Who’s the Teacher? What Tony Danza Taught Us about English Education

Abstract

This study examines the reality TV series Teach: Tony Danza and argues for its value as a teaching tool in the secondary English methods class. Drawing on television studies, in particular, theories surrounding reality television, the authors suggest that their students’ knowledge of the conventions and practices of reality television shows opens up a space for them to focus on the “real, but not quite real” representations of Danza’s experiences teaching. His celebrity status creates a distance between him and our preservice teachers that allows them to feel comfortable analyzing and critiquing his often-problematic practices. The authors, having used excerpts from this series in methods courses with undergraduate and graduate preservice English teachers, find that the series, along with its accompanying, interactive website, provides opportunities for students to interrogate questions of classroom management, assessment, student teacher relationships, and course content.