Title: The Education of a Teacher: Lessons a Small Town Taught a Teacher
Author: Noel Nation
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 9781483675282
Pages: 92
Genre: Biography/Education
Reviewed By: Barbara Bamberger Scott

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Writer Noel Nation recalls highlights of his teaching, coaching and administrative career in Cleveland, Oklahoma, where he believes he learned as much as he taught in The Education of a Teacher: Lessons a Small Town Taught a Teacher.

Nation’s childhood provided a strong grounding for the future. His father was a hard- working WWII veteran who emphasized that one is not a failure unless one fails to try again. The boy’s first experiential lesson came when he took on a paper route – it seemed like fun until bad weather hit and the urge to quit was almost overwhelming. But with family encouragement he began to see more positives; keeping the route also helped engrain the satisfaction of doing a job well and earning from it. As a youngster, Nation had a dream of playing baseball; some health issues were a barrier but with persistence, he became a solid player and later a coach of the sport. As a high school science teacher, he observed that there are many types of learners; understanding and accepting their differing needs and motivations was a ”game-changer” for him.

Nation shares numerous memorable, informal learning experiences, some of which are amusing, others poignant. A parent whose child received three F’s and three I’s (incompletes) was far more upset about the latter than the former. A student once called in sick; when told that his mother would need to vouch for him, he replied, “Mom thinks I’m faking it. She wouldn’t call.” A touching yet inspiring segment describes the speech he gave to a senior class on the fifteenth anniversary of the tragic death of his first child, caused by a drunken driver. In it he stresses the importance of relationships with people, not things, because in the long run, these will be the most significant.

The author has much wisdom to offer to parents and fellow teachers about the nature of the educational system, stressing that passion and reason are both essential components for teachers, along with the commitment and willingness of the community to share in the schooling process. It can start, he believes, with family values; a deep sense of personal responsibility will pay dividends to both learner and teacher. Nation’s reminiscences are enlivened by his evident caring for his profession at all levels, his personal connections with the young people he has helped to motivate, his hearty sense of humor, and by short, relevant poems scattered through the narrative. He states that he wishes to convey “both the plight and the pleasure of being a teacher.” He accomplishes his goal in a way that will both entertain and enlighten his readers.