Overview

When the First A Changed My Life is an educational memoir about learning differently, rebuilding confidence, and discovering untapped potential after years of academic self-doubt. After struggling in school, John Tenny believed that difficulty meant failure. That belief followed him into adulthood-until hands-on carpentry work revealed something school never had: that he could master complex skills when learning aligned with his strengths. Even then, a deeper obstacle remained. More powerful than test anxiety was the fear that progress itself might expose him to shame. Everything changed with a single graded quiz-and the first A he had ever earned. Blending personal narrative with insight drawn from decades as an educator, professor, and graduate program director, Tenny traces a journey from early schooling through working-class trades, higher education, and academic leadership. Along the way, he explores how capable learners come to mistake struggle for inadequacy-and how that misunderstanding can quietly shape a lifetime of choices. This memoir speaks to adult learners, educators, parents, and anyone who has ever questioned their ability because learning felt harder than it was supposed to. It offers no formulas or quick fixes, but something more lasting: reassurance that difficulty is not a verdict-and that confidence can begin with a single, unexpected success.

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John Tenny, Ph.D. is an educator, author, and former university graduate program director. His work focuses on learning differences, study strategies, and rebuilding academic confidence through practical, experience-based approaches. He is the author of When the First A Changed My Life and Sixteen Study Strategies.

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