Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Class by Heather Won Tesoriero - Available

The Class

A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America

by Heather Won Tesoriero
Heather Won Tesoriero
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
An unforgettable year in the life of a visionary high school science teacher and his award-winning students, as they try to get into college, land a date for the prom . . . and possibly change the world
“A complex portrait of the ups and downs of teaching in a culture that undervalues what teaching delivers.”—The Wall Street Journal
Andy Bramante left his successful career as a corporate scientist to teach public high school—and now helms one of the most remarkable classrooms in America. Bramante’s unconventional class at Connecticut’s prestigious yet diverse Greenwich High School has no curriculum, tests, textbooks, or lectures, and is equal parts elite research lab, student counseling office, and teenage hangout spot. United by a passion to learn, Mr. B.’s band of whiz kids set out every year to conquer the brutally competitive science fair circuit. They have won the top prize at the Google Science Fair, made discoveries that eluded scientists three times their age, and been invited to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm.
A former Emmy-winning producer for CBS News, Heather Won Tesoriero embeds in this dynamic class to bring Andy and his gifted, all-too-human kids to life—including William, a prodigy so driven that he’s trying to invent diagnostics for artery blockage and Alzheimer’s (but can’t quite figure out how to order a bagel); Ethan, who essentially outgrows high school in his junior year and founds his own company to commercialize a discovery he made in the class; Sophia, a Lyme disease patient whose ambitious work is dedicated to curing her own debilitating ailment; Romano, a football player who hangs up his helmet to pursue his secret science expertise and develop a “smart” liquid bandage; and Olivia, whose invention of a fast test for Ebola brought her science fair fame and an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

We experience the thrill of discovery, the heartbreak of failed endeavors, and perhaps the ultimate high: a yes from Harvard. Moving, funny, and utterly engrossing, The Class is a superb account of hard work and high spirits, a stirring tribute to how essential science is in our schools and our lives, and a heartfelt testament to the power of a great teacher to help kids realize their unlimited potential.
Praise for The Class
“Captivating . . . Journalist Tesoriero left her job at CBS News to embed herself in Bramante’s classroom for the academic year, and she does this so successfully, a reader forgets she is even there. Her skill at drawing out not only Bramante but also the personal lives, hopes and concerns of these students is impressive. . . . It is a fascinating glimpse of a teaching environment that most public school teachers will never know.”—The Washington Post

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    September 4, 2018

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780525640783
      • File size: 371406 KB
      • Duration: 12:53:45

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Tesoriero narrates her story of a year in the life of Andy Bramante, a science teacher at Greenwich (Connecticut) High School whose skills have guided many students to major scientific breakthroughs and awards, as well as entry to prestigious colleges. The author's narration can be a bit choppy. She oscillates between a disinterested progression through the facts and emotive projection, particularly when vocalizing quotes from the many students whose journeys she shared. While her timbre is nasally, her overall delivery is clear--but often comes across as more focused on saying individual words and sentences correctly than on giving much thought to their meaning and weight. L.E. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      July 9, 2018
      Journalist Tesoriero embedded in one exceptional Connecticut classroom during the 2016–2017 school year for this inspiring account of how a high school science teacher mentors and motivates his prize-winning pupils. Andy Bramante, a corporate scientist turned public school teacher, teaches Greenwich High School’s science research class, where his students have been cleaning up awards on the science fair circuit for years. In writing about the curriculum and students’ projects, Tesoriero excels at making the science accessible, whether discussing experiments with PDE4 inhibitors or the importance of carbon capture. Sometimes, however, she strains to do the same with the students’ lives, such as with descriptions like “the primero popular girl-boy posse” or poking fun at a student’s use of a made-up word. But Tesoriero keeps Bramante at the emotional center of it all, following him as he opens the lab during winter break, frets over a student who loses focus, and balances celebrating the winners and commiserating with the losers at science fairs. The students’ kindnesses, worries, feuds, and projects are likewise sketched so lovingly that readers cannot help rooting for them. With its winning mix of human-interest and scientific innovation, this book will appeal to general readers and fans of pop science alike.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading