Educators Books

This is the best biography about Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller that I have read. Since I was a child I have been fascinated by them and have read everything that I could get my hands on. Lash goes beyond their heroism and describes Annie and Helen as real people with "feet of clay."

He relies heavily on voluminous correspondence to show the many facets of Helen and those in her life. Many of these details are not explained in other biographies. For example, Helen's father tried to shore up his finances with loans (often defaulted) from Helen's patrons. The "Frost King" incident caused many people to doubt Annie's veracity and credibility as a teacher for the rest of her life. Mr.Sandborn and Mr. Anagnos used the controversy to divert attention from Annie's role as Teacher to Helen and to re-focus attention on the role that the Perkins Institute played in her education. Lash also shows that John Macy had a complex relationship (for the good and the bad) with both Annie and with Helen. Helen was a radical Socialist and often risked her popularity and, therefore, their income by speaking out in support of Socialist leaders and causes. In the end the reader sees that Helen and many of those around her did great things, but they were not perfect. Insecurity, jealousy, money and a desire for love and fame caused all of them to act ugly sometimes.

The other point that was never clear to me before, is that Helen and Annie spent their lives marketing themselves in order to generate an income. Helen's father faced a serious financial downturn that prevented him from supporting them from Helen's young womanhood on. Therefore, to continue Helen's formal education and to maintain a home away from Alabama, they had to cultivate sponsors, write publishable material, and earn money speaking at a myriad of functions. In many ways, this was an uncertain life that dictated that they remain in good standing with public opinion at all times.

The other connection that Lash made for me concerns the complexity, the depth and the breadth of Annie and Helen's relationship. Because Annie suffered through a harrowing childhood, she desperately needed to create a loving family. Helen presented the perfect opportunity for Annie to be needed and to love and be loved unconditionally. While some people construed their relationship to be unhealthy or manipulative, it seems that it was a natural outgrowth of their particular situation. Once again, it was not perfect, but it served a huge need for them both.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to see a more realistic view of the lives of Helen Keller and Annie Sullivan.

There is no need to read anything else on Helen Keller or Annie Sullivan Macy, because it is all included in this incredible biography. This in-depth look at these two remarkable women was both readable and throughly informative. Of all my research on Annie Sullivan, I have found nothing that is not mentioned in Mr. Lash's work; he has truly captured her spirit, along with her triumphant pupil.

The lives of Helen Keller and her teacher, Ann Sullivan Macy are eternally intertwined. Helen Keller, blind and deaf since infancy depended on Annie since the age of 6 when the latter was hired to teach her.

This comprehensive, fascinating and completely riviting biography does an excellent job of separating the two women's lives and analyzing each woman in her own right. Helen takes giant steps beyond the water pump where Annie first impressed upon her the concept of language. It is to this author's credit that the reader does not languish at that water pump, but follows these women throughout their lives.

The true symbiosis is fully described when other teachers as well as Helen's own mother Kate, try to separate her from Annie. Feeling that her maternal authority had been usurped, Kate understandably wanted to wean Helen from Annie. Each attempt by any person to effect such a change resulted in disaster. Even Annie's marriage to a gifted editor named John Macy ended in an acrimonious split because he felt Helen took up too large a portion of their lives together. From all accounts, Macy seemed to feel that Annie used the same domineering methods she had used on the child Helen with him. He also described Annie as "manipulative and controlling," which certainly seem like apt descriptions of her approach. Resentful of Helen's constant presence and feeling like an odd member of an equally odd triadic relationship, John retreats further from the marriage.

When Annie dies, Helen is disconsolate; she feels she can't survive without her "Teacher," although she, by that point had been at Annie's side for nearly half a century. A bright, progressive woman named Polly assumes the role of "Teacher," and Helen flourishes under her gentle tutlage and interpretation. Polly is clearly accepting of Helen's challenges and appears to make a sincere effort to see that Helen is fully included in all conversations and activities which she [Polly] is part of. One does not get the sense that Polly is a martyr. One gets the impression that Polly is loyal and determined with no agenda of her own.

Helen's relationship with Polly does appear to be much healthier than her relationship with Annie. This book fully explores Helen's character, her life experiences and the types of relationships she forged in the post-Teacher years with intelligence and sensitivity.

AFB Press is the publishing arm of the American Foundation For The Blind. Helen And Teacher, written by biographer Joseph P. Lash and published by AFB Press, is a magnificent, 811-page opus that is the most comprehensive work ever done on the unique and moving story of a little blind, deaf and dumb girl, and the dedicated woman who brought her into contact with the world, and with people. The basic story is well known to the general public, the subject of stage plays and movies. But in Helen And Teacher, we are treated in exhaustive, definitive detail to this landmark biographical story of the human spirit. Also highly recommended from AFB Press is their wonderful little gift book, To Love This Life: Quotations By Helen Keller which is also available in an audiobook format.

