Classroom veteran reveals candid look at life in the trenches of education

The federal government, state education departments, university professors, and “experts” all have plenty of ideas and fix-it schemes for public education. Unfortunately, most of those people don’t know what it’s like to teach.

After 33 years in public education, Dr. Wilson "Bud" Frampton does know what it’s like. He spent 15 years in the pressure-cooker environment of middle school along with 18 years in the even more crucial testing ground of high school.

When it comes to the ups and downs of daily life with hormonal adolescents, Frampton is a genuine expert. "Oops, I’m a Teacher" is a memoir about the antics and actions of teaching, a candid look from the trenches, illuminated by anecdotes of entertaining and challenging situations, all told with unflinching realism. It is a genuine look at the environment, obstacles and issues that permeate the lives of teachers, which are rarely addressed.

"Oops, I’m a Teacher" is also an object lesson in how a nontraditional pathway into secondary education, with military and business experience as a foundation, created a methodology allowing Frampton to transform an ordinary classroom experience into the extraordinary. Education receives loud criticism and soft praise.

The real issues are seldom seen or discussed beyond school walls. Anyone who has spent time in the school system will recognize the memories unfolding within these pages - and for those who want to learn what education is really about, this eye-opening memoir will provide food for thought. "Oops, I’m a Teacher" is a book that educates, entertains and gives insight into an important job that most people don’t know enough about.

"The goal of this book is to declare my enjoyment of 30-plus years of involvement, innovation and inspiring interest. As a teacher, your toleration must be titanic. I have experiences to be shared: methods, strategies, discipline, motivations, some original - some borrowed, but apparently the adventure my students desired," Frampton says.

Frampton’s academic credentials include two master’s degrees and an EdD from Temple University’s School of Education. He has served as a school board director, a high school coach of three varsity sports, and a consultant for The College Board. He is currently the director of the Lewes Advanced Placement Summer Institute, a College Board-endorsed training program for AP teachers. His dissertation on the Holocaust was requested by the library of the U.S. Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. as a teacher resource.