This book is based on a true story and is based on the true life experiences of Lorna Stremcha, the author. She is an award-winning educator and coach. She is an advocate against all forms of bullying, whether in schools or in the workplace. She is listed as a speaker for Bullying Police USA and is one of the first 13 individuals to co-author the healthy workplace bullying act in the United States. Currently working with young adults, this author shares her life lessons with others in order to help them live healthier lives in the aftermath of bullying and sexual harassment. Most names in this book have been changed for privacy reasons. This book begins with endorsements by other educators and advocates against bullying and abuse. It opens with a brief acknowledgment to the author's editor, whom she calls friend. It begins with an "About the Book" by an unnamed individual, an "Author's Note" explaining what the book is all about, and a the author's Preface giving an overview of the problem facing schools. She tells her story in 12 chapter, using Chapter 12 to sum up the lessons she has learned. She provides a brief segment "Helpful Information and Vocabulary," a short segment of legal terms for bullying, and provides a section profiling who engages in bullying behaviors, identifying traits, and identifying PTSD in victims. The author wraps all this up with a short "Works Cited" section and "Recommendations" of what to further read about bullying.
I did not find this book light, entertaining reading. It showed what explains, but in no way excuses, why schools so often not only tolerate bullying, but actually cover it up and protect the bullies. It gave me "the inside scoop" of what really goes on from the perspective of educators. I could see why the author gave fictitious names to so many people, because of the nature of her story. She did the right thing in seeking to expose bullying among her co-workers and among students, but found herself being opposed until she lost her position. I was enlightened as to why, when I was growing up and experienced intense bullying, especially in 9th grade, the bullies were protected and I, the victim, was sent away to a school system that not only taught me little in the way of academics, but less in the way of life skills. I felt that I was always treated like I was "the problem." At the beginning of this book, the author tells her story of being terrorized and bullied by a young man whom she knew to have grown up in special education. Because I also grew up in a similar educational setting, this brought up bad memories. Despite the author's bad childhood, she ended up becoming hugely successful in the worldly sense, as this book shows. While I am glad for her and that she escaped, I know that many who grew up like her, remain trapped and adopt lives of not attaining their God-given potentials or worse, take up lives of crime and take out their rage on our society. The author speaks highly of her family and of how they stood by her through her ordeal, but I would have liked to know more about who paved the way for her own success. People do not become successes on their own; they have help along the way. But as this is focused on her experiences in teaching, I knew there would be little about other parts of her life.
I recommend this book for all teachers, school guidance counselors, and all educators. They need to be aware that bullying should not be tolerated or covered up. What it did to the author and to her family can show them why they should protect whistleblowers, not the wrongdoers. Parents should read this to get a look into how teachers think and what they experience, and may gain more understanding of how to handle school problems. People who grew up bullied, abused, in special education settings or in the foster care system, may find this book triggering and it may bring up bad memories. The author provides a disclaimer about this at the beginning of this book.
I received a complimentary editor's proof of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not asked to give this book a positive review.
No comments:
Post a Comment