Look at My Happy Rainbow: My Journey as a Male Kindergarten Teacher

Matthew Halpern is the type of teacher that other teachers aspire to be and he is the teacher parents crave for their child. As a teacher of children with learning disabilities such as Dyslexia I hear "horror" stories every year of teachers who don't want 'those' children in their class. I hear about parents who have been told that their child is unteachable. Saddest of all are the children who tell me they are "stupid" because they can't learn like the other children. These are bright children who happen to learn differently.Mr. Halpern sees the potential in children and celebrates their unique qualities. His book resounds with the echo of children's laughter and joy and gives us a peek into the happy learning environment in his classroom. Bravo! Mr. Halpern. Your book is a small treasure trove of joy. Please keep writing.

He is a perfect kindergarten teacher. As a retired teacher I could relate to the snapshots of his classroom. I hope he keeps writing because I want to keep reading about his students and their experiences in school. He definitely loves his students and works hard to have a classroom where each child's growth is important and noticed. He writes a story about real kids who will live in his heart forever.

This is the kind of book that you devour in one sitting. The short chapters and funny content make for a very enjoyable read. Mr. Halpern's descriptions of Kindergarten tell it like it is, but he has a unique way of highlighting the positives in any situation. He brings humor and enjoyment to the challenges that are associated with teaching such young "sprouts" and after reading this book you'll feel uplifted and inspired. You might even want to be in his class! Many of his stories made me laugh and a few brought tears to my eyes because Mr. Halpern hits the nail on the head in capturing the beautiful connection that is created between a teacher and his (or her!) students.

step inside Mr. Gallery's kindergarten classroom and discover the toils,troubles rewards and joys of a young male Kindergarten teacher in a female dominated profession. this was an easy read, but it left a profound and lasting impact. Mr. Happened, I wish that you had been MY Kindergarten teacher! each point ( chapter) is exemplified by a former student( names changed to protect the truly innocent) the reader then, like Mr Halpern, soon comes to see that the roles 's pupil and student are often reversed and, even in Kindergarten, can be profound! I loved this book and would recommend it!

How can I express how much I loved this book? Michael Halpern is a gifted teacher, writer and human being. I laughed and cried while reading this gem. Thank you for sharing these priceless stories. And thank you for making a difference in the lives of your students.

I read this book in one afternoon. As a former kindergarten teacher for eight years and now a first grade teacher, I really enjoyed reading this book. Mr. Halpern's stories are heartwarming touching and hilarious at times. It was really interesting reading about his insights. It made me reflect on all the years I have been teaching and the incredible experiences that I've had as well.

So many teaching books make teachers out to be complete martyrs, or make elementary teaching out to be nothing but adorable children doing adorable things. This book does a great job of bridging the gap- sharing cute anecdotes and memorable moments that show the impact of a teacher, but also the bittersweet moments and tough calls that make it so challenging. Plain and simple, Matt GETS it! A great, quick read for any teacher to feel inspired and refreshed- or for anyone who wants a glimpse into a day in the life of a teacher.

This is a very sweet collection of stories. Everything is presented in good taste, and shows respect for the students as well as faculty. Halpern acknowledges the amount of work his job is, and what some of the hard parts are, but he never complains or tries to blame a child.My only complaint is that the book is very short and mostly focuses on individual students. I would have liked to hear more about working with a kindergarten class as a whole. As it is, I enjoyed reading about Halpern's students and philosophy very much.