About The book
There’s a Pig on the Playground: Memorable Stories from the Schoolyard
There’s a Pig on the Playground is the story of my life as an educator, told through the real moments, lessons, and unforgettable experiences that shaped me from childhood all the way through retirement. This book is a blend of humor, nostalgia, teaching wisdom, and heartfelt storytelling that reflects what it truly means to grow up in small-town America, step into classrooms of every kind, and dedicate a lifetime to students.
The title comes from a moment that every teacher understands, those unexpected surprises that make you stop, think, and ask yourself, “What do I do now?” For me, looking out the window and seeing a pig running loose on the playground became a perfect metaphor for the unpredictable, chaotic, and beautiful world of education.
In this memoir, I take you through the many eras of my life. You’ll read about my childhood in rural Washington, my years in Catholic school, my early days as a young teacher, and the adventures that came with moving to Alaska to teach in remote Inupiat and Yupik villages. Those years in Alaska were some of the most powerful and transformative of my career, and they changed the way I understood culture, community, and the value of teaching in places where resources were limited but hearts were full.
You will also follow my journey back to the lower forty-eight, where I taught Native American students, pursued my Ph.D. at nearly sixty years old, and eventually taught at Washington State University and the University of Idaho. I share stories of my students, my colleagues, my challenges, and the moments that reminded me why teaching is one of the most meaningful professions in the world.
There’s a Pig on the Playground is filled with the real voices of educators, school staff, and community members who dedicated their lives to serving students. These people are the unsung heroes of our school systems, and I wanted their stories to be heard just as much as my own.
If you enjoy uplifting nonfiction, teacher memoirs, nostalgic childhood stories, or real-life accounts of rural America and Alaska adventures, this book will make you laugh, reflect, and remember your own school days. My goal is to offer a book that comforts, inspires, and reminds readers of the teachers and communities that helped raise them.
What You’ll Experience in This Book
You will step into classrooms filled with joy, mischief, and life lessons. You will meet students who challenged me, inspired me, and changed me. You will travel with me into small villages in Alaska, where I learned firsthand about cultural respect, resilience, and the true meaning of community. You will walk through the hallways of rural schools, Catholic academies, and university classrooms where future teachers were trained. And throughout it all, you will see how every chapter, every student, and every challenge helped shape my perspective and my purpose.
Who This Book Is For
This book is for anyone who has ever sat in a classroom, loved a teacher, raised a child, or cherished a memory from school. It is for educators who want to feel understood, for parents who want to see behind the scenes of teaching, and for readers who enjoy stories that are warm, funny, heartfelt, and deeply human.
Why I Wrote This Book
I wrote this memoir during a time when the teacher shortage crisis continues to grow and when educators are facing more pressures than ever before. I wanted to offer a reminder of why teaching matters. I wanted to celebrate the heroes who show up every day for children. And I wanted to share the moments that shaped me, moments of joy, heartbreak, courage, culture, and deep gratitude.
My hope is that this book will inspire future educators, uplift current teachers, and give readers a new appreciation for the power of storytelling in our schools.
