made in aca, sarah palin's father and brother tell their personal stories of the former vice presidential candidate. historian ted and caroline kennedy daughter of john f kennedy present a collections of president kennedy and conversation from the oval office and the cabinet room in "listening in." the secret recordings. look for the titles and bookstores this coming week and watch for the authors in the near too future on booktv and

on booktv.org. had wanted to be a teacher recalling the initial troubles he engaging the students in the later breakthrough. this is about 45 minutes. [applause] [applause] hello, everyone. how are you? that's -- [laughter] what am i going do? [laughter] i can't believe what i'm standing backstage listening to her say those things about me, i want you to know that i, you know, by the way, mrs. caroline,

the cameras quit in jan, by the way. because you know why? i want you to see, i thought -- i thought i had i figure the out a way to make teaching pay. [laughter] making a tv job. right? i can be a teacher and a tv job. it's unbelievable. they left in january and i was a real teacher. [laughter] but i was listening to her say those nice things to me, the greatest complicate, at the end of the year, i had gone through the journey with her, and she -- i'm reading your stuff. she said, she asked me would i consider coming back? and i thought it was the greatest compliment. but i said, you know? at my age. at this age. i'm not sure i want to care this much about anything. [laughter] [laughter] well, i want to thank you all,

first of all for being here. i appreciate you coming. and another thing, mrs. caroline, you know, this is weird, you know, writing this book and being on the book tour and all the teachers coming up to me, and i'm sighing a lot of teachers. most of them, i accept your apology. which is -- [laughter] [laughter] everywhere i go people go "i accept qualities [laughter] go i realize, you know, i did do a year. i did do a year. i stayed the year, it's no small feat, for those i know there's a lot of teachers here. it's 181 days. not that i was counting -- [laughter] but, you know, it was the funniest thing about being a teacher snow days are bad. remember when snow days were good? for a teacher snow days are bad, you lose your momentum. they come back like they haven't been there. anyway i i did grease.

i did do the year and sometimes i people go wow, whole year. when you see the need and the commitment of other people, you know, the commitment of some of the teachers that have been there and i'm one of these -- i think it is really is a, you know, sad but has to happen it's life, is that many of the baby boomer teachers are now retiring, and a lot of times that was sort of the backbone of the school in a lot of cases. i think lynn dickinson and some of the teachers that was there when i was there would have been a different experience. there's a guy in the school, chuck car who is the heading of the math department. he was skeptical about me in the beginning of the year. [laughter] i'm sitting in any room, a big guy walking in, white hair, he has a bunch of books, he said, hello. i said hello. he said are you here to act the teacher mr. danza or be the

teacher mr. danza? i just got here, you know. [laughter] at the end of the year we're walking down the hall and he was coming back. he decided not -- he put in the papers to retire and decided not ore tire. i asked him why are you coming back. and he said, maybe this year i'll get it right. so 37 years, holy i do, i understand aifl little preto the best of my recollection -- preteshes talking about this. the one year i was there it was a journey. it was. it was great to be in philly. i can't wait to get my cheese steak. oh my god. [applause] , by the way, mrs. carol is a good principal. you know how it is to have a good principal, for those that are teachers. [applause] great. [applause] so i guess what i should do is

tell you how it all started. you get an idea what i was thinking. you see, i was closing in on 60, okay. it's over the speed limit. that's like, you know, i was closing in on 60. i and i had gotten fired. i had a talk show he was in philly here. thank you. thank you. thanks, mom. [laughter] and i was heart broken. i was. and i was thinking maybe, you know, i should think about something else. i started thinking about i'm 60. what should i do with the rest of my life. i had a kind of thing i wept to school to be a teacher and i didn't do it. my life went on. i remember when i had my first profight and my mother sent me to college to be a teacher and i was fighting she was like are you out of your mind. and told her i wanted to be a

cab driver. she thought i was crazy then i got "taxi" and she changed her mind. [laughter] i love the job in new york and i was sad when i got fired. i had the thing about teaching it's been in my mind. anybody who watched "who is the boss knows that tony -- [applause] [laughter] knows that -- it's cool to have that, you know. [laughter] anybody watching knows tony became a teacher. my character became a teacher. there was no action. he, you know, it's been something that was on my mind, and i'm like most americans, i think worried about the education in america, i mean, every president since as long as i can remember has been the education president. it's every time. he's going the guy you know. and i, you know, i wanted to fulfill that. i had another thing arthur

