How Daniel Keyes Perserverance Brought Him Fame

"I teach a 9th grade rolling Humanities class. This is full year class that they can stay in through their junior year. They become a cohort group and tend to work as a community by the time they are in their junior year.

Success doesn't come easy! Many of my freshmen think you just do it and e..." more»

"I teach a 9th grade rolling Humanities class. This is full year class that they can stay in through their junior year. They become a cohort group and tend to work as a community by the time they are in their junior year.

Success doesn't come easy! Many of my freshmen think you just do it and everything you want happens. Instant gratification. I have them read Flowers for Algernon and they have this idea that this great writer just locked himself in a closet and hammered out an award winning novel.

Algernon, Charlie and I by Daniel Keyes tells about the journey of creating a 20th Century Classic with complete candor, including the mistakes, rewrites, years of waiting, and some of the luck. It is like the author is saying, "here is a look at what it takes to achieve success", which is something I want for all my students. This is a journey I will reference for the next two years they are with me.

Budgets are tight and I have been trying to get this book for a couple of years now, but the price has brought a continual "no" to my requests. How do you convince students to endure their trials and tribulations for the good of their future without letting them walk with someone who has actually taken the journey? We can tell them, but is has far more impact to show them. hide»