“Beginning Educator”: these are the words that are printed on the first teaching certificate a new teacher receives from the State of New Hampshire. The second certificate, and every renewal thereafter, says “Experienced Educator.” When Tim became an “Experienced Educator” three years after he received his first certificate, he decided not to change the title of the twice-monthly columns he’d been writing for the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript newspaper, because he felt like a beginner still. He felt like a beginner throughout his teaching career, and for his whole life, he never stopped learning. Tim died before this book could be published, but he especially wanted his grandchildren to have it. He wanted them to know his thoughts, understand his experience, and be able to be close to him always