text: In all the talk about education issues these days, it's easy to forget that what's really important is the relationship, the energy, between students and teacher.  When the teacher closes his door and is face-to-face with thirty kids--THAT'S where it's at.  It's not test scores or textbooks or innovative curriculum--it's what happens between PEOPLE in a classroom.  This book shows that dynamic relationship between eager, active kids and a caring, active teacher.  It's not all pleasant, and successes are sometimes small, but a pervasive caring underlies it all.  As a teacher, this book reminded me that sometimes the best thing I can do for my kids is to leave all that paperwork, go for a walk, go to bed early so I can be there for them the next day
  