Helen Keller’s well-known autobiography, the story of her life up to age 21, portions of which were adapted for the play and movie “The Miracle Worker,” was written while she was in college and published in 1903. It is Part I of a three-part publication, with Part II containing letters written by Helen Keller and Part III containing a supplementary account of her education (from reports of her teacher, Anne Sullivan). Both the book itself and the first portion of the book were entitled “The Story of My Life.”
Educating Esme: Diary of a Teacher's First Year Esme Codell 1999
This book is one person describing her experiences in her first year of teaching.Any new graduate, not just new teachers, leaving school with a degree in something they love, sure that they now have the knowledge and ability to change the world, will identify with Esme Codell. Whether or not you like her, or agree with her methods, that isn't the point of her writing. What she is sharing are her own personal feelings and experiences during her first year of teaching. How many other people out there would be willing to share their diaries, even edited, with others? Like her or not, you have to give her credit for what she did. After all, if we only read books written by people we like and whose ideas we agree with, it would be a pretty boring life!
Reviewed by a customer
Thinking in Pictures: My Life with Autism Temple Grandin
This is a must-read book for parents, professionals, and teenagers/adults living with autism (it is not appropriate for younger readers). It is easy to read, entertaining and informative. Readers will come away with a greater understanding of autism and how widely the spectrum of autistic disorders can vary, as well as what to do to help someone with autism.Ms. Grandin's greatest gift lies in her ability to understand both the worlds of non-autistics and autistics alike. Using her personal experiences as well as significant contributions from other people, she explains how baffling the world is to a person with autistism, in terms of unwritten social codes, our reliance on verbal thinking, relationships, appearances, etc. She discusses concrete ways in which autistics can be helped to integrate with society -- in families, friendships, other relationships, schools, and jobs.
Her chapter on medication is valuable, discussing how autism often requires different doses than are commonly prescribed. This is information that isn'treadily available unless you are working with a physician who has extensive experience with autistic patients. Since an autistic person is highly sensitive, the effects of behavior modification medications are often amplified, requiring a lower dose. Particular attention needs to be given to medication combinations. There is also information on many of the related disorders that often accompany autism, such as sensory integration disorders, Tourrette's Syndrome,ADD, etc. Everything is written from the perspective of the autistic with Ms. Grandin acting as translator.
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Tisha: The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaskan Wilderness Robert Sprecht
Alaska in the 1920's! A 19 year old teacher who knows nothing about living in the wild. The racism between the whites and the Eskimos. Dog teams, temps at minus 56 degrees, blinding snowstorms and love between the teacher who is white and a young man who is half Eskimo and half white. All in all this book was one of those "I can't put it down." Reviewed by Sylvia Hansen