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Just a Teacher
When rookie teacher Todd Hunter greets his first class of ninth graders, he sees in half their faces bedtime stories and good-night kisses, piano lessons and 4-H clubs. In the other half, he sees ducking and dodging, last picked and first kicked. At that moment, Todd decides to make the bruised and beaten half of his class as successful as the cheerful, confident half. Somehow, some way, he’s going to help the pelicans soar with the eagles.
It’s a rocky start, until one day he takes his bored and restive biology students outside for a hands-on science lesson. From that day on, nature is his classroom and life is his lesson plan, but there are hard knocks and heartbreak along the way. As his outdoor classroom flourishes, his marriage unravels. A student mysteriously disappears, and Todd is the prime suspect. He contends with petty rivalries, corrupt administrators, condescending socialites, low pay, political backstabbing. Walk in the shoes of this public-school teacher, not for a day or a week but over the course of a career. You’ll discover that his story is not his alone—it’s a window into the heart, mind, and soul of everyone who wears the mantle of our nation’s most underappreciated but absolutely indispensable profession: teacher.
“Over the next thirty-five years, I will teach more than seven thousand students and remember the majority of them, but I will not forget a single name or face from that first class, the one that started the Pond Project. This is where I’ll cut my teeth; this is where I’ll learn the difference between teaching and blabbing. This is where I’ll learn about inspiration, motivation, leadership, and vision. And this is where I’ll learn that to teach is first and foremost to love.”
It’s a rocky start, until one day he takes his bored and restive biology students outside for a hands-on science lesson. From that day on, nature is his classroom and life is his lesson plan, but there are hard knocks and heartbreak along the way. As his outdoor classroom flourishes, his marriage unravels. A student mysteriously disappears, and Todd is the prime suspect. He contends with petty rivalries, corrupt administrators, condescending socialites, low pay, political backstabbing. Walk in the shoes of this public-school teacher, not for a day or a week but over the course of a career. You’ll discover that his story is not his alone—it’s a window into the heart, mind, and soul of everyone who wears the mantle of our nation’s most underappreciated but absolutely indispensable profession: teacher.
“Over the next thirty-five years, I will teach more than seven thousand students and remember the majority of them, but I will not forget a single name or face from that first class, the one that started the Pond Project. This is where I’ll cut my teeth; this is where I’ll learn the difference between teaching and blabbing. This is where I’ll learn about inspiration, motivation, leadership, and vision. And this is where I’ll learn that to teach is first and foremost to love.”
- GenresFiction
304 pages, Paperback
First published August 13, 2020
2 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Michael Fillerup
14 books3 followersOne critic said my stories are like a journey “through hope and despair with a moment of genuine joy at the end.” I think “genuine” is the operative word, and as a writer I have to earn that. As a reader, so do you. In my stories, faith is a terrible gift, love is tough but fragile, and forgiveness a perpetual work-in-progress. Ambiguity looks both ways before crossing the street but still gets hit by a bus, but it’s all good because redemption, in some form or another, is waiting just around the corner.
But that, too, must be earned: trust. At the end you may emerge a bit startled and shaken but hopefully a little wiser than before. And smiling. Because I’m a comic at heart, and a romantic but a realist too.
I like to tackle big themes--suffering and insight, death and consolation, despair and hope, obsession and restraint—in ordinary and mundane settings, but I will also whisk you away to exotic or marginalized lands. Landscape always plays a starring role in my stories, whether it’s the desolate, barren beauty of the Navajo Reservation or the lush suburbs of southern California.
I try to find beauty in every place and every person, but ordinariness often betrays them. They stumble and bumble and, when you least expect it, they reach up and catch a falling star. I often write about solitary people, profound loners in a crowd, not as stock oddballs but those who wish to fit in but can’t or those who have imposed a self-exile: unsung heroes in hiding.
