Al Thompson

Detours: from Classrooms to a Guatemalan Coffee Farm Al Thompson

A. Gray Thompson is the type of teacher you remember for decades after leaving his classroom. In this engaging memoir he welcomes us back into his class and demonstrates the special role teachers can play in our lives. His detour-filled journey took him from a first job as a utility clerk to the toughest school in San Francisco, later to a Jesuit university in the Midwest, and ultimately to a small coffee farm in Guatemala called Finca Los Nietos. Along the way he raised five children, earned a doctorate at the University of California-Berkeley during the mid-1960's student revolt, was honored with two Fulbright Scholarships, and pursued hobbies ranging from wine making to jeweler. This anecdote-filled memoir captures the many inspirations and frustrations that made up his 50 years in classrooms at all educational levels. His adoption of educational innovations, such as his own "memory maps" and the empowering Philosophy for Children, will inspire and remind parents and teachers of the magic that can happen in a classroom. But the most important lesson taught is that both teachers and students should never stop learning. Class is still in session at Finca Los Nietos. Come on in and take a seat.