This collection of original essays is designed for undergraduate and graduate courses in methods of teaching. While speaking to all the topics covered in traditional methods textbooks, the author also reflects on his own experiences as a student and teacher. He adopts a unique conversational and reflective style that integrates concerns for the well-being of teachers and their professional development, as well as for the role of students in the learning process. Engaging and informed, this book will be a resource for practicing teachers and those in training.

Mischka's Tale is the story not only of the adventures of a singer named Mischka and of his life in the land of Thallhiar, but of the power of love, of truth and of music to change the world. The story begins in the rough northern hills, where Mischka's father is a shepherd and his mother a weaver of coarse cloth. But even in these difficult circumstances, Mischka and his siblings are drawn into a love of music, fostered by a wandering harpist who visits their holding, strengthened in the songs they sing together. Music becomes his livelihood and more: it is the center of his life, shared...

The inspiring story of Isaiah Austin, the man who captured our hearts when he was made the honorary NBA draft pick after a shocking diagnosis ended his professional basketball career before he could even step onto the court.

"There are two choices in life: you make it your excuse or you make it your story." Isaiah Austin's mother shared these words of wisdom with him as a child as he came to terms with a torn retina taking away the ability to see with his right eye. Faced with adversity at a young age, Isaiah had to choose--let his disability define him or overcome the challenge and...

Fr. Robert Griffin, C.S.C. (1925-1999), was a beloved member of the Notre Dame community. With his cocker spaniel, Darby O'Gill, he was instantly recognizable on campus. He was well known for his priestly work counseling students as university chaplain for thirty years, his summer ministry to the homeless and parishioners in New York City, and his weekly columns in the student newspaper, The Observer, in which he invited the campus community to reflect with him on the challenges and joys of being Catholic in a time of enormous social and religious change.

This collection draws...