Overview

How introspection, philosophy, and heartfelt bullshit can help you survive and thrive with your sanity, self-respect, and sense of humor intact. Lessons from a Career Educator An honest and introspective look at a teacher's life. From early childhood through his retirement, Burke shares stories and lessons learned that helped him and can help you make it to the finish line. This is not the story of a Magical Teacher. Burke is an average individual working hard to be a good educator by trying first to be a decent person. Most of his anecdotes will make you laugh, some will make you cry (the good cry), a few will make you cringe, but all will make you think.

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Reviews

Fan-fu##ing-tastic! The combination of personal and practical philosophy joined alongside a spattering of professional pedagogy creates a completely original read, unlike anything I've experienced. This blend of work with life simultaneously speaks to the teacher-side of me while resonating with my everyday human journey. Tears and laughter, frustration and joy. The experience is one I will not forget. -Mr. John Uhrik, AP English Teacher, Wheeling High School Burke's essays speak to a multitude of audiences, reminding us that we are all both teachers and learners. I enjoyed the humor, honesty, and grit of his anecdotes, but I found myself wanting to speed to the end of some essays-where Burke reflects on what he learned-because that was (to me) the highest portion of the work. What did he learn and from whom? -Mr. Darren Pierre, Senior Lecturer, Office of Global Engineering Leadership, University of Maryland; author of The Invitation to Love: Recognizing the Gift Despite Pain, Fear, and Resistance; recipient of the 2021 Loyola University Chicago Transformative Educator Award I cannot wait to buy this book for everyone I know: new teachers who would like a fast-track to hard-earned wisdom; veteran teachers who enjoy reminiscing and reflecting on their own practice; parents who want to raise strong, thoughtful children; anyone who loves to laugh out loud and then get choked up from a masterfully told story; and myself. I raced through my first read to discover how each anecdote would end and what the next anecdote would be about, but now I want to linger in the philosophy and keep pondering even after I close the cover. -Ms. Laura Johnson, English Teacher; master's in literature, Northwestern University; master's in writing and publishing, DePaul University This book is not really, or at least not all, about teaching. It's about teaching. And it's not. It's about a man's quest to examine his life and to live it meaningfully. It's a model for how we can learn from the most painful and the most joyful moments of our lives and use these lessons to make us better teachers, coaches, leaders, and people. -Mr. Jacob Sweetow, Licensed Clinical Social Worker These essays-and the discussion questions at the end-are ideal for education classes and professional development. Burke confronts issues both in and out of the classroom that are relevant to all teachers and prime for deliberation and debate.-Mr. Andrew Sharos, high school administrator, author of All 4s and 5s: A Guide to Teaching and Leading Advanced Placement Programs and Finding Lifelines: A Practical Tale about Teachers and Mentors

Author Information

Over the course of his career, Mike Burke taught English and coached a variety of men's and women's sports and activities at five different high schools in the suburbs of Chicago. (He was also on the Dark Side for seven years.) Now retired, his debut memoir-in-essays looks back on the lessons learned through a lifetime in education. Married for over 40 years, he and his wife have four adult children and seven grandchildren. Aside from enjoying plenty of family time, he complements his new ""career"" as an author by giving boxing lessons, announcing high school basketball games, and facilitating a local Writers Workshop. A dynamic speaker, Burke has presented at state and local conferences on leadership, athletics, and classroom pedagogy. His experiences as a teacher and coach continue to inspire his writing and his message. His next book, Run, is currently under construction.

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