But that, too, must be earned: trust. At the end you may emerge a bit startled and shaken but hopefully a little wiser than before. And smiling. Because I’m a comic at heart, and a romantic but a realist too.
I like to tackle big themes--suffering and insight, death and consolation, despair and hope, obsession and restraint—in ordinary and mundane settings, but I will also whisk you away to exotic or marginalized lands. Landscape always plays a starring role in my stories, whether it’s the desolate, barren beauty of the Navajo Reservation or the lush suburbs of southern California.
I try to find beauty in every place and every person, but ordinariness often betrays them. They stumble and bumble and, when you least expect it, they reach up and catch a falling star. I often write about solitary people, profound loners in a crowd, not as stock oddballs but those who wish to fit in but can’t or those who have imposed a self-exile: unsung heroes in hiding.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
September 7, 2020
I really enjoyed reading “Just a Teacher.” At first, I feared it would be a bunch of complaining about how teachers are underpaid and overworked. Not that I don’t believe that’s true, but I didn’t relish reading an entire book of complaints. Thankfully, that was not the case. The storyline told of Todd Hunter’s career as a teacher (it’s biographical fiction, so Todd isn’t his real name) from his first days to far into his retirement. Obviously, there wasn’t a retelling of every detail but some of the great highlights and lowlights. Mr. Hunter took some fantastic steps toward helping his kids get interested in learning, and a significant risk to keep one student safe. There was some language that I could have lived without, but overall I was captivated from beginning to end.
April 5, 2021
Just a Teacher is a beautiful and inspirational story of a young middle school science teacher, who learns to overcome the limitations of the conventional classroom experience by stepping outside the box- literally.
This fictionalized memoir is loosely based on a diverse, real life classroom in Northern Arizona, where Todd Hunter is the science teacher I wish I’d had growing up. Willing to do whatever it takes to inspire learning- including bending or breaking rules- he takes his students outside of the classroom for hands-on experiences in nature, resulting in the Pond Project.
By weaving these experiences with the mundane curriculum of their prescribed textbook, Todd’s students learn to make real-world connections. These then become life lessons which could benefit all of us. Fascinating read for teachers and educators generally- and anyone else looking for a good story.
Soulful. Playful. Spellbinding.
This fictionalized memoir is loosely based on a diverse, real life classroom in Northern Arizona, where Todd Hunter is the science teacher I wish I’d had growing up. Willing to do whatever it takes to inspire learning- including bending or breaking rules- he takes his students outside of the classroom for hands-on experiences in nature, resulting in the Pond Project.
By weaving these experiences with the mundane curriculum of their prescribed textbook, Todd’s students learn to make real-world connections. These then become life lessons which could benefit all of us. Fascinating read for teachers and educators generally- and anyone else looking for a good story.
Soulful. Playful. Spellbinding.
November 12, 2025
4.5 stars! I couldn’t stop reading this book. It brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone I know. Whether you are a teacher or not, this is a touching, raw, and inspirational book that captures the highs and lows, the good times and the hardships, of being a teacher. I also really enjoyed that this was based in Flagstaff, and I have truly gained a new appreciation and perspective of the Frances Short Pond.
So good!!!
So good!!!
November 22, 2020
Spot On!
This interesting, fun, page turning, touching realistic fiction book, captured so many of the
challenges and rewards of teaching! Kudos!
This interesting, fun, page turning, touching realistic fiction book, captured so many of the
challenges and rewards of teaching! Kudos!
October 13, 2021
Incredible story, I couldn't put it down. Cried and laughed throughout the entire book. I will recommend this book to everyone that I know!
October 28, 2020
Amazing!
This book is phenomenal! It is a realistic view into the life of a teacher that not only gives me hope that there are more like him but inspiration to be better at whatever I do.
This book is phenomenal! It is a realistic view into the life of a teacher that not only gives me hope that there are more like him but inspiration to be better at whatever I do.
