatisfied at the end of the book, and I lose the sympathy that I had for him at the beginning and halfway through. It's a shame because he's a good writer.
Favorite quote: "You'll never try anything new if you wait until you have it totally figured out. Just jump in and see wht happens!"
Favorite quote: "You'll never try anything new if you wait until you have it totally figured out. Just jump in and see wht happens!"
April 3, 2014
Having been my third book -- though I'm still trying to get back into Freedom Writers, tough w school assignments -- I feel like what I got out of this book is exactly what I was hoping to get out of the others. Brendan's description of the school situations, the teens, reminds me of kids I know now in my pre-prac and ones I've encountered along the way, either at the library or in movies or other books, or even back when I was a high school student. I felt like I could relate to him, and I'm not even teaching yet -- he also has a good sense of humor and often had me laughing aloud while I was reading on the bed next to Jon. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his experience, the ups and downs of his teaching career (that spanned about 3-5 yrs in the novel) and would love to read more by him. I also could relate to his teaching philosophy which -- surprise surprise -- I found not everyone shares unfortunately who are teachers...and that is, that learning should be engaging and connect with the kids you're trying to teach. The twist at the end about "Better Than You" school was fascinating, esp since I went to a charter public school and makes me wonder what the admin was like when I was a student there and if it's changed in any way. Highly, highly recommend this if you are interested in becoming a teacher, or do teach.
May 10, 2014
For the first half of this book I was ensconced. Brendan Halprin hits the nail on the head describing the early years of teaching. Unlike most teacher memoirs, Halprin does not claim to be on his A game from day one. Instead, he openly admits that much of what he tried simply did not work. He talks about his fears, frustrations, and desperation. At the halfway mark I was hooked. And then I grew irritated. Halprin spends a lot of time discussing all the ways in which he was wronged by administrators and co-workers. Admittedly, much of what he describes does sound infuriating. However, page after page of complaints begin to wear on me. From Halprin's point of view it certainly does sound as though he was wronged. But, it dawned on me that he was the one common denominator in each of these scenarios. My conclusion: I'm not so sure I would want to work alongside Brendan Halprin lest I incur his wrath. Teaching is a tough profession, to be sure. But, at least for me, the good outweighs the bad. I find it telling Halprin is no longer in the classroom. Perhaps that's for the best; according to his accounts he took little pleasure in being there.
December 23, 2013
What a book to read over The first day of Christmas break in my 5th year at a suburban/ rural/ urban high school that has an identity problem. I really enjoyed reading this book as I could relate to many of the stories about interactions between students and administrators. I understand the emotional roller coaster that teaching takes on anyone who had great ideal when they come into teaching. I love Halpin's writing and details of the ever changing educational landscape. I was sorry to hear his lack of motivation in the end but yet I can see myself going this route if I don't check myself. Halpin lets people see beyond the numbers at the bright moments and downright career change inducing moments. I would recommend this read to anyone in teaching, especially if you have gone through numerous admin changes along with large cuts to budgets. I know the feeling of being on the outside of colleagues and watching friends leave year after year. Great read but I do question the authors memory a little.
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August 22, 2016I have read a lot of teacher memoirs and they go like this: Teacher enters a school, tries to be the good cop, and is torn to bits by the students until s/he has a moment and decides to lay down the law, after which s/he becomes the respected stickler and finds this is the way to student love. Halpin's memoir, while striking these notes, is a more honest than most about the iterative and unpredictable nature of teaching: the fact that you have to reach an m.o. with each new class and sometimes with the same class every day; the fact that you cannot reliably reproduce your results and are never sure if you're doing it well or even well enough; the politics and pathologies that emerge in long-term teaching staff. While it is definitely the case for the defense - he announces a lot of triumphs along with the defeats, and settles a lot of scores - it has much good sense and good observation.
December 22, 2009
A realistic and entertaining memoir that has a great appeal for anyone in the teaching profession, but can be enjoyed by others as well. Halpin accurately describes the jarring transition from grad-school idealism and educational philosophies to the gritty and decidedly un-idealistic reality of daily teaching within often unsupportive environments. He accurately points out that most teachers, new or not, are rarely observed and given little feedback. I've often said that I could be teaching Satanism in my classes and no one would ever know (unless, of course, students started talking to their parents!).
In addition to another memoir, Halpin also has written several fiction novels - look forward to reading some of those soon!
In addition to another memoir, Halpin also has written several fiction novels - look forward to reading some of those soon!
May 17, 2016
Should be required reading for anyone who wants to go into education with their eyes open. The teaching aspect is downplayed in favor of understanding the politics behind teaching - school rules and procedures, unions, administrators, evaluations, etc. This also confirms my long-standing beliefs that charter schools sound so much better in practice than in theory. Many parts of it are a damning indictment of the hierarchy of public education. Having said that, I also have to say my experience has much less of the nonsense he experienced - but I also know I've been lucky to work in districts where my direct supervisors both taught and valued teachers. It makes a huge difference.
I would have edited out a lot of the swearing...but that's just me.
I would have edited out a lot of the swearing...but that's just me.
August 27, 2010
Okay, but not really my favorite. I would probably give it two stars but ... I liked it when he was talking about the parts he liked about teaching in urban schools and his passion for that, but there wasn't enough of that in the book. He ends up in schools that aren't what he was led to believe. He starts out grumbling about it, then whining, then non-stop complaining. The language he uses is a turn-off to me -- I know he is a high school teacher and he hears it from the students all day long, but it would seem more professional to not feel the need to use it as well. Maybe I'm just getting too old! A quick read, tho, if it interests you.
November 24, 2014
I got about twenty pages into this book before realizing I had read it before about a decade ago. I liked it enough to reread most of it. Halpin's memoir describing his years as an English teacher was eerily similar to my own career, especially the early years and the baptism by fire of throwing a new teacher in a classroom with little to no guidance, observation, or help. I related to his story in many ways, and find his voice conversational and funny, if a bit arrogant. Great, easy read- highly recommended to teachers who never thought about being teachers before they found themselves in front of a classroom full of students. Four stars.
May 9, 2009
Brendan chronicles about 9 years of teaching in a variety of school settings. As a current teaching candidate I found this book funny and insightful. I'm not sure what type of school setting (urban, suburban, rural) setting I would like to work in but; after reading this book, I feel like that matters a lot less then finding out about the type of teachers in the school. It seems the adminstration will be similar at most schools so the best I can hope for is to be working with dedicated teachers. Great read!
July 23, 2010
I've never read a book where the author whines during a majority of the book. The only parts I liked were the prologue and epilogue where he expresses his love of teaching and working with youth. I was also disappointed with his lack of vocabulary. I was annoyed by all the swearing. As an English teacher, shouldn't he have better descriptions than four letter words?
I don't recommend this book for anyone who doesn't teach. It gives the profession a sour aftertaste. As an educator this book was a disappointment. I finished only because I was hoping his attitude would get better.
I don't recommend this book for anyone who doesn't teach. It gives the profession a sour aftertaste. As an educator this book was a disappointment. I finished only because I was hoping his attitude would get better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews