In a world where education is too often equated solely with the results of high-stakes testing, Babbage offers a refreshing reminder that education works best when teachers motivate students, students work best when teachers collaborate, and teachers are at their best when motivated by the needs of their students.​ Extreme Teaching places teachers, creativity, content focus, student engagement, and clearly articulated learning goals front and center as the primary variables in a successful educational formula. The book identifies passionate, positive, practical, and immediately applicable instruction (not tests!) as the component that will have the most deeply-felt impact on students and their long-term success. Babbage emphasizes education is a gift, and the chance to be an educator is a privilege. Extreme Teaching examines how staying focused on simple questions such as 'What do our students need?' and 'How can we help one another help our students?' allows schools to rise above divisive pedagogical and administrative trends that dominate today's education headlines.