In this memoir, an award winning teacher explains how she was inspired by one of her own teachers. Barbara Warnecke was Cindi Rigsbee's first grade teacher and although she was so very young at the time, Rigsbee says she never forgot Mrs. Warnecke's methods and kindness.

After she entered the field herself and won a number of teaching awards (North Carolina Teacher of the Year and one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year),  Rigsbee landed a spot on Good Morning America where she was invited to thank someone who has made a difference in her life.

Then, as a surprise, the television show's producers found Rigsbee's former teacher, whom she hadn't seen for over 40 years, and they were reunited on camera.  Using this event as the inspiration for this short book, Rigsbee shares her struggles and triumphs as a student through her early days as a teacher. As with any book of this nature, the author also delves into the four essential concepts she practices and encourages other teachers to adopt.

In addition to Rigsbee's recollections and advice, the reader will find short essays from other instructors describing how they were inspired by one of their teachers. At the end of her memoir the author invites anyone who was inspired by a teacher to share his/her story on the author's blog.

Although it is quite readable, this is a memoir that may interest members of the educational community but probably not too many outside of it. It seems that as soon as an instructor on any grade level wins a prestigious award or two, a book soon follows. That's all well and good but in too many instances it seems that the person's newly acquired fame translates into numerous speaking engagements, workshops, and other activities that take the teacher out of the classroom and away from his or her students.

I have sat through far too many presentations where the individual giving it waxes poetic on how important teaching and being with his or her students is, yet they spend a great deal of time away from the youngsters giving motivational talks. I'm not suggesting this is the case with Cindi Rigsbee, but I usually approach books like this with a degree of skepticism!  Since my remembrance of the first grade is marginal at best, I was surprised the author found her experience so memorable!