Attachments To Those Who Can
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The tires on the ancient GMC pickup bang out their staccato rhythm as he speeds down the six miles of dirt corduroy road to our farm. He turns to me and asks the question I suppose most fathers have been asking their sons for decades: "So, what do you plan to do with your life?" I am fifteen. The year is 1956. My stammer is not due to the road; rather, it's my anxiety at telling him something I don't think he wants to hear. "I'm not sure, Dad, but I think I want to be a teacher." . . . Today, fifty years later, when other retirees ask me what I did with my life, I often perceive a similar reaction. "A teacher, huh? Oh that's nice. Whaddidya teach?" I tell them sociology and education. A glaze drifts over their eyes. I sense a glance behind me for an escape route. I'm thinking, Oh, Damn! Now you've done it again. They think you're some kind of radical left-winger who didn't have the talent or competence to do anything worthwhile in the business world, so you elected to waste their kids' minds with all kinds of worthless crap. "Oh that's interesting (read boring). How nice." End of conversation. . . . At one point in my classroom experience, I borrowed a line from somewhere, and began writing it on my chalkboards on the first days of my classes. I told my students I believed my job as a teacher was to: CALM THE DISTURBED AND DISTURB THE CALM. My survival in the profession probably occurred from tripping the very fine line between these two extremes. This book is therefore a reflection on my journey and what I believe is now required of both teachers and students in contemporary classrooms. Please join me.
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About the Book
The year is 1956. As the tires on the family’s ancient GMC pickup bang out a rhythm on the dirt road to his northeast Missouri farm, fifteen-year-old John Henderson surprises his father by telling him he wants to be a teacher—a decision that eventually leads him from a small farming community in Missouri to Arizona, where he begins his life’s calling. Through an engaging format of attachments and emails, Henderson traces the evolution of his thirty-eight-year teaching career from its beginnings at Arizona State University as a graduate teaching assistant. Henderson chronicles his journey from an elite private boarding school in Scottsdale, Arizona, to a small religious-based college—and concludes with his thirty-four year stint with the Maricopa Community College District in Phoenix. By observing the joys, turmoil, agonies, and even the mundane day-to-day moments of a teacher, Henderson offers a personal yet practical sociological exploration of classroom culture that provides both contemporary students and novice educators with a real-life glimpse into the challenging and rewarding world of classroom teaching. “… Essential reading for prospective teachers.” —Eugene Munger, author of Momma, Don’t Ya Want Me to Learn Nothin'?
About the Author
John Henderson was born and raised in Monroe City, Missouri. After serving thirty-eight years as a sociology professor in Arizona, he retired to Flagstaff, Arizona, where he lives with his wife, Cheryl. He actively enjoys music, outdoor photography, and spending time with his six grandchildren, whom he hopes are considering careers in education.