Informative! It does get a bit long & wordy at times, but it's a fair representation of Helen & Annie's lives. The more I read about Annie Sullivan, the more I like her. I think it was a real shame that Arthur & Kate Keller felt threatened by the close bond Annie had with Helen. I think Arthur & Kate just wanted Helen to be "trained," but not really the free independent spirit she was meant to be. I'm so glad Annie stood by her & helped her become a free person & became a lifelong friend to Helen as well. Annie was very open about whatever failings she'd had & was a warm, loving supportive guide in Helen's life. I get the feeling Helen & Annie had almost a mother-daugher-like bond, which of course practically killed Arthur & Kate. The stupid thing was, the Keller parents wanted to just shift over the responibility to Annie of educating her & getting her to fit into society, yet wanted total control over Helen's life. If anyone was manipulative & controlling, it was Arthur & Kate. Esp. Arthur, I think was really patronizing & downright domineering toward Annie. Kate didn't help matters either & when I read about her attempts to break Helen & Pete up later on & her consent to try to split Helen & Annie up, I really lost respect for Kate. I know I'm slamming Kate & Arthur here, but I see Annie as more of a loving parent figure in Helen's life. I really commend Annie for standing strong against Helen's domineering, manipulative parents. Oh, boy, was that John Macy a real creep! I was sooo glad Annie got away from him; he accused Annie of being "manipulative & controlling" when he was controlling himself! He KNEW Annie & Helen had a tight bond, yet after he married Annie, he started giving poor Annie a hard time about it! What was really contemptable was that John wrote to Kate & others badmouthing Annie behind her back & it's good that the book exposed that clearly. That made me lose respect for John too; sorry, but I have no sympathy for John Macy. I think Annie tried really hard to be a good wife, yet John just criticized her for being too close to Helen. Poor Annie, it was sad reading about her heartbreak. It was touching & kind of reassuring to read that it was Helen who came to Annie's support when Annie couldn't stop crying for several days over John. It was Helen who fired a letter off to John blasting him for badmouthing Annie. I cheered when Helen was the one who helped Annie get back on her feet, esp. since I hear that John cleaned out the Macys' joint account & closed it without Annie's consent & Annie had to struggle to get her career going again. Boy, was it inspiring to read about Annie's heart healing & her getting her writing going again as well as back on her feet financially! I love how Helen & Annie stood by each other all the way & once Polly joined them, stood by them too. Annie's shaky pride suffered a lot of blows in her life, but always she managed to get back on her feet. I always knew Helen was forever grateful to Annie for freeing her from her early wordless prison & helping her get started to an independent free life & Helen showed this gratitude by being the one to take care of Annie when Annie grew old & frail & went permanently blind. It was a touching mother-daugher bond almost...when Helen was young, Annie looked out for her, then the roles reversed; when Annie got older & weaker, Helen was the one to look out for her & it was great that Helen was able to be by her bedside when her mentor & friend died. What was wonderful also was that Annie was a really sweet, accepting person; she had so many problems in her life, yet never sank into self-pity; she even made wry jokes about her blindness & even wrote a self-effacing column "Foolish Remarks From a Foolish Woman." That part cracked me up! Annie was a quick-tempered little thing, but was quick to forgive & had a big heart & I'm glad this book acknowledged that. Even Helen said that Annie was generous "to a fault." But the last best gift Annie gave Helen was the capacity to be completely independent, even from her, so once Annie died, with only a little help from Polly, Helen was able to live a free life, even long after Annie was gone. I say kudos to both Helen Keller & Anne Sullivan!!!!

It doesn't take many pages of "Hog Farm Chronicles" to know that
Allen Powell knows kids -- and himself. What unfolds in this short and delightful book is the chronicle of an adult learning from a group of kids about the mutuality of respect. Allen learns to respect them for their heroic struggles to be themselves in a system that doesn't fit. His respect of them results in their respect, and when you have theirs, they'll die for you. {Adult respect is in precious short supply in some lives.)

The book is an important one, although it may not appear so at first. I believe that it is an important one for those teaching and administering kids in schools because it clearly shows that the normal mold of schools will not work with some kids. They need alternatives -- alternatives that respect the skills they do have and wish to exercise. Indeed, their aberrant behaviors towards "the enemy" display brilliant tactics artfully employed to "get even."

For anyone who has shared a classroom with a motley bunch of early adolescents and grown to love them over time, I invite you to enjoy this book. For anyone who has shared a classroom with a motley bunch of early adolescents and has grown to hate them, you must read this book. It contains truth -- something rare in the halls of education. It also helps each of us come to a better understanding of our limits as teachers in "making" kids do our bidding.

