Author:  Jacquie McTaggart

Publisher:  Booklocker.com, Inc.

ISBN:  1-59113-408-0

The following review was contributed by: Jennifer Brown 

There’s an old saying that goes something like this:  “Those who can, do.  Those who can’t, teach.”  Obviously the coiner of this phrase never stumbled across Jacquie McTaggart, author of FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK.

Jacquie McTaggart spent an astounding 42 years teaching primary school-aged children in the Iowa educational system.  After retiring, she wondered what she would do with her life.  How could she fulfill herself after more than four decades of answering the calling to undertake one of life’s most important jobs, that of educating young children?  She turned to writing a book about the one thing she knew as well as herself:  teaching, of course!

The result is FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK, a thoughtful and informative book that tackles, from the rarely-seen perspective of the devoted teacher, topics both timely and tough, such as:

*The growing concern of childhood obesity

*Bullying

*The effectiveness of the No Child Left Behind legislation

*The real cause of boredom in students

*The myth of the elimination of and reintroduction of phonics in the classroom

*Helping with homework

*Dealing with the emotions of having a child “held back”

*Attention Deficit Disorder and medication

One gets the impression that over the course of her 42-year career, McTaggart has “seen it all.”  Indeed, McTaggart says:

“…the curriculum changed.  Theories evolved.  Innovations were introduced that were guaranteed to enhance the learning process.  Many were subsequently discarded.  Old terminology was eliminated.  New ‘buzzwords’ were formed.  Some old challenges disappeared, and new ones surfaced.  Classes became smaller.  Problems loomed larger.  Respect for the teacher diminished.  School spending increased.  Women joined the workforce in droves.  Men took on moonlighting jobs.  Divorce rates mushroomed.  Single parenting became common.  Immigration burgeoned.  Programs were introduced to combat drugs, alcohol, and violence.  Technological advancements irrevocably changed the course of education.” (pp. 5-6)

Yet it would appear that McTaggart greeted each new challenge not with the attitude of an old dog weary from the constant influx of new tricks, but with the curiosity and tenacity of one of her own students bent on learning the letters of the alphabet.  Through McTaggart’s careful study of the many issues facing our children today, it is clear that she was in it for the love of the children alone.

            FROM THE TEACHER’S DESK is backed up by scads of research, yet is lighthearted and quippy at the same time.  McTaggart makes little use of what must be volumes of anecdotal material at her disposal, but manages to get her point across with some hypothetical situations, a few real-life examples, and short, easy-to-understand chapters.

            This book would be a great addition to any parent’s bookshelf and is a must-read for anyone getting ready to send off their child to school for the first time, as it answers so many questions that concern us all.  But be forewarned:  purchase a packet of “thank you” cards along with it.  You won’t get far before you’ll be dying to thank the teachers in your child’s (and your own!) life.