Who's Tougher Than Us?

Who's Tougher Than Us? is a collection of true stories entirely from the author's personal experience as an educator. She shares three kinds of stories. Student stories, both good and bad, tell of the student who came to school with his books, pencils, razor blade, and suicide note, and of the former student who yelled "Ms. Gerard!" across a department store to tell her how well she was doing, all because Ms. Gerard broke a rule. Also, it is not impossible to pay $2 to stop a student from having temper tantrums.

There are everyday teacher stories, such as the drama surrounding the copy machine. She includes her top and bottom ten lists of teacher life where she shares the joy of the Catch Up Day, field trip adventures in the rain, and why you need to keep an extra shirt in the classroom. 

Finally, there are stories about administrative issues, such as trying to follow the statewide seating mandate in a room where the desks just don't fit, or navigating dress code policies that cause more problems than they solve. Teaching is a complex profession that is in trouble, as evidenced by our current teacher shortage. By examining and addressing the issues that drive teachers out, we can bring teachers in. 

Teachers in all stages, from new classroom teachers to veteran educators, will relate to Donna Gerard's experiences and see themselves in these stories.