miller said that the best thing you can hope for is that you end up with a right regrets, and so i have this regret, one of, one of my regrets is that i was no the the best student. you know, i didn't are really understand that the teacher was, you know, trying real hard and that was his or her life's work and i was, you know, i was one of the guys i tried to charm my way through and, you know, try to charm the teacher and do as little as possible, you know, and get by. if i would have spent as much time studying as i did con conniving i would have done all right. i had that regret too. i think it is one of the things that we have deal with now if we are going ever fix education. it's that the kids have to understand that this is a very important moment in their lives, and it's not like it was -- [applause] it's not like it was when i was

a kid you could fool around. i got lucky. even if you didn't you could get an assembly line job or and have a middle class life. the country would give you that. it's not the way it is anymore. in the book, this is really -- this is really, i mean, let me cut to the chase and forget about how i got here. this is what i think is important. i don't think until we can convince the kids we want more for them than they want it for themselves. [laughter] [applause] and it's almost like -- it's almost like you need a national campaign of some kind akin to the way we change the attitude of the country about smoking or about drunk driving, much in that way we have to convince the kids, i had -- here is my psa. i had -- i gave one detention one detention. it's in the book. i gave one. and the kids wanted me to give

the detention. the good kids want to see the bad kids punished or they can't figure it. i had a couple of girls say to me, i really mr. danza, you have to grow some balls. [laughter] [laughter] but, you know, as a teacher, i'm sure you're aware of this. you adopt want to come down on them, you might lose them even more they have to watch the sweet spot but anyway the day came. finally, second semester, you know, char main, her name was chair main she was a great kid and a great student at sometimes. other times she was a man maniac. she comes in late, i told her continue be late. she comes in and disrupts the class. that was it. i pulled the trigger i said okay. that's pink slip and she gave me some gruff and i give it back. and that was it. and i filled out the pink slip

and sat it con. that was a detention. i didn't know when i gave a detention i had to be there. [laughter] [laughter] don't they go to some detention place? [laughter] anyway, so she meets me at 8:15 in the morning. she meets me, and we, you know, and i was constantlily beat it in. i wanted them to not, you know, to learn from my mistake. you don't have to do this. you can be a good student and have fun. it's not mutually exclusive. you don't have to be one or the other. i was trying awlsdz. i had a big sign. i made the kids put this big sign uptake part in your own education. tried to drill it in. this is what i was missing. you know, so i said to her, how long do you think you're going to be in school she goes

forever. [laughter] i said no you're not! here's your life. all right. this much is school. i said and you don't want to be other here looking back saying i wish i would have done better. and what happens here is going to affect the rest of your life. you have to understand that. i don't know -- i don't know in the culture, you know, we have the crazy culture that sends messages to the kids every day that it's -- that undermine education. i mean, you tell kids, i tell kids, hey, good behavior and hard work will pay off. they watch jersey shore and say you're wrong. [laughter] [laughter] you know, and here's the problem. i was talking to the very wealthy woman, old money, and she went to work on jersey shore. i don't know why. she picked on me. italian, i don't know.

anyway she said i hate the people on that show. well, i have no love lost for the people on the show. don't get me wrong. but if i was 22 and you told me go to the beach act out and i'll pay you. i'll be afraid of the food age. i said to her, i said, well i have no love lost for the kids, but how do you feel about the suits that you were with last night that are making billions off of it. making billions of dollars off of it. and, you know, there's one of my friends is the guy from viacom, he made $84 million. mrs. carol has to cut $2.5 out of her cool. he made $84 on the backs of "mob wives." so -- [applause] [applause]

so and believe me, i notice bad teachers. there's bad actors. [laughter] but i saw more discourage to teachers, i saw -- [applause] , you know, i really did. i did. i saw, you know, and the statistics bear it out, you know, it's crazy. 30% of the three years almost 50% after five years quit. just as they get good they have to get out of here. are you kidding ?e, you know, so all of that is -- that's my, you know, my solution i don't know how you implement it. here's another thing. how about the message you send to kids. they walk in to northeast high, a great school, looks great and everything else but, you know, schools you know how they look. then -- and they're told this is important. this is important. and then they go to the mall, and they see what that looks like. no, no, no, had is important and that's the thing. these messages are cob substantially going to the kids.

