The New York Field Trip

I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had

A long-awaited trip to New York City gives Danza a chance to share his home ground, while testing his ability to guide students safely and fairly.

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Bearing strength in each event

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A Reward Imagined A Reward Imagined from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". A Reward Imagined A teacher’s memory Danza recalls how his own teacher, Charles Messinger, made Broadway feel like another world.

A Reward Imagined from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". A Reward Imagined A teacher’s memory Danza recalls how his own teacher, Charles Messinger, made Broadway feel like another world.

A Reward Imagined A teacher’s memory Danza recalls how his own teacher, Charles Messinger, made Broadway feel like another world. He wants to give his students a similar encounter with live theater. Permission and excitement The school and production approve a New York City trip. The students celebrate because none has experienced a Broadway show together.

The Principal Joins The Principal Joins from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". The Principal Joins Student protest Students object when Linda Carroll announces that she will come along.

The Principal Joins from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". The Principal Joins Student protest Students object when Linda Carroll announces that she will come along.

The Principal Joins Student protest Students object when Linda Carroll announces that she will come along. Danza turns their disappointment into a lesson about making the best of a bad situation. A negotiated welcome The class writes an invitation rather than rejecting the principal outright. The strategy creates a chance for students and their principal to share the day with less resentment.

A Student Wanders Off A Student Wanders Off from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". A Student Wanders Off A familiar fear Al G repeatedly drifts from the group, and Danza becomes increasingly angry.

A Student Wanders Off from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". A Student Wanders Off A familiar fear Al G repeatedly drifts from the group, and Danza becomes increasingly angry.

A Student Wanders Off A familiar fear Al G repeatedly drifts from the group, and Danza becomes increasingly angry. A childhood memory of being lost in a crowded city helps him understand why he is also afraid. A boundary tested When Danza reaches for Al’s arm, the student recoils and demands not to be touched. Danza backs off, recognizing that authority cannot be imposed through physical confrontation.

Broadway Opens Up Broadway Opens Up from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". Broadway Opens Up A connection to the stage An usher tells the students that Danza once starred on Broadway.

Broadway Opens Up from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". Broadway Opens Up A connection to the stage An usher tells the students that Danza once starred on Broadway.

Broadway Opens Up A connection to the stage An usher tells the students that Danza once starred on Broadway. The revelation surprises them and briefly changes how they see their teacher. A shared experience The students become absorbed in West Side Story, reacting strongly to its music and ending. The trip connects a work of art to their own ideas about love, gangs, and belonging.

A Lesson in Judgment A Lesson in Judgment from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". A Lesson in Judgment A lapse in judgment Danza has one drink at dinner while students are elsewhere in the restaurant.

A Lesson in Judgment from "I'd Like to Apologize to Every Teacher I Ever Had". A Lesson in Judgment A lapse in judgment Danza has one drink at dinner while students are elsewhere in the restaurant.

A Lesson in Judgment A lapse in judgment Danza has one drink at dinner while students are elsewhere in the restaurant. Linda Carroll later warns him that a complaint could put both their positions at risk. Responsibility restored Danza apologizes and recognizes that his choice could have endangered the principal as well as himself. A colleague later makes clear that a nonalcoholic drink could have avoided the problem.

After Extravadanza in January

The days before the trip

At Times Square during the trip

That afternoon at the Palace Theatre

The evening bus ride back to Philadelphia