With candid wit and humor, Mr. Allen Powell dares to bring to print his wild and touching stories as a teacher. Refreshing and real, I laughed as he told one story after another with such awesome expression of boys struggling with life on life's terms.

I hope teachers,educators and parents will give themselves the gift of Mr. Powell's short stories. We are not alone with our trials, struggles as well as heartfelt moments.

Thank you, Mr. Powell, for sharing your unique and uplifting perspective.

This funny, sad, irreverent, hopeful, painfully honest, personal recounting of a brand new teacher's experiences with students with different problems, attitudes, and needs who are enrolled in a non traditional program of vocational agriculture in high school should be required reading for all beginning teachers, irrespective of the subject or level that they teach. Once you start reading, you won't put it down until you finish because it holds your attention. Powell illustrates vividly that students are people with feelings and needs, that they deserve the very best from the teacher, that they will respond to opportunities, that they will take initiative, that they are not losers, and that both teacher and students will be successful if the teacher accepts and allows nonconformity and uses ingenuity. While the author writes unnecessarily in a coarse and crude manner in a couple of passages, this does not distract from the human story being recounted with all the attendant implications for achieving success in teaching/learning. Principals, also, should read this short book and then ask themselves how they support teachers with nonconforming ideas.

Educators will enjoy this insightful and realist revisit to the first years of their teaching experience and smile and laugh out loud at the author's recounting of those trepidacious and sometimes daunting times. Parents will see their precious piglets through the eyes of what is surely a caring and special educator. Everyone will have a pleasant and thought provoking respite while reading, as they are entertained and reminded that this business of successfully educating all of the children of all of the people is only possible when the teacher is a unique blend of gentleman farmer, philosopher, humanitarian and CEO.

We are all rewarded when someone takes the time to write a intelligent and philanthropic message from the heart and this is what Allen Powell has done.

Myra C. Reynolds, Educator

Allen Powell's "The Hog Farm Chronicles" is without a doubt the most humorous and entertaining book I've read in many, many years. It is a "must read" for anyone ever involved in working with young people, particularly in education. BE WARNED: You'll laugh until you cry . . . I did and ruined a new pair of contacts.

This book gives all levels of teachers practical and ready to use ideas. Highly recommend this to all teachers involved with inclusion.

I am very impressed with this book. It has many useful tips for inclusion (it outlines a process for beginning inclusion) and has a variety of accommodations for different learners. Accommodations are helpfully organized by types of activities (reading, writing, math, general teaching strategies, tests, etc.), and most of the accommodations would also benefit non-disabled students. I also like the humerous cartoons and the quotations throughout the book. The reproducable forms at the back of the book are also very useful. As a new Special Education teacher I find it a great resource.

When I was told my daughter would be in an inclusion class, I didn't know quite what that meant--and neither, it seemed, did the school. Her speech therapist slipped me a copy of this book and suggested I study up so I'd know what to look for and what to demand. As soon as I read it, I couldn't wait to get my own copy. Inclusion seems to be the wave of the future in special education, and a book like this one can help everyone--parents, educators, administrators--get on the same page. Next time, I'll be the one slipping it to somebody.

This wonderful book actually attempts to make inclusion teaching sane. I would not have made it through my stint as an inclusion teacher in a middle school without it. Unfortunately, I didn't find it until after Xmas; still it got me through the roughest part. General ed teachers hate inclusion without exception. They need this book, too, since they are for the most part out of the loop--that is, they know NADA about special ed kids. This book addresses that issue and so many other issues; it offers great ways to teach different subjects to these wonderful kids. Guess what!?! A lot of these teaching techniques worked well with regular kids, too.

This book is one of the best that I have seen on inclusion. "450 Strategies for Success" gives a wealth of information on to how to actually put an inclusion program into place at a school. The book has real, practical strategies to put to use in your classroom. Also included are schedules that you can use to plan school days for your students. The tips for creating a positive environment to help every teacher help their students with special needs in the inclusion classroom are priceless. I'm ordering a copy for the teacher's lounge at my school!

I just finished reading this book and was touched by Monique Schmidt's brutal honesty and self-evaluation. Schmidt bares her innermost thoughts to the reader. I found myself laughing out loud and, at times, crying. A very touching book about life, love and her Peace Corps experiences!

