In the spirit of Studs Terkel's Working, Bill Smoot interviews master teachers in fields ranging from K--12 and higher education to the arts, trades and professions, sports, and politics. The result suggests a dinner party where the most fascinating teachers in America discuss their various styles as well as what makes their work meaningful to them. What is it that passes between the best teachers and their students to make learning happen? What are the keys to teaching the joys of literature, shooting a basketball, alligator wrestling, or how to survive one's first year in the U.S. Congress? Smoot's insightful questions elicit thought-provoking reflections about teaching as a calling and its aims, frustrations, and satisfactions.

Table of Contents

1: Teaching in the School Room; John Faggi, prep school English teacher; Lynette Wayne, first grade teacher; Steven Levy, fourth grade teacher; Kathleen Engle, middle school physical education teacher; Dierdra Grode, seventh and eighth grade language arts teacher; Paul Karafiol, high school math teacher; Mike Auerbach, high school biology and chemistry teacher; David Lazerson, special education teacher; 2: Teaching in the College Classroom; Eric Mazur, physics professor; Ellen Peffley, horticulture professor; Father Thomas Buckley, theology professor; Willliam Gass, philosophy professor; Susan Moeller, journalism professor; Jack Metzgar, humanities professor; 3: Teaching the Healers; Leslie Hilger, teacher of residents in dermatology; Allan Friedman, teacher of neurosurgery residents; Craig Campbell, teacher of residents in psychiatry; 4: Teaching the Creators and Performers; Alexandre Sacha Pavlata, circus arts teacher; Suki Schorer, ballet teacher; Keith Carter, photography teacher; David Kelsey, piano teacher; Lan Samantha Chang, creative writing teacher; Martin Landau, acting teacher; 5: Teaching the Fixers and Makers; Kina McAfee, carpentry teacher; Ralph Salemme, plumbing teacher; Dieter Schorner, professor of baking and pastry arts; Doug Butler, teacher of farriery; 6: Teaching the Athletes; Tom Nordland, teacher of basketball shooting; Arthur Lane, fencing teacher; Mike Hileman, teacher of alligator wrestling; Mark Wolocatiuk, racecar driving instructor; Ron Washington, coach of playing the infield; 7: Growing the Body and Spirit; Lokita Carter, Tantra teacher; Jan Chosen Bays, Zen teacher; Robert Smith, divinity school professor of homiletics; Catherine Rose, exotic dance teacher; Tlahuitollini, Aztec dance teacher; 8: Teaching at the Bottom and on the Edge; Jeanette Riley, humanities teacher for underserved adults; Betty Martin, teacher in women's prison; Shaina Traisan, yoga teacher, jails and prisons; Rhodessa Jones, teacher in women's jails; 9: Teaching the Protectors; Gunnery Sergeant Daniel Fuson; Rob Magao, martial arts instructor; Vince Dunn, firefighting teacher; Kathy Mitchell, instructor, FBI Academy; 10: Teaching in the Corridors of Power; Michael Anza, corporate consultant; Emil Jones, political mentor; Michael Bell, corporate consultant; Hannah Riley Bowles, professor, executive education; George Shultz, political mentor; David King, professor, newly elected members of Congress

Prizes

Learning from the best in and out of the classroom

Reviews

"Smoot's precise questions and thought-provoking follow-ups capture the essence of teaching from those who do it best." ForeWord Reviews "Smoot seeks to capture the universal underpinnings that animate that mysterious mixture of art, science, and intuition that every effective teacher brings to his or her classroom. As these teachers try to describe the ways that they bring their students to understanding, whether that understanding is of history, surgery, acting or prison counseling, one cannot help but be moved by their creativity and passionate commitment." - Klingbrief "I have spent most of my adult life talking to great teachers. Every one of those interviews has been a delight. Read this fine book and you can get the same thrill." Jay Mathews, Washington Post education columnist and author of Work Hard. Be Nice: How Two Inspired Teachers Created the Most Promising Schools in America "Conversations with Great Teachers reads as a wonderful lesson from the heart about teaching, faith, humanity, and passion... Generous in scope, significant in voice... an invitation well worth saying yes to." Bodie Brizendine, Head, The Spence School, New York City "Rich with passion, knowledge, and story, this engaging collection of interviews not only illustrates ways teachers become great; it conveys the energy and care they bring to their calling." Sydney Lewis, oral historian and author (with Studs Terkel) of Touch and Go "A lifetime achievement... It is clearly conceived and written by a dedicated teacher who expertly interviews great teachers... An inspiring work of art." Susan Hoffman, Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, University of California at Berkeley "Within these pages is a vast treasure of teaching wisdom... A deeply thoughtful and inspiring book." Robert Kunzman, author of Write These Laws on Your Children: Inside the World of Conservative Christian Homeschooling "In times of world struggle and conflict, what could we possibly need more than wise teachers? Bill Smoot's book is a labor of loving care and deep attention. A great gift for teachers and students everywhere and for the learning and hope which sustains us." Naomi Shihab Nye, Poet, writer, and educator "Bill Smoot has accomplished something quite extraordinary: he has interviewed master teachers from all walks of life and prodded them to reveal one secret after another. In so doing, he has opened a new door for all educators to improve their work with students... a must-read book for any teacher, regardless of the context in which you work. Highly recommended!" Grant P. Wiggins, President, Authentic Education and co-author of Understanding by Design