A Passion For Teaching

The Story

This book, celebrating teachers and teaching, contains the artistry and wisdom of 42 teachers who have remained passionate about classroom teaching for many years. Chapter 1, 'Beginnings,' includes 'The First Day of School' (Richard A. Lawson), 'Sustaining the Wonder of Teaching' and 'Harvest Home,' (Bettye T. Spinner), 'The Call to Teach,' (Victoria M. Gill), 'What They Said,' (Louise Wigglesworth), and 'Going Forward,' (Susanne Rubenstein). Chapter 2, 'The Children,' includes 'Students with Special Needs' (Kristie C. Wolferman), 'Clothes Make the Man,' (Todd R. Nelson), 'Transparencies' (Robin Alexandra Beach), 'What Could Be Better?' (Justine S. Heinrichs), 'Student Artwork and Excerpts,' (Patricia E. Wilson), 'Dear Governor Foster,' (Lucienne Bond Simon), 'This is a Story You Already Know' (Lois Marie Harrod), 'Fallen From Grace' (Nette Forne Thomas), 'The Ambiguities of Chokers, Lifelines, and Safety Nets' (Nette Forne Thomas), and 'Passionate Community' (Irene E. McHenry). Chapter 3, 'Cultural Perspectives,' includes 'Color Blind' (Lanie Higgins), 'Unplanned Lessons' (Rose Ratteray), 'Lessons and Lives' (Robert L. Bibens), 'The Problem with Adam and Eve' (Fausto Sevila), and 'Peaches and Plums' (Margaret M. Wong). Chapter 4, 'On Teaching,' includes 'Play by Play' (Diane H. Close), 'For Each One of Them I Teach' (Brenda Morrow), 'Interdisciplinary Education for Visionary Thinking' and 'A Child Drawing' (Douglas DePice), 'The Reasons for the Seasons' (Kathy Marzilli Miraglia), 'A Shared Approach to Teaching Education as a Dialogue' (Ronald Newburgh), 'Never Tire of Learning: Never Tire of Teaching' (Wei-ling Wu), 'Scenes from a Teaching Life' (Pamela M. Morgan), 'I Love Teaching So Much That I Quit' (Beth Spencer), 'Old-Fashioned Values Meet New-Fashioned Young Adults' (Patricia Hall Curvin), and 'Ten Experiences in Which Somebody Learned Something' (Benjamin H. Thomas). Chapter 5, 'The Power of Words,' includes 'I Teach' and 'Works of Change' (Harry E. Wilson, Jr.), 'Living Well in the Classroom' (Hamilton Salsich), and 'Chasing Words in the Classroom' (Elizabeth June Wells). Chapter 6, 'Reflections,' includes 'Women and Tools,''Orbitals,' and 'My Biological Clock is Ticking' (Katherine L. Philip), 'Still Life with Mothers' (Peter E. Murphy), 'Polishing' and 'Remember Me?' (Jane Sprouse), 'Sent to Siberia' (Kathy Prout), 'Don't Waste the Day,''What About You?''A List of Prayers and a Gift,''For Winter,''Brooks' and 'Not a Miracle Man' (Okey Canfield Chenoweth). Chapter 7, 'Teacher/Mentors,' includes 'It's All About Remembering' (Suzanne H. Synder-Carroll), 'Shop Thoughts' (Carter Jason Sio), 'Snake Skin' (Carter H. Harrison, Jr.), and 'Window' (David Downing). Chapter 8, 'After Words,' includes 'An Honor to Witness' (Kit Frost), 'After Words' (Scott McVay), and 'About the Authors.' (SM)