I highly recommend Last Moon Dancing, a memoir of a Peace Corps Volunteer's experience in Africa, by Monique Maria Schmidt. Schmidt's plan was to teach, sacrifice and contribute to an African village. She soon realizes, however, that she has brought more to Africa than planned. Woven into her journey are the memories of her own childhood on a farm in a Mennonite community in South Dakota. Schmidt humorously tries to make sense of it all and soon realizes she is surrounded by love. Schmidt's writing style is engaging and ranges from poetic & profound to blunt & to the point.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Last Moon Dancing." The author's candid descriptions about her experiences in an African village while serving in the Peace Corps keep this book interesting and fresh. I enjoyed the "Dear Angela" letters the most. My favorite letter was "Dear Angela, If you want to know what kind of day I've had, smell me." Schmidt's ability to find humor in the day-to-day stress of her African experience makes one marvel at the strength and tenacity of the human spirit. A definite Must-Read!!

Once I started reading Last Moon Dancing I could not put it down. I felt all emotions from desperate to amused but the most dominate thing I felt was pride. I am proud that young people have the courage and ambition to commite themselves to the aid and education of those with less. It is an awe inspiring story and one that is so fantastic it couldn't be anything but admired

I loved Monique Schmidt's memoir. Her honest,straight-forward account of her years in the Peace Corps in Africa is brutal, beautiful and witty. Woven through her African experience are connections to her childhood and early adulthood, but not always in the usual prose format. There may be a poem or an anecdote. Some of the revelations will anger the reader; some will shock, but throughout, you know Schmidt's telling it exactly as she sees and experiences life.

As one begins to age, all that's left to do is look back and wonder what has went by. "The Love of Impermanent Things: A Threshold Ecology" consists of Mary Rose O'Reilley looking back at the remains of her long life and trying to make sense of this crazy thing called life. Her language and writing is humorous, enlightening, entertaining, and most of all poignant. "The Love of Imperfect Things" is highly recommended reading, with much readers will relate to.

This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. Take Annie Dillard, Barbara Kingsolver and maybe the Dali Llama and put them together and you get Mary Rose O'Reilley. I loved how she ponders all the questions many of us ponder when we reach a certain age, like `Are we our vocation?' or "How should we be spending our time without guilt", "How we can feel lonely even though we seek solitude" "How come we can't be aimless any more?" All of this is mixed in with ordinary life events written in a very poetic and beautiful way with enough sarcasm to keep it from being boring. I don't know why more isn't said about this author, I think she is extremely talented and I'm glad I fel upon her writing - I hope we will see more of it.

and I am only about 100 pages into it. I heard the author interviewed on NPR and decided impulsively to buy the book. It is incredibly written -- funny, wise, deep, reflecting. I am reading it slowly, savoring the stories, and trying to embrace the wisdom of "living the life that I am". I have a copy for my spiritual director...and plan to buy another for one of my dearest friends. For all of us who seek the One that embraces us in Love and Beauty, I recommend this book. Prepare to laugh...at the stories...at yourself...and then settle into the deepest regions of the heart to contemplate what God calls you to be.

O'Reilly is an excellent writer whose work exhibits the rare combination of sharp observation and deep kindness. She is a seeker, not content with received wisdom or easy answers; her thinking is lively and precise. She also knows how to tell a good story -- and she's very funny.

What a fascinating book! I would highly recommend this read. O'Reilley's way with words is mesmerizing. Her book makes you stop and think about your own history, your own family with all its quirks. Her sense of humor and deep reflection on her life make this book a true pleasure to read.

As both an instructor of adult learners and one of the interviewees in the work (who faced many stereotypical situations growing up in New Jersey...there are Cherokees in New Jersey?!! Amazing!), I can say that a book like this should be mandatory in the school systems of America. Without it, teachers proliferate the same unintentional prejudices they have, and kids receive that and pass it on as adults.

The book was clearly laid out, with seemingly much thought into how the information could be displayed in an informative and easy to understand fashion. As an educator, I rely on such layouts to make classes easier to design, and I appreciate the work the authors did in making my job of teaching adults how to teach to diverse groups a little easier.

To Yvonne and Arlene... wado! (thanks in Cherokee)

Donada!

As a teacher concerned with intercultural realations, I was so excited to find a book that would finally tell the truth about Indians. They exist today and are involved in all kinds of things from Tai Chi to engineering. As a social studies teacher, I am relieved to finally have a book that gives an accurate picture of Indians with easy activities that I can use with any age. Although this book is a teaching guide, grades 4 - 8, it can be used with all ages and in a variety of subjects from sports to science to career exploration to current events. Not only does this book celebrate Indian culture, but it compares similiarities with other groups, finding the strength in all.

There are web sites, resources on books, films, curriculum units in the appendices and at the end of each chapter. All of the chapter titles are interesting and witty like "Where We Live" which includes a brief history of how Indians were moved about and map exercises on identifying where Indians live today. Another chapter is "Paying the Bills" which has photos and mini-biographies on Indians in a variety of professions and activities on tribal businesses. Students can learn what is offensive to Indian people and what problems confront them today in "The STruggle Continues." Art projects, writing projects and even games for the classroom are all in here! This is a fantastic book! Every classroom needs it!