we have to send the other message and that's what teachers try to do every day. that's what i tried to do. like i said, i don't know considering the environment that we live in, i'm not sure how you go about doing that. for me, this was a journey of once the cameras left, it was funny i thought i was going lose my authority. it was weird. i thought -- i was afraid i would lose my authority once i didn't have cameras. once they were gone. it was liberating. it was the greatest. second semester is better than first semester. serve much more comfortable there. it's really and that's when i learned that my first semester, you know, i used to do a -- i was writing some teacher jokes, you know, like, you know, for instance you use thosegraphic organizers some of the words and terms collaborative teaching,

[laughter] molding, modeling and somebody told me i needed a venn diagnose. and i heard that i made a dr.'s appointment. [applause] but the second part of the journey is really writing the book. and, you know, i mean, it's almost as hard as teaching. i mean it. it really is. i never -- i wrote a cookbook with my son. this the closest i came. i like to call it a memoir cookbook because my son was born when i was 19, so he got to grow up with my i thinks and aunts and grandparents and he and i wrote the book and wrote stories about the urning les and aunts. that's it right there. that's very nice and it's called don't fill up on the pasta. we wrote the book and connected stories to the recipes. but this was like writing a book, you know, and not only

that, but it's sort of the same kind of responsibility that a typier feels. here's another thing we don't talk about about teachers is that you have a job to do. the tremendous weight of the future of the children, i mean, you mess up that day they don't get the day back. you have to, you know, it's the only tenth grade they were going get. that's why i was nuts for people who saw the show. i did a lot of crying. [laughter] at first i was crying because i was scared. i thought i bit off more than i can chew. i can't do it. i started crying because either nay broke my heart or made my heart sore. soar. it was one or the either. i wanted to write the book to tell the story of the rest of it and also to talk about what i see and what i saw and some issues. i mean, it's not the book that

prechers. it listens to people in the book. i kept good records. i can't journal. i had some video. i had my lesson plans. i'm pretty close to what really happened and we discuss a lot of issues in the book. a lot has changed since i was here in two years and mrs. carol told you my kids graduated. i was the commencement speaker. it was so cool. but she's dealing like all schools are dealing with such budget cuts. i know, she mentioned the fund raiser we did. we did a teacher v student talent show. it was great. the reason it worked, the audience came is because we had they had laid off one of the school us nurses because of budget cuts. don't get me wrong, sister bad enough you lay off the art teacher and the shop teacher and the school nurse?

and so we went on and it's all -- terrible i don't mean to make less of the other. we went on television locally and did a little promotion, and it was very different from when i was here and did promotion we went out on tv and did this and had a good crowd. this time i mentioned the school nurse there was over 12,000 people people came occupant. it was crazy. she's dealing with this kind of change here, i mean, i was it was hard enough then. i can't imagine taking more out of the budget, you know. i'm a union guy -- [applause] my father was a garbage man for the city, and i have been in the screen actors guild for 35 years myself. i just don't think that -- i don't count on the benevada lance of companies. i think we have to be together.

[applause] and i'm also a big supporter of public education in that, it is a -- [applause] it is it levels the field for all of us. we all did it together. instead of us being more and more chopped up in to little groups, you know, the move to close 40 i think 40 schools up to 64 school and privatize it. don't get me wrong, i want every good to have a good teacher, be in a great school and i want them to want to learn, but the way it looks to me, i'm just calling it as i see it. it looks like it's the forerunner of a two-tiered system. where you're going have -- [applause] one group to have and the kids with the motivated parents and the motivated students in one school and the poor west the least motivated with the most , by the way, it's the thing so you to tell the kids.

