Teaching in the Dark: A Memoir
by Genét Simone
GENRE: Memoir
PUBLICATION DATE: 09/22/2023
DESCRIPTION:
Genét Simone was a young college graduate without any professional experience when she answered a newspaper ad seeking high school teachers in Alaska. After purchasing a one-way ticket from Seattle to the village of Shishmaref, and enduring a white-knuckle trip on a bush plane, she found herself dealing with unexpectedly rustic accommodations and the culture shock of a being in a remote Iñuit village where she didn’t know a soul.
In a fascinating, poignant, often humorous retelling, Simone details how she relied on her courage, resilience and wit to endure darkness, freezing temperatures, power outages, loneliness and first-year teacher anxieties and missteps. Those challenges, however, would pale in comparison to the life lessons she would learn about becoming a real teacher — lessons from her students, their community and their culture on the vast, windy landscape at the edge of the Chukchi Sea.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Genét Simone, PhD, has been a teacher and teacher educator for over 30 years. Her experiences in Shishmaref, Alaska, spearheaded a lifelong inquiry into what draws people to follow their calling into the teaching profession and what keeps them there. Dr. Simone is the creator of The B.E.S.T. Formula, a system for helping teachers be Brave, Effective, Self-Caring and Transformative. She lives in Seattle, Washington.
REVIEWS:
"[Simone] brings to life a place that most of us will never visit with her lyrical appreciation of the natural environment. But it's the people she gets to know and the changes in herself as she matures and builds her confidence that are truly compelling. Whatever she's facing (and life in the Iñupiat community is tough for an Outsider) she writes with honesty, no self-pity, and great humour." — Nonfiction Book Awards (Gold Winner)
"This is an insightful look at the Iñupiat culture, a first-year teacher’s trials and joys, and amazing depth of insight into the art and significance of teaching and learning." — RS, Shishmaref, Alaska
"A 'how to' for new teachers wondering what the work is really like. Honest, at times wrenching, and deeply moving. Simone's passion to connect with her students in this culture so vastly different from her own was compelling. Her stories painted a vivid picture of life in the arctic regions. A truly remarkable book." —International Impact Book Awards
COMPARATIVE FILM/BOOK:
"Northern Exposure" (comedy/drama series created by Joshua Brand and John Falsey); "Wild" (book by Cheryl Strayed, movie written by Nick Hornby)
CASTING:
The author (Genét Simone) played by Reese Witherspoon; Anne (roommate) played by Kathy Bates; Principal Ken, played by Nick Offerman
PRIMARY VENUES/LOCATIONS WITHIN THE BOOK:
The village of Shishmaref, Alaska (Shishmaref School, teacher's house, post office, Nayokpuk General Store); Nome, Alaska (Nugget Inn, Board of Trade Saloon)
BOOK EXCERPT:
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