I am a Cherokee New Yorker (Nuyagi Tsalagi) who volunteered for ten years working with the Native American Education Program for New York City as a member of the Parent's Committee. It was during this time that I met Yvonne Beamer and the other dedicated men and women who worked so hard to identify and help Native American children in the city. It was humbling to understand that every time we identified a new child for our program we found a damaged child, one who had been hurt by the mistaken stereotypes perpetuated in the larger population of the city. A large part of our struggle as an institution was to get appropriate information in the hands of teachers so they could be accurate and informative when they augmented their lessons with Native American materials. After too long, Yvonne and Arlene Hirschfelder have put together a book with many activities and resources for teachers grade 4-8 to use in their classrooms. The material is appropriate sociologically and pedagogically and fills a gaping void for teachers. It was always our experience that once we talked to teachers and showed them materials to use in their classrooms all their students become better, not simply the Native Americans in their midst. There is a deep hunger for accurate, relevant information about Native Americans in the youth of today. This book is a giant first step at feeding that hunger.

Native Americans Today is a sensitive comprehensive and imaginative education activity book that helps teachers and students dispel stereotypes and explore diverse realities of modern Native Americans. This book works nicely with multi-cultural studies and Native American studies for middleschoolers. Lessons are divided into 8 chapters/categories: Ground Rules, Where We Live, Growing Up, Growing Old, å Day In the Life, Communications, Arts (Walk In Beauty), Economics, and The Struggle Continues. Each lesson is carefully organized and clearly presented with grade level materials, time, objectives, activities, and enrichment/extensions plus reading and resources. The lessons on Native American terminology and stereotyping are particularly good. Field trips to the community and crafts and research projects flesh out the classroom discussion exercises. Students learn to define respect as well as racism. One of my favorite sections is the chapter on Indians in Careers/employment under Paying the Bills/Economics. There are 32 biographical sketches of Native American individuals and their employment along with black and white photos. Careers range from teaching/research, social work, casino poker dealer, computer instructor, and bank president to massage therapist, aeronautical engineer, repatriation director and osteopathic physician. The objective is that students will learn Native Americans are employed in many vocations and locations,become familiar with credentials required for certain careers, and use mapping skills. Another interesting lesson is Burial Ground Desecration and Repatriation. Students read "No Peace For Indian Burial Grounds" and discuss related issues. An energetic approach encompasses many ideas and stimulates the students. Also useful are the appendices on web sites, Native News Radio Stations, and other resources. As a teaching guide and multicultural studies resource, Native Americans Today is a rich resource, carefully and authentically created. But it is more than just effective. It is a clear labor of love.

Nancy Lorraine Reviewer

As a teacher concerned with intercultural realations, I was so excited to find a book that would finally tell the truth about Indians. They exist today and are involved in all kinds of things from Tai Chi to engineering. As a social studies teacher, I am relieved to finally have a book that gives an accurate picture of Indians with easy activities that I can use with any age. Although this book is a teaching guide, grades 4 - 8, it can be used with all ages and in a variety of subjects from sports to science to career exploration to current events. Not only does this book celebrate Indian culture, but it compares similiarities with other groups, finding the strength in all.

There are web sites, resources on books, films, curriculum units in the appendices and at the end of each chapter. All of the chapter titles are interesting and witty like "Where We Live" which includes a brief history of how Indians were moved about and map exercises on identifying where Indians live today. Another chapter is "Paying the Bills" which has photos and mini-biographies on Indians in a variety of professions and activities on tribal businesses. Students can learn what is offensive to Indian people and what problems confront them today in "The STruggle Continues." Art projects, writing projects and even games for the classroom are all in here! This is a fantastic book! Every classroom needs it!

Ms. Blake took me into the classroom and gave me a sense of what really goes on between students, teachers and the administration. Real life, real situations and real emotions make this book a great read. I highly recommend it.

Mrs. Blake walks you through the obstacles she had to face as being a teacher to at-risk teenagers.

The book is disturbing, because of the fact that passionate and talented teachers who care about their students have no support from other teachers and administrators.

Maybe, this book will ignite a flame in teachers as well as administrators to care and have compassion again for students.

No child left behind? The true story of a teacher's quest is unpredictable and is very structured in writing style.

By the third paragraph I was already hooked. Elizabeth Blake (by the way no relation) had my attention. I needed to read her story, "No Child Left Behind: The True Story of a Teacher's Quest."

Well into her twentieth year as a Medical Technologist in chemistry and hematology Elizabeth Blake felt a strong desire for a change, for a new career path. With a deep-seated sense of calling Elizabeth pursued the necessary education courses and passed the required State Department of Education tests and was ready for a provisional license for teaching.

