Dragons in My Classroom: A Teacher's Memoir

Dragons in My Classroom: A Teacher's Memoir

When Barbara Kennard realized that her perfectionism was holding her back from being the teacher she'd always wanted to be, she thought about abandoning the professional together; instead, she took a risk and gave up everything she knew about teaching in the United States to teach at The Dragon School in Oxford, England, where-by the grace of God--she finally learned to deal with her own inner "dragons." "A well-crafted account about the search for greater flexibility when confronting life's inevitable challenges." - Kirkus Reviews " . . . engaging . . . This book is an endearing testament to the power of personal growth and reflection in one teacher's incredibly rich professional life." -- StoryCircle Book Reviews "In this memoir, Barbara Kennard so expertly captures the array of experiences that teachers encounter--the high and the low, the heartwarming and the hilarious. During her year teaching in Oxford, she comes to learn a new way of approaching both her classroom and her life that makes for an incredibly engaging read. Teachers everywhere will love this book." --Nadine Kenney Johnstone, writing coach and award-winning author of Of This Much I'm Sure: A Memoir "For any who struggle to distinguish between perfectionism and a yearning to grow into the fullest version of who God has created us to be, this book is a balm. Barbara Kennard writes candidly and compassionately about the people and places that taught her about self-acceptance and mercy. Her love of great writers and her appreciation for those she teaches and those who teach her shine through in vivid prose and engaging stories. Kennard is a lifelong educator. With humor, honesty, and self-awareness, this book invites readers to learn lessons alongside her about forgiveness, surrender, grace, and love." --Dr. Jennifer Howe Peace, coeditor of My Neighbor's Faith: Stories of Interreligious Encounter, Growth, and Transformation and Interreligious/Interfaith Studies: Defining a New Field "The story of Barbara Kennard's quest should inspire anyone who feels a calling to seek patiently for the best way to answer it and put it into play. This wise memoir should also remind us that although perfection can never be attained, we stand to have a lot of fun in the pursuit." --David Smith, author of Be a Teacher: A Memoir in Ten Ideas "In this delightful memoir of her career as a middle school English teacher, Barbara Kennard tells the story of how an exchange year in an Oxford preparatory school changed her life forever. Witty, incisive, and wise by turns, Kennard's accessible style draws the reader in to experience the many challenges, joys, and surprises that confront her, not the least her fresh discovery of Anglican spiritual life." --The Rev'd Sarah Coakley, Norris-Hulse Professor of Divinity, emerita, University of Cambridge, and author of God, Sexuality and The Self Barbara Kennard taught English and performing arts to elementary, middle, and high school students from 1980 to 2015 and has received two teaching awards: The Christa McAuliffe Award for Teaching Excellence and The Barbara Kennard Sixth Grade English Prize, established in her name at The Fessenden School by a Fessenden family. Barbara lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, pianist Brady Millican, and their cat, Piper.