Lessons Learned: A Teacher and Coach Reflects

by Michael F. Burke

Fan-fu##ing-tastic! The combination of personal and practical philosophy joined alongside a spattering of professional pedagogy creates a completely original read, unlike anything I’ve experienced. This blend of work with life simultaneously speaks to the teacher-side of me while resonating with my everyday human journey. Tears and laughter, frustration and joy. The experience is one I will not forget. —Mr. John Uhrik, AP English Teacher, Wheeling High School

This book is not really, or at least not all, about teaching. It's about teaching. And it's not. It's about a man's quest to examine his life and to live it meaningfully. It's a model for how we can learn from the most painful and the most joyful moments of our lives and use these lessons to make us better teachers, coaches, leaders, and people. —Mr. Jacob Sweetow, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

How introspection, philosophy, and heartfelt bullshit can help you survive and thrive with your sanity, self-respect, and sense of humor intact.

Lessons from a Career An honest and introspective look at a teacher’s life. From early childhood through his retirement, Burke shares stories and lessons learned that helped him and can help you make it to the finish line. This is not the story of a Magical Teacher. Burke is an average individual working hard to be a good educator by trying first to be a decent person. Most of his anecdotes will make you laugh, some will make you cry (the good cry), a few will make you cringe, but all will make you think.

342 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2025

About the author

Over the course of his career, Mike Burke taught English and coached a variety of men's and women's sports and activities at five different high schools in the suburbs of Chicago. Now retired, his debut memoir-in-essays looks back on the lessons learned through a lifetime in education. Married for over 40 years, he and his wife have four adult children and seven grandchildren. Aside from enjoying plenty of family time, he complements his new "career" as an author by giving boxing lessons, announcing high school basketball games, and facilitating a local Writers Workshop. A dynamic speaker, Burke has presented at state and local conferences on leadership, athletics, and classroom pedagogy. His experiences as a teacher and coach continue to inspire his writing and his message. His next book, Run, is currently under construction.

Reviews

[Karen Segura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lessons Learned is a deeply honest and reflective memoir that offers a glimpse into the life of a teacher and coach who has spent years shaping young lives both in the classroom and "on the field". What sets this book apart is Burke’s willingness to be vulnerable—sharing not only the victories and inspirational moments, but also the doubts, setbacks, and lessons learned along the way.

Through Burke's captivating storytelling, he illustrates how teaching and coaching are not just about strategies or lesson plans, but about connection, trust, and continuous reflection and personal growth. The memoir doesn’t shy away from difficult topics— Yet, it is ultimately hopeful, a demonstration of the power of reflection.

Whether you’re an educator, coach, or someone who remembers the impact a mentor/role model had on your life, this book is a reminder to reflect on your life journeys and the Lessons Learned along the way.

[Bokyoung Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each story in Lessons Learned is a world in miniature—whether Burke is guiding a team to grow not only in skill but in character, or reflecting on the awkward beauty of adolescence. The people who fill these pages flicker to life, vivid and whole.

Though told through Burke’s eyes, the stories breathe beyond his perspective. Reading between the lines—or “Seeing Beyond the Obvious”—you sense the fullness of the lives around him. Each person is crafted with care, a reflection of Burke’s deep love as Husband, Father, Teacher, Coach (and more). His writing reminded me of the countless ways others shape us, and it made me pause to honor those who quietly nurtured me into who I am.

There are many lessons I could carry from this tender collection, but one lingers: every moment matters. The ordinary, the awkward, the joyful—all deserve attention. Burke reminds us to take life seriously, but not so seriously that we forget to laugh, because at the end of the day, what else can we do? In Burke’s words, “Sometimes—most times—it’s best to laugh and shake our heads at the absurdity of it all.”

We will all find ourselves at the end of the absurd, proverbial hallway, and looking back, what will stay with us are not the grand gestures, but rather, the constellation of small choices and real relationships that made life meaningful. Lessons Learned is, at its core, a meditation on presence, love, and the everyday beauty of being human. It is a work I’d recommend to anyone, wherever they find themselves on the journey.

[Sean Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a young teacher finishing my 3rd year, I found many small lessons and anecdotes that both reaffirmed and inspired me. There is a breadth of information in this book, told through short stories from the author's years of successful teaching and coaching experience. The concise stories, combined with reflection at the end, allows the reader to dig deeper and draw their own conclusion without being told the answer. For any new teachers, this is a must read. The wisdom shared in this book will give you tools to both improve your pedagogy and help your longevity as a teacher. I'm sure many new teachers share similar struggles, and this book is great for breaking down those struggles and finding inspiration. I could not recommend this book more, especially for new teachers!

[Matthew Cannalte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a few teachers and coaches who made a real difference in my life, and l'd pay a pretty penny to crawl inside their minds, peeking through distant memories that shaped the beliefs which would later shape my own. I'll gladly settle for Burke's Lessons Learned, which approximates that experience dutifully.

The narrator doesn't strike me as a braggard. That's due, in no small part, to the moderately fucked up stuff he recounts over his storied life. It's not always endearing, but it reeks of honesty. While some chapters are grisly, others selflessly showcase the triumphs of Burke's students, athletes, and family.

A pattern emerges over the course of this memoir: the subject is as quick to seize accountability for his mistakes as he is eager to deflect credit for his successes. Even the titular lessons learned within each story often tie back to one of Burke's favorite literary works, as if to dissuade us that any of his ideas could be original. This teacher took great care not to let his life story get in the way of some damn good lessons.

Granted, the lessons are worth considering individually, but the story they tell is more compelling. What does it mean to lead a life worth living? I get the sense that's too audacious of a question for Burke to dignify- he'd never tell us, but the answer is better shown than told.

[Angela Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the flow of this book. The short sections are each so complete and individual, yet they all go together so well. As a retired teacher and a parent, I can truly relate to the classroom examples Mike included. For example Mike’s consistent response to student’s excuses concerning late work, “When the essay is in my hand, then we can talk.”

I enjoyed the book so much I almost didn’t want it to end. Then I got to the Discussion Questions: Lessons Learned section at the end of the book. I went through each question and I applied Mike’s quote “Be a Filter, Not a Funnel” to my thoughts. I plan to spend more time on the topics Mike passionately discusses throughout his book, and use what I’ve learned to better understand myself!

[Dave Guglielmi · Rating 5 out of 5]

We've all had teachers, coaches, and mentors in our lives. This author lets us into his world and challenges the reader to build upon what they know of themselves through his examples. A series of essays layered with an introspective, thought-provoking approach, "Lessons Learned" shows how experience and will can lead to a realization that the impact of one's actions through building relationships promotes positive personal growth.
The author gives honest testimony of his experiences. The book is peppered with stories, essay-style, about a person that plays the role of underdog, learning what it takes to win while learning the truth of the experience.
I recommend this book to anyone that has an interest in teaching, coaching, mentoring, or learning more about where life can take you when you use your gifts and learn from your mistakes.

[Alexander Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

As insightful as it is emotionally stirring. Having worked in education for almost a decade, I appreciate Burke’s honest, vulnerable dive into what it means to be an educator and how classroom lessons can carry over into all aspects of life. The memoir reminds me of Educated, though Westover focuses extensively on the lessons learned and the importance of education she experienced as a child and young adult, while Burke examines moments of learning from childhood to later adulthood, tied together through a wealth of diverse experiences inside and outside the classroom. Eagerly awaiting his next work!