This volume describes how one teacher lost himself in the pursuit of excellence, and his research into finding a better way. Values are in vogue in education: they are stated in school policies across the land. Amidst the reality of classroom life, however, the very best of intentions can be compromised in the name of professionalism and effectiveness. Sean Warren, an experienced and successful teacher, became a living contradiction as the insidious influence of power, responsibility, pressure and stress came to bear. His espoused values were habitually incongruent with his practice, as he adopted a persona infused with control and intolerant of disorder. Then, engaging in a process of reconceptualization with his mentor Stephen Bigger, grappling with both the philosophical and the pragmatic, he began to explore how he could learn to be authentic without compromising standards or authority.