Overview

This is the story of a Vermont high school teacher and coach. We follow the main character (Joe Tepedino) in his evolution as a young novice teacher and coach to a seasoned veteran and international coach and referee. The book is written as 13 short stories. Most of the stories take place in the Mad River Valley of Vermont. The Mad River Valley is a popular region with tourists due to its picturesque scenery and two ski areas, Mad River Glen andSugarbush Resort The book is short and could be read within one sitting. The stories flow contiguously and are easy to read. However, the stories could best be savored by reading one at a time and discovering the message or morals of each story before going on to the next. There are many characters within the short stories. These characters are based on real people that the author has encountered during his five decades as a Vermont HS teacher and coach. There are some heroes and a few villains. The characters are written into the stories similar to the short story writing of Kurt Vonnegut. Characters appearing in early stories reappear in later stories. Just Raise Your Left Hand tells the story of Joe, a teacher and coach who is slowly becoming disillusioned and dissatisfied with his teaching career. Formerly a happy and proud teacher and coach, he is feeling less and less fulfilled by the job, and feels like a number of outside influences are diminishing the importance and success of these jobs. Later in life, Joe takes a risk and leaves his teaching position to become a referee for the sport of Skyrunning. It is through this new career that he travels internationally, meets new people, and begins to again enjoy and appreciate his profession. The story of Joe and his evolution into a new career is told with great care and emotion. Joe's transition is not a quick or capricious decision, nor one that he moves to with complete confidence. The reader feels connected to Joe, and through the storytelling, feels empathy for his situation. Just Raise Your Left hand is an enjoyable, entertaining story that brings to life the experiences, thoughts, and actions of Joe, and the many people he meets and works with during his careers as teacher, coach, and referee. The engaging story captures the reader from the first page, and creates in the audience an empathy and interest in learning how Joe's story ends. There is one story (JUST RAISE YOUR LEFT HAND!) that combines Joe's love for teaching, emotional ties to his Italian mother, unique relationship with his students and his disdain for administrators all together. This story the author has chosen to be illustrated on the cover page. The audience for this book. Any teacher, present or retired, any person that is considering teaching as a career would both enjoy and learn from this book. Lessons on how to motivate students, circumvent administrative policies or just have fun as a classroom teacher are detailed in this book. Anyone who attended public school in a rural area during the decades of the 70s. 80s, 90s and beyond could enjoy the similarities to their own experiences Anyone living in or considering moving to the beautiful Mad River Valley of Vermont would enjoy this book

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Reviews

""I read one chance is all you need and loved it. It put the reader right there in 1981 at the state meet. Timmy's competitive spirit and drive shines through throughout the read. Timmy's memory will be kept alive through works like this."" -Tom Baird (former Westwood High Track & Field Coach & Colleague of Tim's) currently Quincy High Track, Mass! ""I had my HS students read Just Raise Your Left hand. I could hear my students laughing and howling. Most of these were students that rarely get excited about almost anything I give them to read. These stories would be greatly appreciated by both newer and older teachers. Joe Tepedino's interactions with students and administrators are so true to life. Some of these stories which are usually laced with humor could act as a survival guide for those of us high school teachers that are fighting every day in the trenches."" Dan Morse Harwood Union High School English Teacher

Author Information

John Kerrigan taught and coached at Harwood Union High School in Vermont from 1977 to 2023. Twice named his school's Vermont Teacher of the Year representative, he was also a two-time runner-up for Vermont Biology Teacher of the Year. Among his awards is the Golden Apple, recognizing his work with special needs students. John's varsity teams in cross country, Nordic skiing, and track earned an impressive 47 state titles, producing numerous state, regional, and national champions, including an Olympian. Recognized three times (2000, 2015,2021) as the National Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Association, he was inducted into the Run Vermont Hall of Fame in 2019. Known for his lasting impact on students, many of whom became successful athletes, teachers, and scientists, John now serves as Assistant Coach for the U.S. Skyrunning team and is a certified Skyrunning referee. He lives in South Duxbury, Vermont.

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