As seen on Ellen!
As he watched poverty wreak havoc throughout his classroom and nearly
break him too, Michael Bonner knew something would have to change--so he
changed himself, before he quit being a teacher.
Michael Bonner knew he wanted to be a teacher after his favorite college
professor, Dr. Poulson, inspired him. The professor's passion and love
for teaching prompted Michael to change his major and his life's
direction. But nothing prepared Michael for the reality of a Title One
school.
Teaching is fun until a 7-year-old is assaulting you or you're dodging
furniture being thrown at you. When you mix the craziness of a classroom
with a marriage that was about to implode, anyone might want to quit.
Smiling on the outside while feeling dead on the inside took this
dedicated teacher to the breaking point. Michael knew he must change
what was inside him, in his approach to life, or nothing would change
anywhere else.
So Michael took matters into his own hands to make four key paradigm
shifts that helped him create a world of successful learning for his
students and love within both the classroom and beyond. The result has
been a transformation that's taken Michael far beyond the classroom as
he inspires thousands across the country.
Many agree teaching is an amazing profession but there's little
discussion why so many teachers are leaving the profession. Get Up or
Give Up: How I Almost Gave Up on Teaching shines a light into the
internal battles and decisions educators face daily, and how we must
make a conscious decision either to give in--or push through.
