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.