In fact, he continues to touch their lives from his hospital bed.

has touched all of their lives and the lives of their families, too. Still when the “accident” does occur these students realize the full extent to which Mr. Terupt promises Jessica at the beginning of the school year. would let the children “go too far” and readers may suspect that something will happen to interfere with the “happy ending” Mr. Naysaying parents at Snow Hill School may have predicted that Mr. Terupt, a male teacher, can express a full range of emotions is important for Peter-and for readers-to know. Although Peter doesn’t understand why until later in the story, the fact that Mr. Later, when Peter, a “tough guy,” suggests that the class invite these children to be part of their winter holiday celebration, Peter notices Mr. Terupt’s classroom learn to appreciate the unique gifts of each of the Collaborative Classroom students. One of the most powerful and touching projects involves the “Collaborative Classroom” for children with special needs. He supports the students’ personal growth while giving the class ownership and responsibility for designing curriculum. Terupt meets each student where she or he is emotionally and intellectually. Class members deal with family issues, such as moving to a new town as the child of divorced parents, the stigma of having a single parent (who had been a pregnant teen in this small town), and the death of a sibling. Students cannot “hide” in this classroom. Terupt is not afraid to be real and honest with the students. From the very first day of school, this teacher strives to engage every class member in building a community of learners.

Terupt creates for and with his fifth-grade students. Terupt’s classroom.įor me, the strength of this story emanates from the respectful classroom culture that Mr. Each of the seven voices/characters in this chapter book reveals a unique personality and set of challenges that all together contribute to the dynamic learning that happens in Mr. also stands up for his class with the administration when he believes his students or his teaching methods are justified. Much to the surprise of misbehaving students, this teacher has a way of letting students know when they are headed in the wrong direction without making public displays. Terupt’s room are devoted to guiding students’ academic as well as socio-emotional learning.

Some students don’t quite know what to make of this educator whose teaching style is different from their previous experiences in other classrooms. Terupt, a “rookie” teacher, impacts their individual and collective lives. Each chapter in this book by Rob Buyea is written from the perspective of one of seven fifth-grade students at Snow Hill School.