Chapter 6
Staff Culture
Brett Peiser
One-on-One: A Teacher's Perspective
Neal Teague is a stellar teacher. For years, his history class has been joyful, rigorous, and focused. He also works tremendously hard. Walking through his classroom, surrounded by exemplary student work and detailed activities, one might think that Neal has found his true calling—that he was simply “born to teach.”
Talk to Neal, however, and a different story comes out. “Honestly, teaching is incredibly demanding work. When I first started, I can't tell you how often I wondered whether it was all worth it.” Ask him why he stayed, though, and a giant grin crosses his face. “This culture, this staff, this school … I wouldn't want to work anywhere else in the world. Even ...