November 16, 2024
This book is a fictionalized account of a middle school science teacher in Flagstaff, Arizona who began his professional life in the 1960s. I met the author casually at a campground south of Flagstaff last week and we struck up a conversation about our retirement from teaching. Upon hearing that I had also taught middle school science... he gifted me an autographed copy of his book saying that aside from altered names and details... this was his story:
Like so many first year teachers, Todd Hunter intended to inspire his students to be enthusiastic learners but found it a challenge to overcome the reluctance and active distractions of adolescence in those early months. Out of desperation he searched for a way to escape the doldrums of bookwork and involve students in hands on learning. An outdoor schoolyard community project and a revised grading system that leveled the field both literally and academically for his diverse classroom of learners not only caught the attention of the school and community... but the city, state and country, as well. Professional accolades and recognition followed as he was awarded teacher of the year at the state and national levels for his innovative approach.
Behind the scenes, his marriage struggled through medical issues and heartbreak... eventually falling apart. Professionally he found supportive, inspirational colleagues while also battling bureaucracy and incompetence.
Dealing with student concerns dealt a whole other set of issues... with parents and social support systems that are all part of the professional landscape.
I particularly enjoyed the timeline sequence in the book.... we begin at the end, as Todd closes his classroom door and faces retirement... looking back on the trials, tribulations and achievements of decades in public education. Flashback to first years with glimpses of critical scenes thrown in to foreshadow issues that remain unresolved until the end of the book. I rarely read actual paper books without succumbing to sleep but this one kept me actively looking forward to picking it up again.... wondering about the missing details to be revealed. The interactions and experiences felt authentic, the life of a teacher with the myriad of ups and downs... the frustrations, the thrills, the engenuity, heartbreak and satisfaction of a life well lived and so many decisions along the way.
I would recommend this book to fellow teachers and to others who might appreciate a glimpse behind the scenes of this profession. It jarred memories of my own achievements and frustrations along the way that had become just a part of the blur... and I appreciated knowing that my experiences, while very different, had many elements in common with Todd's.
Like so many first year teachers, Todd Hunter intended to inspire his students to be enthusiastic learners but found it a challenge to overcome the reluctance and active distractions of adolescence in those early months. Out of desperation he searched for a way to escape the doldrums of bookwork and involve students in hands on learning. An outdoor schoolyard community project and a revised grading system that leveled the field both literally and academically for his diverse classroom of learners not only caught the attention of the school and community... but the city, state and country, as well. Professional accolades and recognition followed as he was awarded teacher of the year at the state and national levels for his innovative approach.
Behind the scenes, his marriage struggled through medical issues and heartbreak... eventually falling apart. Professionally he found supportive, inspirational colleagues while also battling bureaucracy and incompetence.
Dealing with student concerns dealt a whole other set of issues... with parents and social support systems that are all part of the professional landscape.
I particularly enjoyed the timeline sequence in the book.... we begin at the end, as Todd closes his classroom door and faces retirement... looking back on the trials, tribulations and achievements of decades in public education. Flashback to first years with glimpses of critical scenes thrown in to foreshadow issues that remain unresolved until the end of the book. I rarely read actual paper books without succumbing to sleep but this one kept me actively looking forward to picking it up again.... wondering about the missing details to be revealed. The interactions and experiences felt authentic, the life of a teacher with the myriad of ups and downs... the frustrations, the thrills, the engenuity, heartbreak and satisfaction of a life well lived and so many decisions along the way.
I would recommend this book to fellow teachers and to others who might appreciate a glimpse behind the scenes of this profession. It jarred memories of my own achievements and frustrations along the way that had become just a part of the blur... and I appreciated knowing that my experiences, while very different, had many elements in common with Todd's.
April 24, 2024
excellent read
This book provides a real perspective on being a teacher, I was a student of this teacher and remember him as to this day as the best teacher I had.
This book provides a real perspective on being a teacher, I was a student of this teacher and remember him as to this day as the best teacher I had.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews