The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s Most Vulnerable, Important Profession

Investigative reporter Robbins (The Nurses) takes a deep dive into what being a teacher is really like by following three teachers on a month-by-month journey through the school year. The stories of Rebecca, an elementary school teacher; Penny, a sixth-grade math teacher; and Miguel, a middle school special education teacher, provide detailed views of the challenges and joys the year brings. Robbins takes close looks at various teaching-related topics in connection with their stories, from school staffing difficulties to stereotypes about teachers of certain subject areas. She also peppers each topic with comments from a variety of teachers across the United States about their own experiences. This thoughtful, page-turning work gives insight into the day-to-day lives and concerns of teachers, both inside and outside of their work; the time-intensive workload of teaching is a recurring theme.