here's another thing, i'm sorry. that's one of my problems, i talked -- i talked too much and i have adhd. yes. one of the things you have to tell the kids inspite of what are formable and legitimate obstacles, i mean, no matter what they are, you know, whether it's poverty, violence, no home, no parents bad parents, bad teacher, bad school, i don't care you still have to make a piece of the life work because otherwise in twenty years you're not going to say you know what he had a bad teacher. no. it doesn't work that way. that's what we have to try to make them understand. that's what is in the book a little bit. yeah. [applause] i'll just wrap it up. i feel the book mrs. carol. i feel the look. [laughter]

anyway. i just, listen, i want to thank you so much. let me say it. i wrote 90,000 words. so you get an idea what it's like. i wrote -- i never -- i decided i wanted to write the book and it was painful. it really was. you know, i found a book about writing, it's called "first you fix the rephysical injury raters." you will do anything rather than sit down. [laughter] let's see, i'll fix the fridge. [laughter] but anyway i wrote 90,000 words. some of my friends are saying you wrote a book. come on, give me a break. i want to be honest. i had some help. i handed in the manuscript. i made a deadline. it was an amazing feeling to push the send button. by the way you know how i started doing it? i was getting distracted. i would write from 2:00 to 6:00 and come back and say oh my god,

what is that. you know, [laughter] i wrote 90,000 words and handed it in and the publishers random house and said we have to get you an editor. [laughter] and they got me the wonderful woman, who really helped me and somehow she found 75,000 pretty good words in there. it's unbelievable. that's how i got the book. i want to thank you for coming. i know, we're going spend some time together. thank you. i hope you enjoy it. listen i really mean it, i apologize to every teacher i've ever had. [laughter] [applause] [cheering and applause] we pass the out note cards. tony wanted to do it more impromptu. you have to stay at the

microphone. we only had twenty minutes. >> that guy over there. yeah. yeah. he's in the book. hi. how are you? [inaudible] and i asked the kids about you and the reaction was really safe. i made a fool of myself. you had the decency to send a card and thank me. i have it. i really prize that. >> he was great in the talent show. i didn't dance. i wanted to dance but -- [laughter] i sang it was a big mistake. [laughter]

thank you. lazy with the hand -- lady with the hand up. you said that cried a lot. what was the most moving experience for you? >> there was so many. there were really so many. because the kids, you know, it's just there were times when they just put a stake in your heart and there were other times and like immediately after when they turn it around and you're like you just did this to me. [laughter] i had the poetry contest. i wanted them to learn a poem. i said, you know, i got a couple of teachers in the school a couple 6 other teachers who memorized a poem and it's about memorizing a poem. it will had to be ten lines long. we had to be able to google it so we could make a poster board with historical biography

language, to give some depth to it. they had to memorize the poem and perform it i got a bunch of teachers and got numbers and i made it like a big thing and then being this is here's big advantage of being a rich teacher is that i could buy prizes. you know, so first prize was a flip cam, remember that thing. the first prize was a flip cam and $10. the second prize wassed. it was a big drop off. [laughter] i gave them time to learn a poem. and i learned -- i can learn a poem in one night. and they picked the poem. we picked the poem and i learned 32 lines in one night. if you keep your head -- anyway. so anyway i actually did it.

the first time i was a commencement speaker kids were like this guy is crazy. but anyway. but anyway there was one particular girl in the class who was another she was a challenge. a real challenge. beautiful but a challenge. and then enigma. this is the thing about it. you have the class they have lives and all the stuff going on in there, you know, i have the other thing too. i've been doing what is the hardest thing being a teacher. let's start with 150 teenagers. 150 students you say teens you say i get that. [laughter] but anyway she was a challenge and i stayed out of her way. she was going to fight the guys. it was something. she sat in the back and sat next to the guy emmanuel whom she drove crazy. i was walking around it was the end of the class i gave them

twenty minutes to memorize the poems. i was walking around just sort of looking at what poem you might be, you know, and i looked over her shoulder, and her poem was about a deadbeat father. an absent father. you weren't there whatever. and i it just got me. it crystallized you know what this kid who knows what she's going through and i have daughters and i get, you know, so i go -- [inaudible] up the aisle and from behind i hear you crying? [laughter] [laughter] i said no, i'm not crying. [laughter] and and the other kid, another kid the great kid said you're a cry baby, mr. danza, i turned on them and said i'm not crying.

