TEACHING AS AN ACT OF LOVE: Thoughts and Recollections of a Former Teacher, Principal, and Kid. Richard Lakin. Self-published via iUniverse, 2007. 231 pp. Paperback, $19.95. As educators, it is easy to feel discouraged and oppressed by the bureaucratic demands of our profession. We do not often take the time to acknowledge the immeasurable impact we have on our students or to enjoy the humor a typical school day can bring. Richard Lakin has produced a book to help educators gain perspective on the education field, as well as bring a smile to a harried teacher's face. Anyone who appreciates the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series will enjoy Teaching as an Act of Love: Thoughts and Recollections of a Former Teacher, Principal, and Kid.
Lakin has over 40 years of experience as an elementary teacher and principal in the "Independence School District" in Connecticut and as a teacher/director of The Learning Alternative English Language Center in Jerusalem, Israel.
Teaching as an Act of Love is essentially a memoir, including 55 anecdotes and musings from the heart of a true child advocate. He has organized his writings into four basic categories: 1) tales in teaching, 2) the unique position of being a principal, 3) tributes to exceptional faculty and staff he has encountered over his career, and 4) recommendations on an effective home-school partnership.
The majority of the pieces will resonate with any educator who has ever thought he or she "lost" a student (Where Is Michael Young?, p. 43) or worked with a principal so strict even the teachers were frightened of her (Sheridan and Miss Mildred Walker, p. 27). As a principal, Lakin values empowering his teachers as a more critical goal than fulfilling bureaucratic mandates, and all teachers can benefit from the practical solutions derived from his experience as an administrator. Lakin's mantra of "every child a miracle" can be felt in every aspect of the book. Every new teacher or principal should have this on his or her bookshelf.
Reviewed by Melissa Dabiri, Adjunct Professor, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, California.