The Education of a Teacher

Susan Van Kirk never imagined she'd write a book at age 63, but her memoir, The Education of a Teacher (including Dirty Books and Pointed Looks) is out, and charming readers. Future teachers, current teachers, and people who simply want to read true, human interest stories will laugh, cry, and ponder the tales.

At age 50, Van Kirk went back to school to get her master's degree in education. By then she had raised 3 children, and 3 summers later she could move over to college teaching - but the voices and faces she taught haunted her dreams. On one of her college student's recommendation, she decided to put the stories in writing and was published by Teacher Magazine. Social networks allowed her to reconnect with many former students and colleagues, who encouraged her in her journey in writing her book and even helping with her website. Further information can be found on www.susanvankirk.com.

Susan Van Kirk was educated at Knox College (BA) and University of Illinois (M.Ed.). Once she earned her graduate degree she began writing on a freelance basis, including for CliffsNotes - a job that came in handy because it helped her determine if her students were using her writing in their book reports. Following retirement from Monmouth High School, she began teaching at Monmouth College. Currently she divides her time between teaching in Monmouth, Illinois and spending part of the year in Phoenix, where her children and grandchildren live.