A retired educator looks back on his experiences in a tiny midwestern town. The author was born to a farming family in Minnesota, absorbing a strong work ethic. Along with his father, he herded, fed, and milked thirty-two dairy cows. He attended a one-room elementary school, sometimes walking there in the winter when snowdrifts covered the telephone poles. In 1949 he started college but joined the Army in 1952 during the Korean War. Returning home, he married his college sweetheart. Both were hired as teachers in Eden Prairie, a town too small for any map. For just over thirty years, Connaughty would teach industrial arts and act as a coach in Eden Prairie's high school. His wife Mary taught earlier grades, and both were excited to be part of what would evolve into a large, diverse community where they still reside.

Connaughty's lively memories, along with photos, include developing a wide-ranging sports curriculum and, as an administrator, disciplining and encouraging children of all ages. Connaughty's writing demonstrates his prodigious memory and enjoyable, understated sense of humor. He offers examples of his students' successes, along with some thoughtful incidents involving youngsters who needed correction. His narrative suggests a continual application of the strong moral values of his own youth to his observations of, and solutions for, his unruly students as well as those willing to excel. He candidly examines the stresses of being a parent of children in the schools where he taught. His memoir chronicles the many changes in his career and personal endeavors that serve as a reminder of earlier and, in many ways, tougher times. He insightfully concludes that despite differences in fashion and technology, children are inwardly much the same and have the same needs and aspirations as did he and those whom he helped to educate and inspire.

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