>>>
>>> FOR
>>> FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS HE WAS MISTER WELLS, A TEACHER IN THE AUGUSTA SCHOOL SYSTEM.
NOW TOM WAS HAS PUT WHAT HE
LEARNED INTO 4@A BOOK.
>> DEAR MISTER WELLS, IS A 4@MI
OF LESSONS AND LETTERS FROM HIS
STUDENTS.
WHEN HE WAS RETIRING HE WAS
HANDED THIS BINDER WITH MORE
THAN 4@4@100 HANDWRITTEN THANK
NOTES FROM THOSE HE HAD TOUCHED
THROUGH HIS YEARS OF TEACHING.
>> I DON'T WANT TO CRY ON TV.
BUT, THE FIRST ONE DEAF LIKE 4@
YOU SAID, IT'S HANDWRITTEN
MAKE THIS SETS UP 4@THE WHOLE
CONCEPT AND IT IS BASICALLY
JUST KIDS THANKING ME FOR WHAT
I DID FOR THEM AS HUMAN 4@BEING
AND THE ROLES -- THE ROLE I
PLAYED IN THEIR LIVES AND IN
MANY CASES I LITERALLY SA4@VE
THEIR LIVES.
I DIDN'T 4@KNOW IT.
>> YO4@UR BOOK IS CALLED DEAR
MISTER WELLS.
WHO WAS THIS WRITTEN FOR?
>> THAT'S AN INTERESTING
QUESTION.
BEING AN 4@ENGLISH TEACHER I
ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE YOU HAVE TO
CONSIDER YOUR 4@AUDIENCE. 4@
THE TOPIC IS THE EFFECT
EDUCATORS HAVE ON STUDENTS.
THE 4@AUDIENCE, 4@INTERESTINGLY
THE FIRST POINT IN TIME IT
WASN'T ANYONE.
I JUST HAD TO WRITE IT.
EVERY TEACHER SHOULD DO THIS.
MAINLY BECAUSE I 4@DIDN'T REALI
-- I WAS HAVING A BLAST.
I LOVE 4@TEACHING AND I WOULD D
ANYTHING ELSE.
I DIDN'T 4@REALIZE HOW I IMPACT
STUDENTS UNTIL LATER.
SO I REALLY WANTED TO SHARE
WITH EDUCATORS THAT THEY,
DESPITE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS AND
DESPITE CORONAVIRUS NOW AND ALL
THE DISTRACTIONS EDUCATORS HAVE
RIGHT NOW, TO LOOK IN FRONT OF
THEM AND TO NOT LOOK ANYWHERE 4@
ELSE AND WORK YOUR MAGIC.
THAT WAS MY PRIMARY AUDIENCE.
BUT IT KI4@NDA DRIFTED 4@FROM T
TO I WANT OLD PEOPLE TO READ IT
AND ESPECIALLY ANYONE 4@WHO IS
NAYSAYER WHEN IT COMES 4@TO
TEACHERS.4@
BECAUSE THE PUBLIC DOES NOT
KNOW -- I DUNNO, I WAS IN 4@THE
CLASSROOM 41 YEARS.
THEY DON'T KNOW THE MAGIC
TEACHERS ARE WORKING WITH THEIR
KIDS AND IT GOES WELL BE ON THE
SUBJECT MATTER.
>> THAT SAID, YOU TALK 4@4@ABOU
CORONAVIRUS AND WHAT TEACHERS
ARE FACING RIGHT NOW.4@
THERE SO MUCH ONLINE LEARNING.
IT'S A 4@BRAND-NEW WORLD FOR
THEM.
YOUR REACTION TO THAT?
>> I DON'T KNOW -- I WOULD HAVE
GOD TO EACH 4@OF MY STUDENTS
CLASSES WEARING A MASK AND 4@GI
THEM A LESSON.
THAT INTIMACY THAT CREATES THE
BOND FROM WHICH KIDS 4@GROW
RHYTHMICALLY IS NOT REALLY
THERE.
>> YOU ACTUALLY WRITE ABOUT
TECHNOLOGY.
I JUST WANT TO READ THIS BACK
TO. 4@
YOU SAY, I CANNOT IMAGINE
GROWING UP IN TODAY'S WORLD.
