"Just a Teacher"shares the voices of our children, describing how teachers change lives every day. OEA award-winning educator, David Tourzan relates the ongoing struggles and daily victories from over 20 years of public school teaching. At times painful, these compelling, intimate stories show both the great potential and inherent limits of hopeful empowerment.
"Just a Teacher's "brutally honest account of rural, low-income schools is both inspiring and entertaining, with a blend of comedy and simmering indignation. Tourzan confronts major obstacles to improving education in the United States as he takes on underfunded schools, overtested students, union bureaucracy, school lunches, and even student body fluids. The full spectrum of teaching is revealed in unflinching detail.
Readers will laugh and cry at the ironic and amusing descriptions of our common plight. We were all students at some point in life, and we all want better schools for kids. Just a Teacher inspires us to listen carefully to the voices of our children.
"David Tourzan's writing subtly invites us to our own reflection by his spirited and passionate self-reflections. He provides details of a slice of Americana. The kids he speaks of in his vignettes are caught in the cross current of an unhealthy society, a reality that is oft repeated in countless communities across this country. He provides solutions and practices that can and must be implemented in our nation's schools if we are to survive as a culture. Above all, David's account is filled with hope."
- Gary Bacon, Ph.D., Author, Essential Education
Milken National Educator Award Winner
Delores Kohl Foundation National Award Winner
""Just a Teacher" is a dedicated teacher's perspective on the plight of public school students. Mr. Tourzan eloquently describes his multicultural career of helping underserved children. These unique true student stories serve as beacons to guide educational reform. Prospective teachers need to read this book to get a realistic vision of the daily challenges and joys of this powerful profession. I recommend this book to anyone involved with children, education, or philanthropy."
- Tom Cole, Founder, Kids Unlimited Academy