Catch and Release: Becoming a Teacher Who Changes Lives

A combination of Tuesdays with Morrie and A River Runs Through It, this story is set in South Texas where Nathaniel, a veteran high school teacher, has just been named Texas Teacher of the Year. As he accepts his award, he pledges to mentor brand new first year teacher, Meghan. What follows is an extraordinary journey through his last year of teaching and her first, told through conversations they have during fly-fishing excursions. Beyond the typical talk of lesson planning, grading, and class management, Nathaniel challenges Meghan to question what she sees, what she does, and why she does it. As each chapter unfolds, new insights are gleaned from the journey that teachers take and the seasons that they experience as they strive to become teachers who change lives. This story written for teachers by teachers, is sure to provoke and inspire everyone to reflect on their experiences as both teacher and student. This book is about relationships-relationships between teachers and their students, teachers and each other, and teachers and their families. And it is about the persistence and passion with which teachers teach despite the many challenges they face. Most importantly, this story is about the art of catching and releasing those we are in a position to care for. For teachers, this is our students. If we do this well, we will become teachers who change lives.