this is why we read poetry. [laughter] to feel! to feel! to get in touch with the way we feel. i want to be touched. that's why we read poetry. [laughter] wait. the contest comes and she gets up. she gets up and she's really in to. she gets e man you'll to -- emmanuel to hold the poster board for her. she starts. i can't remember the words, gets about two or three lines in and stops. and, you know, it's like you think, she forget, they forgot. and all of a sudden, she just dissolves in to tears. she starts sobbing. and she runs out in to the hallway, now, by the way, i'm telling you this girl beat up everybody in the classroom. now she's crying. she's out in the hallway. okay. i'll be right back. a teacher can never have too

much tissues. [laughter] go out to the hallway and she's out there drsh she's like this. i said don't you see. you remember what i told you? this is what we read poetry for. to get in touch with your feelings. this is wonderful. do you want to get back inside? i have to get gangster. [laughter] i said, okay. i don't care how you do it. just go through. [laughter] so we go inside, we go inside, and she starts again. and here we go. take two, you know, and i do the whole thing. ladies and gentlemen, direct from the sands hoaghts and i do that thing and she starts again and she starts to cry again. and she did this thing that was so heart breaking. she opened her arms and she looked up the the sky and she said, why can't i say this fricken poem and she runs out to

the hallway again. we finally got her through the poem. i'm telling you every once awhile i get a e-mail from her and the poem she knows the poem. it says to me -- [laughter] [applause] yeah. the lady in blue. >> i'll try not to croi. i wrote it down. i thought i was going have to turn it in. i'm a new teacher and i've taught in philly for two and a half years. i'm a product of the philly school system. i care so much and i want to do it. but i've never been so stressed out and unhappy in my own private time. i love the classroom, but i cry every weekend and i strong a life, and i just . >> imagine if you get married. . >> i don't think it's going to happen. >> i know. what do you do then? >> i think that i might be one of the people who has to walk away to be happy. >> right. >> that's upsetting. >> we would hate to lose you.

>> but i recognize why that is. >> here's the only thing i can say. i don't mean to cut you off. here's the only thing i got a letter from a guy after the show was on for a couple of weeks. i got a letter from a teacher who said, that he used to think he was the on one who guyed and he told me that every day after school i close the door in my classroom and i sit at my desk and sob he says to me. and so, i mean, it's -- i don't know -- you have to read the book, i think and maybe it's the only thing. because i think the only thing i can tell you you're not alone. '02 really not alone. and that -- [applause] it is a battle. ..

>>

it tells the story of a big storm and washes 1,000 starfish onto the beach. the sun comes out and start this to bake the sunfish. the guy starts to pick up the starfish park of another guy came and said there is so many. you cannot make a difference. >> and then you say it makes a difference to that one. [applause] i'm not sure i got any of

them in the water. but maybe a little closer. i want to give you a raise right now. [applause] >> why philadelphia? why northeast high-school? >> because they let made. [laughter] and because they let me add northeast school. i did have a choice. philadelphia gave me a couple of schools. central. and northeast.

that was the most comprehensive. the big school. everything from magnet through special said. is an organism. it is amazing. i felt that was a more representative snapshot of what i was thinking about. >> i got into the business 15 years ago after doing other things because i was tired of blaming teachers. so i could step in their shoes. i a agree with you. i hope i like your book. i am sure i will. >> but since you have experienced this, to think

people making decisions about the educational system if they were required to do something similar? [applause] >> allotted them say they used to be teachers. >> this is how bad it is. was talking to someone someplace. i was at the view tried to do that show. [laughter] i love them all by the way but he says my wife is a teacher. i said i hope she likes the book said it is a tough job

he said. she just took off 10 weeks that is the husband and imagine if you don't know her. you are right. is that simple. how wide got talked into the reality show, i have no time for that to below the. my argument was it would cross purposes. it is ratings but digit -- teaching is the kids and it cannot go together but they could -- convinced me and that we could do it but the thought was maybe if we had a tv show inside the high-school maybe it would give that experience. of course, it only lasted

six weeks and so it makes it tougher. [laughter] >> what is your next project? >> this is crazy. early stages but a new centcom for abc. [applause] i want to do a show similar to golden girls but guys. [laughter] [applause] i want to discuss that stuff [laughter] midyear friend of mine passed away. she ran a watering hole called the lanes. refugees are all look for

the place but maybe tried to go been a west side the lanes. but then they will sue me and i will get publicity and that will be on the post. [laughter] then i will rename it tony's and have a hit. [laughter] and please get this gentlemen. >> had you discover the secret to motivate the unmotivated student? >> the only tool that you have is persistence and your enthusiasm and excitement.

