Published: June 12, 2011
Words: 67,063 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781458095435

Short description

Heather is an ex-teacher – but not by choice. Heather, who was head of department of a service for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties, suffered a massive blow to her 31 year career when she was falsely accused of slapping a pupil. She suffered severe reactive depression and anxiety as a result of the allegation. Boy. Am I Mad? tells her story.

Extended description

Synopsis

Heather was a long time teacher. Not just any old teacher, but a teacher for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Always their champion, she begins her story with the fun and games of her career. She loved her job. She loved the children she taught.
How do you lose the job you loved in the blink of an eye? How do you feel when the children you cherished and cared for are lost to you? What happens when a disturbed child makes a false allegation against you? How do you prove you’re not guilty when you are innocent? Heather had a successful career of thirty one years as a teacher, something she was passionate about – improving the lives of children everyday schools couldn’t cope with until one day her head called her in to his office and told her that one of the children had made an allegation against her. This was the start of her nightmare which led her eventually after six long months of waiting and growing disbelief to the interview room in t.. (Read more) Synopsis

Heather was a long time teacher. Not just any old teacher, but a teacher for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. Always their champion, she begins her story with the fun and games of her career. She loved her job. She loved the children she taught.
How do you lose the job you loved in the blink of an eye? How do you feel when the children you cherished and cared for are lost to you? What happens when a disturbed child makes a false allegation against you? How do you prove you’re not guilty when you are innocent? Heather had a successful career of thirty one years as a teacher, something she was passionate about – improving the lives of children everyday schools couldn’t cope with until one day her head called her in to his office and told her that one of the children had made an allegation against her. This was the start of her nightmare which led her eventually after six long months of waiting and growing disbelief to the interview room in the police station, to sessions with a psychiatrist and to thoughts of suicide. Severe depression became a fact of life. Life became an endless ladder and Heather was always going down. Some days faster than others. This is the agonising account of the ship wreck of one person’s life where tenacity and a refusal to give in have led to the writing of this incredible but true story.
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Tags

depression, teaching, false allegation

Available ebook reading formats

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Reviews

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Review by: Mumbles on Aug. 15, 2011 :
An incredibly moving account of the damage caused by a false accusation.
To have such a successful and rewarding career terminated so cruelly, simply on the word of a 7 year old, beggars belief.
More so, when you learn that he had made false accusations before.
Had the "powers that be" taken a common sense approach and listened to and assisted Heather, this may not have happened.
Unfortunately, their lack of support and it's consequences, caused her to spiral into a deep and devastating depression which left her unable to return to teaching.
Her descriptions of her 'darkest' moments were insightful to anyone who hasn't suffered from this debilitating illness.
I have, and there were moments where I was convinced she was inside my head, as she described it so accurately.
Written from the heart and a 'must read' for anyone in the teaching profession.
(review of free book)

Review by: Christine M on June 23, 2011 :
This book is an amazing read. It is a moving account of what it is like to be falsely accused of hitting a child and then to feel over-whelmed by depression. Heather writes passionately about her teaching and you can see clearly the profound effect on her sense of identity when this is taken away from her. She lets us into the pain and confusion of mental distress, and how this takes over her life. I have nothing but admiration for the person she is and how eloquently she writes.

I think this book should be on reading lists at university for those who want insight into mental distress and depression.
(review of free book)

Review by: JoPawson on June 14, 2011 :
This is a brilliant read as Heather conveys the realities of teaching in todays world where the pupil is always innocent and the teacher always guilty until proven innocent.It is an Incredibly moving true story of a teacher who was truly dedicated to the teaching profession and to the children she saw as a privilege to teach.
(review of free book)

Review by: Kristina Howells on June 12, 2011 :
A very good book, that depicts the state of education in out schools. As an ex school teacher I can sympathise with the writer. I would definately recommend this book to anyone who is in the profession.
(review of free book)

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