What I Didn't Know True Stories of Becoming a Teacher

Teachers delve into the most difficult, rewarding, and transformative moments of their careers, as they discover that succeeding at teaching is a test not just of training or of subject matter, but of resolve, dedication, faith, and character. Whether in a New England prep school or a public school in South Central LA, a preschool in Malawi or a high school in China, the fundamental challenges of becoming a teacher are the same: finding authority, forging an authentic connection with students, and making a space where learning can occur. In these twenty personal narratives, teachers provide us with a fascinating insight into a profession that touches us all.

Lee Gutkind (editor) is the author or editor of numerous books and nonfiction anthologies about the medical and mental health communities, including Oh Baby True Stories About Conception, Adoption, Surrogacy, Pregnancy, Labor, and Love; Same Time Next Week: True Stories of Working Through Mental Illness; Many Sleepless Nights: The World of Organ Transplantation; Stuck in Time: The Tragedy of Childhood Mental Illness; At the End of Life: True Stories About How We Die; I Wasn’t Strong Like This When I Started Out: True Stories of Becoming a Nurse; and Writing Away the Stigma: Ten Courageous Writers Tell True Stories About Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Addiction, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, and More.

His stories and op-ed pieces about mental illness and related issues have appeared in The New York Times and National Public Radio. He is the founding editor of Creative Nonfiction magazine and the Distinguished Writer in Residence at the Consortium for Science, Policy, and Outcomes at Arizona State University.