You weren't hired to survive education. You were called to change lives.
But between discipline referrals, disconnected students, frustrated parents, and a system that sometimes asks the impossible - it's easy to wonder if anyone told you the truth about this job.
Dr. Bruce Lautenschlager did it for 37 years. Teacher. Dean of Students. Assistant Principal. Principal. Alternative School Leader. He has one message for you:
The sky isn't falling. But you need to stop picking up the rope.
A Field Guide from Someone Who's Actually Been There
This isn't a textbook. No research citations, no rigid frameworks, no one-size-fits-all solutions. Just 43 chapters of hard-won, straight-talking wisdom from thousands of student conferences, home visits, and real decisions under real pressure.
Through rural analogies - grain of sand, herd cows, barn cats, fishing ponds, rabbit hunting - Dr. Bruce makes the complex feel manageable. You'll learn why you can't hunt rabbits the same way you hunt squirrels, how to take temperatures at the door each morning, and why picking up the rope with a defiant student is always a losing move.
What's Inside:
- 3 Career Stages - years 1-3, the middle years 4-20, and the master teacher stage through retirement
- Classroom management & student engagement that works with real students in real schools
- School discipline reimagined - why punishment rarely fixes behavior, and what does
- Parent communication - getting even the hardest parents on your side
- Educational leadership for principals, APs, deans, and counselors
- Alternative education - a MASH unit approach to triage, trust, and recovery
- Conflict resolution and building trust with the highest-needs students
Who This Book Is For:
- New teachers who want real tools, not more theory
- Veteran educators seeking perspective and renewed purpose
- Principals, APs, deans, and school counselors
- Alternative education professionals working with at-risk students
The Secret Dr. Bruce Has Taught for Four Decades:
"It's all about relationships, relationships, relationships - and they take time, time, time."
"A true gem and well worth the read." - Dr. Stacy Mason, Ph.D., Vigo County School Corporation
"A breath of fresh air... common-sense wisdom at its best." - Shelly Gardner, M.Ed., 36 years in education
The sky isn't falling. And with the right tools, neither are you.
More educator resources: teachersignals.com
