ABOUT THE BOOK

Why are so many teachers leaving the profession? They’re burned out, they feel disrespected, and unsupported. After teaching remotely during a pandemic, they’re returning to classrooms with under-socialized and sometimes out-of-control kids. 

Teaching with Heart chronicles the journey of a journalist-turned-teacher determined to make teaching her mission—despite its difficulties. Peek into Madame Nelson’s classroom to see her working to reach teens who dance, cry, and hit each other in French class; administrators who laud the latest pedagogical trends and testing regimen; and parents who sometimes support—and sometimes interfere with—their children’s education. Meet colleagues who save her from quitting, and her children who provide advice. Along the journey, she evolves from an aloof elitist into an empathetic listener to all sorts of teens. 

Isn’t it time we create schools in which teachers want to stay and new ones enter? Without committed teachers, how can we prepare students to run our world? Teaching with Heart illuminates why it’s so hard to hold on to classroom teachers these days—and what can be done to better the situation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Nelson is a high school French teacher, writer, and personal historian. She spent the last 15 years teaching in public and private schools; before that, she wrote for business and literary magazines and regional newspapers. She runs Your Stories, a writing services company, and holds degrees from Columbia University, University of California, Berkeley and Vermont College of Fine Arts. During her spare time, she loves walking, traveling, and spending time with her partner and three grown children. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

TALKING POINTS

• Teacher shortages. In college, not nearly as many students are majoring in education, instead opting for professions with higher salaries and less stress. Veteran teachers are retiring and young teachers are leaving the profession. What can be done to retain teachers and encourage more college students to consider teaching as a career?
• It’s tough being a teacher these days. Students have different needs that must be addressed. There’s an emphasis on engaging students all the time, and on developing creative lessons that appeal to different styles of learning and incorporate technology. Kids have become obsessed with their cell phones, and this can be a huge distraction to learning. Also, administrators expect teachers to meet their professional development responsibilities, and the list goes on. Teaching to the test is a big issue for many teachers.
• Trust teachers. Kids are in good hands with educators, who for the most part, care and want children to succeed. The public should show respect for educators who help all kinds of children figure out a future in which they will be happy and successful.
• Educators need parental support to succeed in the classroom. Parents know their children better than teachers do. Teachers need parents’ input to address academic, behavioral, social or emotional concerns.
• Teachers’ voices should be heard as often as those of parents and students.  Sometimes, teachers are the administration’s third priority, with parents and students having more influence on instruction, procedures and direction in high schools. Teachers are professionals who spend many hours with students. Shouldn’t their opinions matter as much—if not more—than those of parents and students?