TECHNOLOGY HAS PROVIDED
WONDERFUL INNO4@VATIONS TO HELP
GROWING UP IN TODAY'S WORLD. TECHNOLOGY HAS PROVIDED WONDERFUL INNO4@VATIONS TO HELP@
KIDS LEARN AT THE FLIPSIDE OF
THIS IS ACCESS TO
MISINFORMATION, INSTANT
GRATIFICATION SYNDROME AND
DISTRACTIONS GALORE.
>> FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL I GAVE
TO ONE OF MY STUDENTS, I 4@GIVE
THEM AN OLD BEAT UP CELL PHONE
AND GIVE THEM SOME
INSTRUCTIONS.
AND HE CAME INTO THE CLASSROOM
AND I WAS START TALKING WITH
THE KIDS AND TAKE THE CELL
PHONE AT OUT AND ASKED THEM TO
PUT IT AWAY AND 4@BE RESPECTFUL
THEY WERE PUT AWAY AND THEY
WOULD TAKE THAT PUT AWAY AND I
WOULD GET REALLY ANGRY AND AT 4@
ONE POINT IN TIME 4@WHICH WAS O
ACT.
I WENT OVER TO THEM AND RIPPED
IT OUT OF THERE HEADS.
SPRINT TO THE WINDOW AND OPEN
IT UP AND THROW 4@IT OUT.
AND I'VE NEVER HAD PROBLEMS
WITH4@ CELL PHONES 4@AFTER THAT
BUT THAT IS NOT IN ANY TEACHER
MANUAL.
>> THAT'S A GREAT 4@IDEA, THOUG
BUT THAT IS NOT IN ANY TEACHER MANUAL. >> THAT'S A GREAT 4@IDEA, THOUG@
TECHNOLOGY OF THE C DOES PLAY A
HUGE ROLE IN THE CLASSROOM BUT
RIGHT NOW IT'S PLAYING AN EVEN
BIGGER ROLE OUTSIDE OF THE
CLASSROOM FOR TEACHERS.
YOU GIVE SO MUCH ADVICE IN THIS
BOOK AND I KNOW THIS IS A
TOTALLY NEW WORLD, BUT DO YOU
HAVE 4@ANY ADVICE FOR TEACHERS
RIGHT NOW?
>> BREATHING DEEP4@LY.
CLOSE THEIR EYES AND FOCUS ON
SOME OF THE REALLY COOL STUFF
THAT DID HAPPEN IN THE 4@
CLASSROOM AND REMIND THEMSELVES
THAT, THAT WILL NOT GO AWAY.
THAT IT WILL BE 4@BACK AND 4@IT
IMPORTANT ONE ON ONE IN 4@KIDS
LIVES 4@IS HAPPENING NOW WITHOU
A DOUBT.
I SEE SOME ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL
TECHNIQUES AND THINGS TEACHERS
ARE DOING ONLINE TO MAKE THAT
CONNECTION.
BUT WITH THAT SAID, I KNOW EACH
AND EVERY TEACHER MISSES THEIR
STUDENTS TERRIBLY AND THEY WILL
BUT WITH THAT SAID, I KNOW EACH AND EVERY TEACHER MISSES THEIR STUDENTS TERRIBLY AND THEY WILL@
BE BACK YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU
HOPE TEACHERS TAKE AWAY FROM 4@
YOUR BOOK.
WHAT YOU HOPE YOUR FORMER
STUDENTS TAKE AWAY FROM READING
THIS.
>> TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I GET
CONTACTED FROM KIDS ALL THE
TIME.
I NEVER, EVER WALKED INTO A
BAR, SAW A STUDENT AND TAKEN MY
WALLET OUT.4@
THEY ALWAYS SAY, MISTER WELLS,
HOW ARE YOU DOING AND COME 4@HE
AND LET'S TALK.
YOU CAN'T SHUT THEM UP.
IT'S WONDERFUL.
SO ENERGIZING AND I AM SO
BLESSED TO HAVE FALLEN INTO THE
FIELD 4@OF EDUCATION.
>>> AGAIN, THE NAME OF THE BOOK
IS, DEAR MISTER WELLS.
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THAT