No Teacher Left Behind by HBF Teacher

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

HBF Teacher has been a public school Middle grades teacher for three years. Before that, HBF substitute taught for two years. HBF has also worked as a live-in nanny and an accounts payable representative. Today when not nurturing young minds, HBF enjoys travel, photography, culinary arts, and the cinema. The Cohen Brothers and Tyler Perry are among her favorite artistic contributors.

You can find HBF Teacher online at http://www.noteachersleftbehind.info/.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Explored through a series of poems, emails, and brief conversations, No Teachers Left Behind is a fictional yet realistic look at the frustrations of middle school staff.

I was lucky enough to be able to ask this author some questions. Here is what she had to say:

Could you please tell us a little about your book?

No Teachers Left Behind is a novel about a group of middle school staff members. It is a story of teachers and students and those who should be supporting them; it is told through a series of emails (some humorous and some "I can’t really believe that happened"), conversational exchanges, and poems.

Did something specific happen to prompt you to write this book?

Being a school teacher is a wonderful thing, but at the same time, it is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. My daily efforts (and the efforts of some of my fellow school teachers) to change lives inspired me to write No Teachers Left Behind.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My biggest supporter is my husband. He’s the one who listens when I’m so frustrated about my failure to reach my teaching goals, and he’s the one who sends me flowers at work, reminding me that I make a difference each day I show up.

Your biggest critic?

I have to be my biggest critic. I’m never satisfied, and I always want to go back and change something, believing that I can always make it better. I’m working on just letting things go. Nevertheless, I’m pretty satisfied with No Teachers Left Behind. I don’t think it can get any better, but there is more to tell. I’ll be sure and share it in the sequel.

What cause are you most passionate about and why?

I am extremely passionate about teacher support, which is one of the reasons I wrote No Teachers Left Behind. I think teachers are undervalued, underpaid, and under supported. I would like to see this change. For so many years, we have worried about leaving students behind, but look at the number of great teachers who leave their jobs each year. Teachers are also being left behind.

What is the most important thing in your life right now?

My family is always the most important thing in my life. At the end of a busy day, I’m always rushing home to see them. Because of my family, my husband and my two daughters, I don’t have bad days.

What are some of your long term goals?

Ever since I was a kid, I have always wanted to be on Oprah. I guess that’s a pretty big goal, but I would love to be sitting on the couch with the O discussing my book. Of course, I want a Pulitzer too, but then again, why not dream big?

What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?

When I was a little girl, my grandmother told me that I should never judge people based on the way they look, only by how they treat me. That is a lesson I have always carried with me. It is one that I have passed on to my own children. I think it is a life lesson that everyone should learn.

What is your favorite past-time?

My favorite past-time is taking pictures. When I’m not writing, you will most likely find me snapping away with my camera. A picture is a snapshot of life, whether that image is alive or dead – the odds are that someone influenced it somehow. I capture those snapshots, and they urge me to think beyond hat I can see.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Thanks for the interview. I hope your readers will find value in at least one of my responses, and that will encourage them to purchase my novel, No Teachers Left Behind. Call me biased, but it’s a really great read.