Teaching and Joy

School Administrator, May, 1998 by Nan S. Spalding

Teaching and Joy is a collection of 25 short stories, tales and vignettes from contributors who have felt powerful influences from others and been personally moved, changed or motivated or who have observed the impact one human can have on another.

Most selections were written by educators who received joy from their students, but other contributors describe their inspiration gleaned from classroom teachers and from mentors in less orthodox educational settings.

The stories are edited by Robert Sornson, professor of health and physical fitness at Jackson Community College in Michigan, and James Scott, executive director of special education services for the Northville, Mich., Public Schools.

Their selections discuss race relations from the viewpoint of a pioneer teacher of color, the teaching of imaginative travel by Miss Daisy, the mentoring of a father for handling the problems of life and memories of teachers who fostered human and social values.

This collection of mostly short pieces will be a joy for anyone involved in education to read at his or her leisure. It might be the catalyst to inspire others to put their pens to paper and share some of their wisdom gained through teaching.

(Teaching and Joy, edited by Robert Sornson and James Scott, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1250 N. Pitt St., Alexandria, Va. 22314, 1997, 143 pp., $16.95 softcover)