The difference of the urban classroom.

Topic: Teaching in the Bronx

Charles Best: Well, I was lucky enough to go to boarding school, for my high school years, and I had all the resources that I possibly could needed--squash courts and every book you ever would have wanted, every art supply. So when I started teaching in the Bronx I think I was especially able to see the disparity between the resources that my students had and what I had had, when I was in high school. So, that was the first thing that got me thinking about a solution to that situation. But I had some students who where rambunctious, but it was not as tough as, as the media makes it out to be. I had really good relationship with my students, it definitely took me a few months before I had my students respect. I think I got cursed out on my second of teaching, but that was the only time that happened and by the second half of my first year teaching, it did in fact turn out to be, I think, one of the challenging and fun jobs you can have.

Recorded on: 1/29/08