'Teacher Man' and teacher inquiry: Frank McCourt

 

Frank McCourt (1930-2009), the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the memoir Angela's Ashes, grew up in extreme poverty and hardship in Limerick, Ireland. At age 19, he emigrated to New York, and eventually became a highly skilled and beloved high school teacher -- despite the fact that he had never completed secondary school himself.

In the third volume of his memoirs, Teacher Man, McCourt talks about what it meant to him to be an 'ordinary everyday' teacher and to inquire into his practices. He tells his story briefly in these interviews.

1. Frank McCourt: The journey of an ordinary teacher (13:17)

2. Excerpts from Frank McCourt interview on Teacher Man  (1:34)

After watching these, what do you think 'teacher inquiry' meant to McCourt? What could you take from his sense of teacher inquiry for your own inquiry process?

PS: Here's a link to another (text-based) interview with Frank McCourt and another video interview if you're interested...