Raising Turkeys

About the Book

This book is about what really goes on when the teacher closes the door to the classroom to deliver a lesson. In a lighthearted, but completely true way, Mr. Fiust conveys the real lessons. Through vignettes, the reader will come to understand what teachers do to raise "turkeys" aka "students" to become wise older birds, rather than dinner.

About the Author

Ted is a retired public high school science teacher. He taught 18 years in public schools in Massachusetts. His passion is in teaching Environmental Science, both Advanced Placement and general “Enviro” to anyone who will listen, both in the classroom and outside. Before becoming a science teacher who also taught biology, physical science, engineering, and oceanography, Mr. Fiust was in multiple careers in both the natural world and high tech. He was formally educated as a limnologist (a freshwater oceanographer), garnering a Master of Science in 1980. He started his career in computer and software marketing and sales, rather than count fish in the hold of a ship on the Great Lakes, which is what an aquatic biologist without a doctorate could expect to start doing with a master’s degree around 1980. Continuing with various high tech positions, including co-founding of an artificial intelligence company, selling high end graphics systems for Silicon Graphics and McDonnell Douglas, resulting in installing replacements for all the FAA screens controlling the skies above the USA, and large CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing) systems used to build anything from ocean-going ship propellers to fighter aircraft. Ted utilized his aquatic biology and engineering background to sell, design, build, and operate greenhouse based wastewater treatment systems. Installing one in one of the wealthiest towns in Massachusetts, Ted prided himself on the fact that the effluent water quality was cleaner than the groundwater flowing beneath the greenhouse, which ended up in the Cambridge Reservoir. Ted was accepted into the MINT (Massachusetts Institute for New Teachers) program circa 2000. After six weeks of intensive training, Ted was granted a provisional license to teach sixth to eighth grade science as well as high school biology in Massachusetts public schools. His first job was teaching 8th grade science. About six days into his first professional full time teaching career, September 11, 2001 occurred. As that event changed the world, Ted resolved to change his world by teaching about a hundred students for 180 days a year for the next 18 years. The stories he accumulated and experienced first-hand, led to this book. It is hoped that in reading this book, Raising Turkeys, you enjoy a tongue in cheek glimpse of what happens behind the closed doors of a classroom in a public school somewhere in Massachusetts. All the stories are true. The names and locations may have been changed to protect the protagonists. Nevertheless, some of you may perchance perhaps recognize yourself in these stories. Take heart; for it was with all my heart that I taught you all that I could in the short time I was your teacher whether it was in the curriculum or not. One last thing… Ted started his Bottom Dwelling Mud Sucker career circa 1997 while building greenhouse wastewater treatment systems that took poop and pee from people and converted said substances to pure water and consolidated manure, but did it through natural and organic processes. Ted is a diver who ran a dive company that prided itself on removing nuisance aquatic vegetation from lakes and ponds, naturally and organically. After running the diving sorties for some 27 years, some 28 year old, thinking he could do better than the “old man” bought the company. Two years later, he gave it back, indicating it was “too hard to do.” Apparently bottom dwelling mud sucking is not for everyone. He went on to pass the bar exam and become a lawyer…