Lessons Learned in the Classroom: "Inspiring, upbeat and optimistic, yet honest and hard-hitting when necessary. Into the mix of issues and people she takes on, Murphy constantly brings the joy of her vocation - her very special love of the classroom and of her students, a commitment that has kept her working hard for thirty-one years despite many challenges, personal and public. Murphy creates an unforgettable cast of characters . . . and always, she remembers the students who have touched her heart and motivated her teaching." -Dianne Aprile, author of The Things We Don't Forget "Her chronicle of heartbreaking struggles and heartfelt passion gives readers insight into the heart, soul, passion, and lifeblood of what it means to be a teacher." -Dr. Kevin Sue Bailey, Indiana University Southeast Professor of Education, Director of IU Southeast Writing Project "I know that as a teacher, I am a compilation of all the teachers I have had, of colleagues with whom I have worked, and of schools where I have taught. I wanted a chance to revisit these people and places both physically and, as Shakespeare's Hamlet would say, 'in my mind's eye.' My thirty years of experiences, from student teaching to present, define who I am as a teacher." -Elizabeth Murphy, from Lessons Learned in the Classroom