Chalkboards and Clipboards
My Thirty-Five Years at The Montgomery Academy
by
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The night before our championship game, we held our last practice. Prior to beginning, I gave my best pep talk. When I finished, one of my players raised her hand and asked if she could address the team. I said,"Surely<" thinking she was going to really fire them up. the twelve-year-old said, "i just want to tell everyone why my hair looks like it does tonight." a seventh grader came into my classroom before school one moring just dying laughing. i asked her what was wrong and she replied that her mother had been so busy fussing at her and her siblings that morning that she forgot to raise the garage door and backe the brand new suv into it. mr. crouch made me a better english student myself because of all the hours i spent drilling my son for his tests and quizzes. a daily chalkboard maxim-"never squat with your spurs on." thinking="" she="" was="" going="" to="" really="" fire="" them="" up.="" the="" twelve-year-old="" said,="" "i="" just="" want="" to="" tell="" everyone="" why="" my="" hair="" looks="" like="" it="" does="" tonight."="" a="" seventh="" grader="" came="" into="" my="" classroom="" before="" school="" one="" moring="" just="" dying="" laughing.="" i="" asked="" her="" what="" was="" wrong="" and="" she="" replied="" that="" her="" mother="" had="" been="" so="" busy="" fussing="" at="" her="" and="" her="" siblings="" that="" morning="" that="" she="" forgot="" to="" raise="" the="" garage="" door="" and="" backe="" the="" brand="" new="" suv="" into="" it.="" mr.="" crouch="" made="" me="" a="" better="" english="" student="" myself="" because="" of="" all="" the="" hours="" i="" spent="" drilling="" my="" son="" for="" his="" tests="" and="" quizzes.="" a="" daily="" chalkboard="" maxim-"never="" squat="" with="" your="" spurs="">
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About the Book
Some people would think twice before accepting the responsibility of educating twelve- and thirteen-year-old students, but for author Tommy Jones, teaching seventh-grade students would rate as one of the most rewarding aspects of his life. In this memoir, Jones recounts a thirty-five-year career at The Montgomery Academy in Montgomery, Alabama. In Chalkboards and Clipboards, Jones provides an informational, humorous, and sometimes poignant look inside this prestigious independent school where he taught seventh-grade life science and tenth-grade biology, also serving as a girls’ basketball coach for twelve years. With personal anecdotes and related stories, he gives insight into the everyday experiences and the multi-faceted interaction between administrators, faculty, students, and parents. Jones provides a behind-the-scenes look into what goes on behind the classroom doors, in the halls, on campus, and in the gym of this school that holds many memories for this now-retired teacher.
About the Author
Tommy Jones holds BS and MA degrees from the University of Alabama. He taught in the Montgomery Public School System for fifteen years before spending the remaining thirty-five years of his career at the Montgomery Academy. Now retired, Jones is a substitute teacher and assistant middle school girls’ volleyball coach.