A Circle of Children

Books by Mary MacCracken and Torey Haden inspired me to become a teacher of students with disabilities. I loved their toughness and tenacity, and vicariously celebrated their moments of reaching the children and helping them learn and grow. I read these books again and again, and enjoyed them more each time. They helped me when I became discouraged when going through school and when I had my own classroom. They inspired me to keep trying and to build on small successes until they became big steps of progress for my students. I have had several wonderful mentors in my life I've known personally, but these two women were my first mentors in teaching through books. You'll be uplifted by them, too.

Ever taught a kid that flaps his arms, talks gibberish, and has never eaten anything but saltines and chocolate milk his whole life? Mary has taught this kid, and many others with other abnormal conditions. This book is based on a true story about the life of Mary McCracken. Mary starts out as part of a League that went to visit a school for the emotionally disturbed. After an hour of visiting, Mary really wanted to work there. She started out as a volunteer under the supervision of a teacher named Helga. Mary moved up from being a volunteer to substituting for another teacher and eventually running her own class. Mary and another teacher Dan formed team teaching, which they took both classes into one big room and taught together. Each week they took kids to nearby attractions because these kids rarely get out. Mary and Dan were able to teach their students, such as, Brian to eat normal food, Jenny to talk, all the kids how to swim and working other miracles. The book ends with all the kids returning from winter vacation and Mary receiving a message that Dan would be stuck in Florida for awhile. A substitute, named Claude, is hired to teach in Dan's place. I really enjoyed this book from the beginning up towards the very end of the book. When all the Junior Leaguers went to the school to visit, they ended up leaving quickly because they were disgusted in the school. Mary could have left too but she said she really wanted to stay. Her friend Ellen thought she was nuts but Mary didn't care what anyone thought. This is what I really admire about Mary. Another thing I admire about Mary is how she got Helga to become friends with her. Mary, who was hated by Helga because she was a volunteer, was able to gain respect from Helga when she quit her job at this school. I was amazed how she could teach these kids lessons that no other teacher seemed to do. Mary had many great ideas that contributed to her success. One great idea was the deciding each week where to take the kids. These emotionally disturbed kids don't get out much and this was the only way to do so. Also team teaching was another great idea because it enabled Mary and Dan to give two different points of view in learning. There were only two things I didn't enjoy about the book. The first thing was when Mary spent a few chapters discussing about her husband Larry. The book didn't get into details about why they needed a divorce or why Mary went on several vacations to be away from him. When reading these chapters I felt lost because they never said the cause of all this, just simply that it was happening. Lastly I think the book fell apart at the end, when Dan didn't return. I expected the book to end just like a school year would end. Or it would have ended with Dan and Mary still working miracles through their team teaching. Instead, Dan is missing, Mary is upset and she gets a substitute that is new to the whole school system. The book leaves you guessing as to, will Dan Return? And if he

This book is the reason I became a special education teacher. Mary MacCracken's innate ability to know what was good for her children and when she needed to do things is astounding. I learned from her not only what a teacher does, but how a teacher feels. Her poem "Teacher' sits on my desk and is a constant reminder of the reason I do what I do. I've lost count of how many times I've read this and know I will go back again.

I read this book in high school over 10 years ago, and I still feel that it is the best book to really teach you what autistic and behaviorally disturbed children are really like. This is the book that made me choose to become a teacher. I recently recommended it to a friend who just married a man with a 7 year-old autistic daughter.

Simply the best book I have ever read. It shows how children with mental disabilities SHOULD be taught and loved, with love, compassion and patience. Mary MacCracken has an insight others need!