Playground Duty

(Paperback)

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Description

In the baking heat of February 1973, wearing a purple nylon bodyshirt and an expression of confidence that belied his nerves, Ned Manning faced down a classroom full of kids in Tenterfield in remote NSW. It was the start of many years of teaching, by turns exhilarating, nerve-fraying and inspiring. Packed with stories of students both bored and enthusiastic, lesson plans, staff rooms and drama as studied for the HSC and lived every day, the book roams from high schools in dusty country towns to the edgy Newtown School of Performing Arts in Sydney's inner-city and a crucible of creativity at EORA Aboriginal College. Through the challenges he inevitably faces, Mr Manning finds the common thread of possibility and hope that runs through his profession. A funny and disarmingly honest memoir of a full life of teaching, Playground Duty has the power to rekindle a spark of glee and optimism about teachers, kids and even schools.

Reviews

"What a different and wonderful place the world would be if there were not only more teachers like Ned Manning, but more men like him. Open, humble, emotional, passionate, engaged, thoughtful and, above all, not afraid to look like an idiot! This is an inspiring, funny, and moving account of Ned's experiences as a teacher that looks honestly at the system, the students, the setbacks and successes, and the challenge of nurturing our precious kids." --Noni Hazlehurst, Australian actress

Author Bio

Ned Manning is an actor, a writer, a dramaturge, and a teacher. He has written plays for the Bell Shakespeare company and is a recipient of the New South Wales Premiers Teachers Scholarship.