Life Of E's

Teaching:  The Greatest Career on the Planet
By Graysen Walles

 So here’s my first question to you, ‘With a title like
Teaching:  The Greatest Career on the Planet, what
educator wouldn’t want to read it now?!                                            

If there has ever been a time when teachers need to
be inspired, this is it.  It’s been a brutal period to be
in education over the last few years -now with money
being pinched tighter and tighter, with tougher and
tougher situations presenting themselves in schools
and classrooms, it could be easy for teachers to lose
heart.  Here’s the good news…Graysen Walles’ book
will help teachers who are losing heart to regain their
teaching spirit.

Graysen comes across as someone you could sit and talk with and you would know that he cares about what you’re experiencing.  He certainly has a sense about education that is the one that most of us had at the beginning, i.e., that it’s a calling, it changes lives, it’s honorable, and that it’s the best career anyone could want – although it’s not the career for everyone.

Just by reading through his chapter titles, I wanted to read more.  He uses chapter titles for Section I (Characteristics of the Teaching Profession) that start with “Teaching Is” and then follows it with words like “Challenging,” “Transformative,” “Heroic,” “Exciting,” and the like.  All of these words were carefully selected and then the chapters support the position he takes in his word choice.  Each chapter leaves you inspired and ready to continue on with your day, week, or career decision.  He illustrates his ideas clearly with stories, examples, and quotes. 

Section II of the book (Characteristics of the Effective Teacher) is again uplifting and ‘real,’ which is even the title of the first chapter in this section, i.e., “Teachers Must Be Real.”  The chapters that follow make it clear that great teachers are not run-of-the-mill folks but rather are bright, imaginative, brave, and reflective.  Those of us who know we are really, really, really teachers – recognize ourselves and are affirmed by Dr. Walles’ words and examples. 

• If you are thinking of becoming a teacher – you can read this book to see if you ‘have what it takes.’
• If you are already a teacher and could use some reminders about why you made this choice, then you’ll find that in this book.
• If you are teetering on the edge of leaving the profession because you’ve lost heart, then please, read this book so you can get your heart back. Our students, communities, and the world need the best teachers to stay and make a difference with those they teach.

Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D.
Emphasis on Excellence, Inc.
Reno, NV
www.meggin.com
http://theteachersmovement.com/

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Tags: education, Grayson Walles, inspiration, schools, teachers, teaching