Helping teen age at-risk kids "pulled her like a magnet." She applied for a position as Science teacher at a small alternative school for at-risk and homeless kids, students that couldn't make it in regular school.

An idealist, Elizabeth was not ready for what faced her on her first day of classroom experience. Her carefully laid plans exploded. Chaos ruled. Beth soon learned that many of her students had a probation officer. Others attended school by a court order. A few wore electronic tracking bracelets on their ankles. Many had to drop out of regular school or didn't fit in and needed alternative options.

Special students like Conejo, Javier, Bobby, Nakisha, Erica and others like them were filled with promise and showed marks of maturity and learning during their classes with Mrs. Blake. This was the motivation that inspired her to renew her contract each year, in spite of duties over and above her classroom teaching, assignments in three different schools. Administrators and district office personnel made a teaching-learning situation an even more difficult challenge in a school where poverty, shooting, and the influence of gangs became a way of life. She only received the support of administration in one of these assignments. The administration and school board gave lip service only to the ministry statement of the district: "Our teachers deal with problem students. Every child deserves and education."

As a Christian Educator, myself, and having worked with a Faith Based Ministry serving the needs of incarcerated juveniles, I can identify with Beth's dilemma. She had a strong love for her students. She was proud to see them learn, mature and grow under her tutelage. The undermining of the administration and. the trauma, riots, chaos became a burden hard to face. She was left heartbroken each time another of her students injured, hospitalized or killed. In desperation she cried out to God for direction and inner strength.

I found Blake's writing style compelling, often heartbreaking, yet positive in attitude and approach. I especially enjoyed the follow up on some of her students who have moved on to enroll in various college programs or to pursue professional training for promising careers.

"No Child Left Behind? The True Story of a Teacher's Quest" is a book that should be read by every school administrator. It should be required reading for educators, teachers and administrators within any inner city school district.

Author note: Some vendors are offering discounted prices. A couple people I know have purchased discounted books and got their money refunded. If you purchase a book at a discounted price and get your money refunded to you, please order directly from Amazon. You will be fine if you order from Amazon itself.
Happy reading!

(This post requires a rating.)

This compelling book evoked the entire spectrum of feelings and emotions from inspiration, admiration and joy to anger, fear and grief. You made my already high opinion of teachers, even higher. You taught me and you made me think....always signs of a great book!

This is a book _all_ educators should read. Some stories are hilarious, others are poignant and touching but all of them tell stories of personal journeys from the educational closet to life in the open and places emphasis on the personal decisions of individual educators. Worth reading for not just educators, but for parents, students, community members and administrators regardless of sexual orientation.

As a future elementary education teacher, I found this book comforting. I have been coming to terms that parents would not want me to teach their children because I am gay, but this book gives me hope. I have read the stories to my straight roommate who is also a future educator and we have been able to laugh and cry over the stories in this book. This book is not just for gay teachers but for all teachers, it shows the emotional side to being a gay teacher that most of us miss. I loved the story where the student removed the pink triangle off her teacher's car and his response was to ask her not to remove it because he did not care to buy a new one. Each of these teachers have faced homophobia not only in the classroom but also in the school, but they are fighting for their right to teach. I think this also is a good book for students who have ever questioned if their teacher might be gay, I think it teaches students that teachers have to be careful because of the homophobia in this world.

I have read it several times, lost it and am about to buy it again. I am a new teacher adn I have found it is not only a wonderful text full of stories to remind us that we aren't alone, but also, a great book to keep in your classroom to remind students not to be so quick to judge. I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Kevin Jennings when I was in grad school. Not only has he done a fantastic job editing this book, but has worked his passion and magic on GLSEN, a resource for ALL educators. Don't even begin to have second thoughts about buying this book, it will be the best choice you make all year!

One Teacher in Ten by Kevin Jennings is a must read for all people involved in education. Where else but in education is homophobia allowed? The stories that are told here ring true to many of us who are still closeted, fearful of losing our careers, our friends and our connection to our students. This is a place where we can read about similar situations to ours and see how our colleagues reacted. I would love to write a story to be added in a sequel. I do wish that Mr. Jennings will write a follow-up because too many of the stories left me wanting more. This book also gave me the courage to "come out" to a couple of my fellow teachers at my school. It felt like a breath of fresh air. Thank you, Kevin Jennings.

