Mrs. M. has both a crippling social anxiety and a lifelong dream to teach. At age 35, she enters a student teaching program, panics in front of the class, and is red by her mentor, whose parting words are, "There's no place for you in this profession " With the help of a buddy teacher, Mrs. M. nds her home at Owen Charter, a low-budget elementary school, where the talented and the quirky are welcome. Carrie Malinowski was a successful teacher and reading tutor for many years. She now enjoys working with anxiety sufferers in behavioral health. She has a degree in psychology and an Arizona teaching certi cate. Carrie is the author of the children's book, Hand-Me-Down Bear (Heart to Heart Publishing, 2012), and a contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series including Food and Love and Kids on the Spectrum. She lives in Arizona with her husband, son, and her dog, Chester."