In her memoir My Homecoming Dance: Reflections on Teaching in Wisconsin, Sue Leamy Kies returns to her alma mater to teach high school English. What's changed in the twenty years since graduation? What hasn't? Her recollection of former classmates, students, mentors, peers, and lessons taught and learned provide a humorous, behind-the-scenes look at secondary public education.
Platteville, home to a state university, lies amid the rolling hills of the Driftless Area of Wisconsin that was left untouched by glaciers. This work embodies small town Middle America, its customs, attitudes, and people. Platteville High School maintains a stellar track record for providing students with a top-notch education, but, like all schools today, it faces unprecedented, historical challenges.
Over the course of her nearly thirty-year career, Sue deals with homecoming pranks, hormonal teens, disgruntled parents, demonstrative administrators, and ever-changing technology. The drama of three bomb threats in one year, mandatory shooter drills, book banning, and ramifications of Act 10 distract from teaching and put a damper on the joy of the job. But, through it all, Sue finds hope for the profession in her ever-inquisitive students, those priceless teachable moments, and her dedicated supportive peers.
Compassion and empathy present powerful lessons as Sue experiences the deaths of students, her beloved mentor, and her own son. Sue's story will inform and entertain anyone who has entered the doors of an American high school.
You are cordially invited to My Homecoming Dance. Unlike in the author's day, no date is required.