Adequate Yearly Progress

by Roxanna Elden

[whisperingchapters]

I really enjoyed this novel, mostly for the fact that I could relate to the teachers. If anyone wants to know what teachers go through, I highly suggest to pick up this book.

Unfortunately, I wasn't a big fan of it. Despite relating to the characters as teachers, I didn't care for their personal life--I was indifferent through it all. I tried to connect with them, but I just didn't care for them.

I expected more teaching dynamics, where teachers bounded together to fight this system against them, but in turn, I got a lot of the teachers' love life, an assistant banding up against the principal and another teacher. I believe if the book had focused on Kaytee, one of the newer teachers and the other teachers trying to help her out, giving their own tips, this book would have been more to my liking.

Also, this book had a lot of point of views. It was a surprise I didn't get lost, since the author was able to give a unique voice to each character, but at the same time, it made it seem all over the place. There were a lot of topics and what should have been the focus of the story ended up being brushed off.

Overall, Adequate Yearly Progress is an eye-opener on the teaching field. I loved that I got tips on teaching from it, and was able to see how I should be grateful of the school I work at and the students I have because it's not like I have it anywhere else.