I am a teacher. I was “in the classroom” for nearly four decades. Then I was an instructional coach—a teacher supporting other teachers—for another decade.
Drawing by Amanda Cox
In my new book, Connections: The Magic in Learning, I take readers inside classrooms to understand the work teachers do every day as they strive to make the connections that are the magic in learning. I recreate scenes of lessons unfolding and moments of connection occurring. These moments of connection—between teacher and student, between a student and the content—are the magic in learning. It is in these moments that skills are mastered, ideas ignite passions, and experiences shape lives.
This book is for parents, school board members, legislators, members of the community—anyone who wants to understand how learning happens. It is also for educators themselves—prospective teachers who need stories to inspire them and teachers in classrooms right now who need affirmation and reassurance to stick with it.
Teaching has never been simple or easy, and in recent years, cell phones, social media, gun violence, political polarization, social unrest, and fallout from the pandemic have created more challenges for teachers than ever before.
In the spring of 2020, when COVID-19 sent us home from school, when online learning was a novelty, parents peeked into classrooms, discovered some of our realities, and called us heroes. As the pandemic continued, many students struggled with online learning. Some drifted away entirely. The chemistry of the classroom was lost. When we returned to in-person learning, academic gaps emerged; social-emotional needs surfaced.
In a stunning reversal of public opinion, headline stories began to demonize teachers and denigrate public schools. This atmosphere of contention has made teaching even harder. Experienced teachers are leaving the classroom and young people are not choosing to become teachers in the same numbers as they were.
Come into classrooms with me and see the magic happening: teachers doing their work, students learning, teachers learning and growing themselves. And then consider what we can do—parents, legislators, school board members, and educators ourselves—what conditions we can create to attract and retain teachers and support student learning. We all have a role to play in creating vibrant public schools.
These essays are reflections on a lifetime in education, a collection of posts from In an American Classroom over the years. I’ve reworked some of the stories, expanded others, and written introductory head notes for each of them. They’ve all been illustrated with pencil drawings by my colleague, Amanda Cox. The stories are mostly from my own experiences as an English teacher and an instructional coach, but my observations about teaching and learning generalize to every discipline and all grade levels.
So, step inside the classroom. See what’s positive, what works, and what lasts.
In an American Classroom 