Smoke in the 200 Hallway

Caesar Campana worked in education for over four decades, wearing many hats as a classroom teacher, coach, counselor and dean. SMOKE IN THE 200 HALLWAY is a memoir written from his well-worn binder filled with many lessons we can all appreciate. These 24 chapters are funny, sad, cynical and most of all insightful as he describes his inspiration to become a teacher as well as his singlehanded attempt to integrate a stubborn high school in the South. We eavesdrop on his conversations with other educators, abused students, delusional parents and a Russian immigrant who outsmarts a guidance counselor. Campana was sucker-punched by an angry student, cursed at by his favorite principal, and inspired to change his lesson plans by a lesbian 9th grader. One of his students came back from the dead. SMOKE IN THE 200 HALLWAY allows you to observe the many parts of our educational system through the eyes of someone who loved his students. His teacher tales remind us how our struggling students are vulnerable and often damaged beyond our control. You'll laugh and cry as your read these stories. You'll also cringe and wonder what we can do to help our teachers and their students. This book will remind you how wonderful, crazy, and important our public schools are.