Teachers: A Tribute to the Enlightened, the Exceptional, the Extraordinary

I am a third grade teacher and I received this gift from my principal. The photographer spoke to our staff. He was a wonderful speaker who really cared about his subjects. He even took the time to meet each of us and autograph our books. I recommend it for any teacher. It'll make you have good feelings about the profession that you are in.

This was a very inspiring book, the teachers were exceptional in so many different ways. I read an earlier review by Susan Nunes on this book and was so disappointed that she would single out one teacher to attack for what obviously seemed personal reasons. I hate to see your book review forum used in such a personal and vindictive manner.This teacher in no way violated any rules and had the blessing of the school district and every parent who's child participated. I personally spoke with some of those parents who were not even of the same party as Ms. Cahill but felt so privledged that their child had this opportunity to experience first hand our political system. One father told me, "it was great to see my child interested in what's going on in his world". I find it no coincidence that S. Nunes is from Reno where Ms. Cahill teaches; it would seem obvious that Susan's biased political beliefs got in her way of a fair review of this book. Congratulations to all these fine teachers who dare to inspire and take our childrens learning experiences beyond the pages of their school books and outside the walls of their classrooms.This would be a perfect gift for that special teacher or anyone considering the field of education.

This is an overall well-done book praising teachers, those unsung heroes and heroines of society who do so much but are often unappreciated. The authors crisscrossed the country to find teachers who went the extra mile for their students, and these teachers expressed in a myriad of ways what inspired them to teach, and why they still teach. Some are famous, while most are unknown teachers.The concept for this book is admirable. Sometimes, however, I got the feeling the authors went more for the unusual or unique rather than perhaps the appropriate. At least one teacher profiled shouldn't have been included in this book, for she used her classroom as a springboard for a partisan political campaign for the House of Representatives. In this reviewer's view, partisan political activity on the taxpayer dime is simply not ethical. In the case of teachers, it is even worse because of the nature of the profession. A teacher has to be careful at all times to not use the classroom as a soapbox for his or her political viewpoints. What this particular teacher did was beyond the pale, for she actually ran for office and had her students work on her behalf. It matters not whether the parents gave their okay, it matters not that she had little chance of beating the incumbent, and it also matters not whether the administration gave its approval. Somebody dropped the ball by allowing this, and it is a miracle the teacher wasn't called on the carpet by the school board. I work both as a teacher in a private school and as a public sector employee, and I know that if I even wore a political button at either place of employment, I would at least be reprimanded. There are ways to teach children about the political process through a "hands-on" approach, but this teacher's approach isn't it.This tendency to include the unusual rather than the inspirational is the only problem with this book. Otherwise, it is a well-made, well-written book that is ideal for teachers and for those who are interested in going into the field.