Mrs. M. has both a crippling social anxiety and a lifelong dream to teach. At age 35, she enters a student teaching program, panics in front of the class, and is fired by her mentor, whose parting words are, There’s no place for you in this profession! With the help of a buddy teacher, Mrs. M. finds her home at Owen Charter, a low-budget elementary school, where the talented and the quirky are welcome. Carrie Malinowski was a successful teacher and reading tutor for many years. She now enjoys working with anxiety sufferers in behavioral health. She has a degree in psychology and an Arizona teaching certificate. Carrie is the author of the children’s book, Hand-Me-Down Bear (Heart to Heart Publishing, 2012), and a contributor to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series including Food and Love and Kids on the Spectrum. She lives in Arizona with her husband, son, and her dog, Chester.
