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Throwing the Hammer
by
Gary J. Kirchner
Paranoid administrators, interdepartmental feuds, quirky staff members, and an eccentric headmaster: welcome to Winston Grant High School. Mark Patterson has a master’s degree in physics, wants to do nothing more than surf and ski, and believes that high school teaching will be the cushy job of his dreams. He receives a rude awakening when he becomes a physics teacher at Winston Grant, a begrudging little brother amidst rival private school heavyweights. From the outset, Mark must tiptoe through a virtual minefield of Procrustean rules, coddling parents, scheming colleagues, and, of course, teen-aged students. Things don’t go well, inside or outside the classroom. His students call him Mr. Goofegg. His football team is pathetic. His lunch-table kids behave like Neanderthals. His teaching supervisor, aka the “education implementation strategist,” criticizes him for using equations. His colleagues have even organized a betting pool for when he will get fired. And when Mark discovers that a weak student in his class is a physics genius, he finds himself caught in the middle of a conflict between father and son, a conflict which could destroy the young man’s potential. Or help Mark find his.
“A riotous novel about self-realization.” —Foreword Clarion Reviews “A sharp, funny, and fearless look at the chaos and the connections between teachers and students.” —Todd Vanderheyden, Ctv News Anchor “. . . the perfect pick for fans of contemporary realistic fiction blended with character-driven satire, workplace comedy, and drama.” —Reader’s Favorite “. . . laugh-out-loud funny . . .” —Us Review Of Books
Gary J. Kirchner studied physics at McGill University and did his Master’s work in sports biomechanics. He taught physics at several Montreal area high schools as well as at John Abbott College. In 2014 he was awarded La Mention d’honneur de l’Association québécoise de pédagogie collégiale for teaching excellence. He also has extensive experience coaching wrestling, volleyball, and, particularly, football. He is a recipient of Football Canada’s Gino Fracas Award as the CIAU (now USport) assistant coach of the year. He lives in Dorval Quebec with his Estonian wife Hille. Throwing the Hammer is Kirchner’s fifth novel.
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