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Thank You,
Teacher,
edited by Holly & Bruce Holbert
c.2016, New World Library
$21.95 / $32.50 Canada
280 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Truth Contributor
You can read!
What a wonderful thing! You can write, too. Math skills
come easily, you live with science, history is a passion of
yours – and those are all skills that you weren’t born with.
No, somebody had to teach you, and in the new book
Thank You, Teacher, edited by Holly & Bruce Holbert,
you’ll see where to send your appreciation.
Holly Holbert believed that there are a lot of teachers that
“no one hears about.” Few know the personal and financial
sacrifices of teaching, the work or the heartbreak. It was
time to remedy that so Holbert and her husband Bruce, a
teacher, asked people from all industries about the
educators who impacted their lives.
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Teachers, said Maya Angelou, give children their voices –
even if, according to chef Daisy Martinez, the voice is in
another language. Says rocker Gene Simmons, teachers
instill self-esteem. Author Chris Offutt writes about
libraries, learning, and payback. Says political economist
Robert Reich, just one teacher can inspire for a lifetime.
Adolescence is hard, and teachers know that. At that time in
a kids’ life, a teacher can be a silent crush, a stoic rock,
or a fearsome adult who, says author Derek Alger, probably
is “by no means a tyrant,” but who demands discipline
anyhow. Teachers make uncanny predictions about their
students, and they celebrate student successes. They know
when it’s time for nose-to-the-grindstone behavior, and when
it’s time to admit that there are things they don’t know.
By high school, teachers see adult potential in their kids.
They know how to guide a student with natural talents. They
know how to keep school fun without losing control. They
listen, and they know the skills life demands. As you’ll see
in this book, teachers can surprise their students –
sometimes, many years after graduation. Some teachers are
called “Mom” instead of Missus….. and some are even now
called “friend.”
What teachers most inspired you?
I’ll bet that without a whole lot of trouble, you can name
at least two of your own, or perhaps your child’s teacher.
Without a doubt, he or she has made a huge difference in
your life, and giving Thank You, Teacher is a great
way to show you’re grateful.
Editors Holly & Bruce Holbert collected a wide-ranging group
of people from all walks of life, and asked them to tell
their stories. Some tales are heartfelt, some are funny, a
few of them come with surprises, and all are tied to
memories of something a teacher did to impact a young life.
Readers will be happy to see that those tales range from
grade school to college, proving that you’re never too old
to learn from someone who cares.
If you’re a student or about to be one, remember this title;
you’ll want it for later in the year, at gift-time. If you
are an educator, you’ll want to keep this around for those
challenging days. And if you just want something that’ll
make you smile, Thank You, Teacher is a book you can
read.
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If you’re a teacher, you might also want to look for I
Wish My Teacher Knew by Kyle Schwartz. Based on the
viral video, this is the story of what a group of
third-grade students taught their teacher when they were
asked to fill in a very innocent blank: they answered with
tough, not-so-innocent words. This book could change your
career. Look for it. |