Reading Kevin Jennings' One Teacher In Ten lets gay and lesbian educators know that they are not alone. The stories shared by real teachers - men and women - from all regions of the country, speak to us all. Even non-gay readers can connect with the feelings of these educators who have one (very large) piece of their identities now under public display. As classroom leaders, teachers are asked to be model people. Thus, they often feel a need to disguise elements of their beings which might run contrary to the perceived public norm. Gay and lesbian educators perhaps feel this more strongly than others. Yet part of being leadership models for youth entails being honest and forthright about one's self. Jennings' subjects have taken a stand to be honest, proud citizens who contribute to the building of modern society. They make no apologies for the people they are and thus serve as daring role-models for their students. Reading these stories is to be proud of the many gay and lesbian educators who are not afraid to let students, families, faculty, and administrators know that they are valuable voices delivering quality learning. They teach not only their subject areas, but also the lesson that we are most valued when we value ourselves.

There are few things that inspire me more than a true story of a child of God who is faithful in the face of success and apparent failure. I see the reality of this woman's walk with God to be the challenge and encouragement. The accounts of her passion, travels, and encounters challenge my perspective on missions. I don't believe I had a real grasp on missions until I read this book. The quotations of her own journals and other writings bring a special feeling of knowing Lilias by the end of the book. This is a book I highly encourage all believers to read.

As the premier art critic in Victorian England, John Ruskin was the arbiter of taste. In 1883 he revealed a hard-to-believe prejudice: "For a long time I used to say . . . that except in a graceful and minor way, women could not draw or paint." Ruskin then discounted this view, based on his reaction to the art of a young woman named Lilias Trotter: "I'm beginning lately to bow myself to the much more delightful conviction that no one else can" draw or paint.

In a 1960s book, RUSKIN TODAY, Sir Kenneth Clark mentioned Trotter as someone lost to history. But Clark hadn't turned over every leaf, as has biographer Miriam Rockness, who discovered Trotter through bequeathed volumes of her out-of-print illustrated books.

A bright, talented daughter of a prominent stockbroker in London, Lilias Trotter (1853-1928) was comfortable in the company of privilege. At age 21 she was among guests, including George MacDonald and Bishop Wilberforce, invited to a religious retreat, the forerunner of the Keswick Conferences.

Spiritually stirred by this and the preaching of Dwight Moody, Lilias grew discontent with the in-vogue "charity from a distance." For more than 10 years in London, she devotedly worked to help establish a hostel for working women, the forerunner of the YWCA.

During this time, while on vacation in Venice, her meddling mother asked Ruskin to look at Lilias's watercolor paintings --- a request that led to art lessons, weekend invitations, and extended conversations and correspondence between the Miss and the Master, who claimed she could be the greatest painter of her generation if she would "give herself up to art." To the dismay of many, Lilias turned her back on Ruskin's challenge: "I cannot give myself to painting in the way he means and continue still to 'seek first the Kingdom of God.' "

When Lilias was 35, this whole-spirited commitment dramatically "called" her to mission work in northern Africa. With two female colleagues --- none knowing Arabic, none robust enough to pass physicals required by established mission boards --- she sailed for Algeria, where she lived a life of saintly proportions until her death, at age 75.

Two-thirds of Rockness's biography delves into the Algerian years. Learning Arabic was the first of many challenges: Muslim resistance to a Christian message, French resistance to British interlopers, male resistance to a female witness. And yet under Trotter's leadership, the original missionary band and later recruits translated portions of scripture, distributed literature, befriended women and children, opened cafés for men, and hosted summer camps for nomadic families.

There are no imagined conversations in this book; there's no mistaking it for a novel. This is history, relying largely on journals, with some analysis and helpful foreshadowing. Ever aware of Lilias the artist, Rockness faithfully describes the palette of the desert so well that it's hard to distinguish Lilias the missionary from Lilias the artist.

In time Lilias envisioned a "new approach to Arab literature": writings that would speak to Algerians, instead of what Trotter called the "hitherto translated stories of Jacks & Bobs whose surroundings are as foreign to children of the east as their names" and finding an affordable means of color printing, so as to attract people who delighted in color. To meet these goals, Lilias wrote and illustrated nature parables that may soon be back in print, thanks to Rockness's persistence.

Some of the biography's most interesting material comes toward the end. In her last decade, Trotter won the respect of a group of Sufi (male) mystics. "The artist in her responded to the artist in the Sufis," notes Rockness. "Yet she never lost her spiritual focus." Confined to bed in the last two years, she wrote THE WAY OF THE SEVENFOLD SECRET, explaining to them seven "I Am" claims of Jesus --- as she managed what had become an extensive mission outreach.

Trotter's printed word and art can indeed inspire a new generation. But only those who knew her can appreciate "perhaps her most palpable legacy": her love. As an obituary noted, "No wonder that Catholics and Jews and Moslems, as well as Protestants, are mourning her loss, for love, in the end, wins love."

--- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence

This book does indeed weave a challenging and interesting tale of a pioneeer missionary, who for the sake of the gospel left a comfortable and gracious victorian life for a life of sacrifice in the northern deserts of Africa, among Muslim tribemen.It is carefully crafted and includes some prints of Lilias' own artwork, which from what can be seen, is lovely.I wish a book could be devoted to more prints and more about Lilias' travels!

I am a voracious reader of non-fiction (particularly Christian non-fiction), but out of thousands of books I have read, this biography captivated me like no other. Perhaps because I am a writer and artist, I could identify with Lilias and her passions. Ultimately, however, this is a story of adventure, sacrifice, surrender and uncompromising dedication to Jesus Christ, all set against the exotic backdrop of Algeria. I can't wait to meet Lilias in heaven and tell her how she inspired me. Of course, I also look forward to meeting the authors someday because they brought Lilias to life. The narrative is as lovely as Lilias' art!

I just finished reading this book and was so impressed with the astonishing results this woman achieved because of her total surrender to God's plans. An accomplished young artist from an upper class Victorian family, she left the comforts of England and went into Algeria, a country inhabitated by Arabs who were mostly Muslim. It was a slow but steady start, because of language problems, government interference (because of suspicions about missionaries motives), and just the differences in the different ways of thinking and lifestyles of the Algerian people.

Lilias spent several decades of her life doing the "basics" in securing the beginnings of a life long ministry among a people hungry for deep spiritual lessons, but finding ways to do this required much patience, thought and forgiveness. And on top of all this, she is dealing with a new language, both spoken and written.

The majority of this book is taken from Lilias's copius journals, letters and writings where she kept records of what she was involved in day by day.

I learned a lot about what the foreign missionary effort entails, and especially when you're the first to go into an area with some brand new ideas where life is so different. But she won them over slowly with her love. As time went on, she had much help from other women and men who worked with her in this cause.

The last couple of decades her health was not good, but she just kept on plugging away, even writing from her bed the last two years.
She wrote some beautiful booklets that have profound lessons of faith and obedience in them. "Parables of the Cross" and "Parables of the Christ Life" are just two of them.

She gleaned such meaningful lessons from nature, things that the ordinary person would hardly think of. She could see great lessons from a grain of wheat, a peach, a bee, etc. She looked deeply into the whys and wherefores of the lessons that nature has to teach us.

Lilias really had a heart for these people and she felt that God gave her that heart and she was to do what she could as well as she could for as long as she could. She was true to that effort.

One thing I wished this book had was a map of the area that showed all the little towns and outposts that were mentioned in the book, and were developed over many years and many travels.
This book is a good read, even though you are dealing with some new words and another way of thinking. You will learn a lot and wish you had known this woman who was totally devoted to God.

I just finished reading Don Draayer's new book, RETIEMENT STRAIGHT TALK: Stories and Wisdom from Educators. The title says it all. It really is "Straight Talk."
The book covers all the topics that retired, retiring and near retired educators worry about most. I wish I had read it before I retired. (Now over 10 years ago.)
Draayer's book is a good read. It is full of information, insight, advice, hope and good humor. It will help and inspire all those who wonder if there is life after retirement.

Don Draayer addresses the issues about retirement that haunt those of us who are still serving as education leaders, but know that we are approaching the time when we will walk a new path. The insights of 300 educators help us to consider the practical and philosophical issues we all need to face as we look forward to this next phase of our lives. "Retirement Straight Talk" is a must read for senior education leaders!

Don Draayer addresses the issues about retirement that haunt those of us who are still serving as education leaders, but know that we are approaching the time when we will walk a new path. The insights of 300 educators help us to consider the practical and philosophical issues we all need to face as we look forward to this next phase of our lives. "Retirement Straight Talk" is a must read for senior education leaders!

Dr. Draayer's new book, Retirement STRAIGHT TALK, is a most impressive work. It is comprehensive in that it covers all aspects of retirement, and the anecdotal material gleaned from over 300 educators gives the reader much food for thught--particularly with regard to setting our priorities and maintaining a healthy life balance. We do indeed "create and live our own retirement stories," and Dr. Draayer's book helps to make the retirement journey a little easier (and more enjoyable) for all of us.
Highly Recommended!
Sandra McLeod Humphrey
Retired Clinical Psychologist and Author
Writer and consultant for the Heroes & Dreams Foundation which provides character education materials to grades K-8 throughout the United States and Canada.

I just finished reading Don Draayer's new book, RETIREMENT STRAIGHT TALK: Stories and Wisdom from Educators. The title says it all. It really is "Straight Talk."
The book covers all the topics that retired, retiring and near retired educators worry about most. I wish I had read it before I retired (now over 10 years ago).
Draayer's book is a good read. It is full of information, insight, advice, hope and good humor. It will help and inspire all those who wonder if there is life after retirement.
Robert D. Ramsey, Ed.D., Educator-author