if i am excited they are excited. the other thing i tried to do was tried to connect everything to their lives if i teach julius caesar 80 negative understand this life is important they say there is a time it is mired in misery is a and do you understand that? but i think it is persistence i have a challenge jane kid in the book. he graduated by the way but to there is a scene where

even visit him in jail. not really but again it is so tough. how the duet? and here is the duty. after the story i will finish. i have a chance to take the kids to near city. all of a sudden and see what side story and go to my friends restaurant. teachers wanted to be chaperones. [laughter] okay.

by the time i think it was three students /1 teacher. [laughter] but then i heard it the principal wanted to come on the trip. the kids are like yes. where going to yorker price of less than. who was going with us? and a couple of others. who? dae want you to know the principal ones to go. no. not the principal. [laughter] we won't have any fund. [laughter] i said okay. this is the perfect opportunity to teach to a life lesson it is called

making the best of a bad situation. [laughter] not that she is the bad situation. i use her. we started to chant. we sound like sheep. [laughter] i said she is going. we could tell her she cannot go and hurt her feelings. or we could write her a note then we have a friend. that it might take a while but to go back to question of i have to say it did come up 10 mockingbird but months later i am grading papers. a kid walks in.

mr. danza. i quoted you today. make the best of a bad situation. [laughter] thank you. thank you very much. [cheers and applause] [cheers and applause] can-do your be? in list good. this is so exciting.

this is my very first book. and amaya it probably only book signing. levee just say i am so proud. the book american grown is everything would have imagined. the pictures are beautiful. when malia and sasha picked it up. they said how nice. your book. they were pulled in by the pictures then they started to read it then i got the thumbs up. the book is not just the story of the white house garden and ups and downs but to a story of community

gardens across the country to excellent school gardens happening right in the middle of new york so the story that people are doing are an important part of the book. one of my key initiatives let's move about getting our kids healthy. the book shares that journey and the work going on across the country. it gives a few tips but i had national park service and my 10 min and bancroft kids that are my partner since crime and these two

schools have been with us from the beginning. that is one thing we were exploring it would have to be a ticino guarded that kids could participate doing gauge in the process because when i am of my kids we certainly went to to farmers markets that they accepted it more they are working in the gardens and helping to change some of the kids have been amazing and a pleasure. they are not to starstruck

but they get to work hard this did and planted within minutes. we could not do this without them. i am so proud of all of you. [applause] thank you for helping me. thank you for standing in the rain. i hope it becomes the beginning of the healthy generation of kids there are also recipes in their i look forward to seeing you up here. [applause]

[inaudible conversations] who gets the first and sign the copy? the want to come around and

get your but? , around. here you go. , around. there you go. they give. 84 all of your help maybe you could see pitchers said you in their. >> it is so good to see you.

we could not do this without you. it is so good to see you. they are amazing. this is a good way to end the year. [inaudible conversations]

i remember. [laughter] are you ready to party? have a great day. they give for taking the

time. all my goodness. >> how are you? are you a gardiner? in. >> 84 coming [inaudible conversations] and. >> recipes are in there.

how or you? that is what we think about they break my heart. i love them so much. [inaudible conversations] and. [inaudible conversations] however you?

[inaudible conversations] it happened and it worked out. are you a gardener? >> how are you.

it is a good to see you. this is my pleasure. >> what is going on in. give me your names and ages. are you going into high school? congratulations. what greater you going into? and you are e11 years old? we interested in healthy eating? you need to talk to other

kids about eating their vegetables? >> the girls went to their concert. but i do not know their names. but they are a little older. [inaudible conversations]