We Lied to Fire Teacher!

James Curtis Geist has been a public school teacher for over twenty-one years. This book is filled with poignant teacher anecdotes in the nutty-marvelous world of the classroom. The book peruses the challenges of 21st century public school education. Subjects include perfectionism, substitute teacher life, bosses, student misbehavior, sexual harassment, guns, Covid-19, terrorism, and teacher unions. This book contemplates challenges and solutions in addition to being full of wit, warmth and humor.

The tome also delves into one of the greatest fears of a teacher - having a false accusation made against him or her. In the Fall of 2022 in suburban N.J. school, five "mean girls" proclaimed to the author on his first day of teaching, "We were able to get our last teacher fired and we are going to get you fired as well!"

Where does such student entitlement and lack of respect for our teachers well from? Why are there no legal consequences for the false accusers? What are teacher unions doing to protect their rank-n-file? Why are the parents of well behaved kids not challenging Superintendents and Principals about the troublemakers who ruin classroom learning for their well behaved kids?

Many educators believe school chaos began when Superintendents and Principals stopped acting as authority figures and chose to become "a friend of students." Classroom misbehavior has spread exponentially because administrators give a short talk and a bag of chips to the troublemaker instead of giving consequences with teeth. When Johnny is sent to the Principal's office today, Johnny comes back proclaiming to the class, "See, I did not get in trouble! Nothing happened!"
Bosses then gas light teachers by saying, "You really need to work on your classroom management skills." Could this be why 51,000 teachers quit their jobs in 2022?

This the 29th book written by Geist. He has written an autobiography, books for children, young adults, history, and poetry, theology and anecdotes. James has taught in New York City, Newark, Jersey City, and two charter schools. James lives in the woods of northern New Jersey with his wife and stepson. He is not related to Bill Geist (CBS), Willie Geist (NBC) or children's author, Ken Geist, but wishes he was.