Sixth Hour With Kensington
This time the student becomes the teacher
by
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As we talked, I soon found my
wall crumbling and I started to gain a great deal of respect for Frankie. It was at this point that I even surprised
myself. I found myself asking Frankie if
he wanted to thumb wrestle. In a
previous class, I had witnessed two other students participating in this
classic game, so I thought I would try it out on Frankie. When I posed the question, the smile on
Frankie’s face disappeared as he looked strangely at me. I began to feel as if I had lost him. I quickly told him that I was the champion
and that he probably was not interested.
He continued to look at me dumbfounded.
As I started to walk away, I heard a laugh and watched as he stuck his small,
shaking hand toward me. I could not help
but smile as I reached for his hand.
This moment became the beginning of hundreds of thumb wrestling contests
and a unique and special bond of friendship.
My journey was about to begin.
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Book Details
About the Book
Sixth Hour With Kensington is an inspirational tale about the relationship between a teacher and one of his former students. Throughout the book, many events help the relationship grow and develop over a three-year span into a deep and committed friendship.
Frankie Kensington is a middle school student who arrives in Brian Shepard’s sixth grade mathematics on the first day of school. Frankie is confined to a wheelchair and is stricken with a rare disease called Ataxia – Telangiectasia (a-tak-see-uh tee-lawn-jek-tay-zee-uh) or “A – T.” Over time the disease starts to take its toll on Frankie and wears him down, but it cannot touch the incredible bond formed between both the teacher and his student. The book contains many funny stories and touching events that help Brian grow not only as a teacher, but also as a human being.
About the Author
Brian Shepard has been in the field of education for almost nine years serving in such capacities as a school custodian, teacher, and now as an assistant principal. He has spent most of his time working with middle school children.
Brian resides in Rochester Hills, Michigan. In his free time he enjoys a variety of sporting activities, working out, fishing, and reading.
Sixth Hour With Kensington is his first published work. With the book he hopes to accomplish two things: to raise awareness of Ataxia – Telangiectasia and to inspire readers to reach out and connect with a young person.