It's Time to Go

By Marie Rogers

This is a story about three teachers, that will delight the reader.
It gives an insight into the lives of the excellent, very good, and
good teachers. You get a view of how their personal lives may, or
may not affect the way they interact with their students. Ann, the
seemingly having it all together, excellent teacher, may surprise
you in her personal life. Betty, the sensitive astute divorced
mother of two, has a wide awakening of what she had become,
during her marriage. Carol, the spender, is a joy to experience.
She is the mother of two with a loving husband.
The reader is taken on a journey of emotional, spiritual,
and professional growth. This journey is one that might change
the way we view ourselves as parents, teachers, administrators,
or anyone who touches the lives of children. This includes all
of us, because regardless of what occupation we have in life,
we all come in contact with children in some way. It is very
important how children see us function, because they are our
future teachers, bankers, parents, doctors, lawyers, salespersons,
street sweepers, and so forth.
Continuous education is mandatory for growth. These three
teachers found their growth, through mentoring each other.
Hopefully, the reader will also grow and begin to see teachers
beyond their teaching scope.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493180288

Book preview

cover.jpg

Copyright © 2014 by Marie Rogers.

ISBN:        Softcover              978-1-4836-1838-8

              eBook                     978-1-4931-8028-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 05/23/2014

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

539631

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Teachers in the Village

Ann (Teacher A) Part I

Betty (Teacher B) Part I

Carol (Teacher C) Part I

Ann (Teacher A) Part II

I am the Principal

Betty (Teacher B) Part II

Carol (Teacher C) Part II

The Gift of Parenthood

The Student

Ann (Teacher A) Part III

Betty (Teacher B) Part III

Carol (Teacher C) Part III

Ann (Teacher A) Part IV

The Conclusion

Glossary According to Marie Rogers

Acknowledgements

My story gives praise to all the students that have crossed my path for over forty years.

It also embraces my family from whom I have learned so much.

Thanks to my principals, parents and friends who continuously encouraged me to write this book.

A special thanks to Sharai Jones for her typing skills, and helping me put it all together.

And a very special thanks to Angela Myers for editing my book.

And, to you for reading my first novel.

Introduction

This is a story about three teachers, that will delight the reader. It gives an insight into the lives of the excellent, very good, and good teachers. You get a view of how their personal lives may, or may not affect the way they interact with their students. Ann, the seemingly having it all together, excellent teacher, may surprise you in her personal life. Betty, the sensitive astute divorced mother of two, has a wide awakening of what she had become, during her marriage. Carol, the spender, is a joy to experience. She is the mother of two with a loving husband.

The reader is taken on a journey of emotional, spiritual, and professional growth. This journey is one that might change the way we view ourselves as parents, teachers, administrators, or anyone who touches the lives of children. This includes all of us, because regardless of what occupation we have in life, we all come in contact with children in some way. It is very important how children see us function, because they are our future teachers, bankers, parents, doctors, lawyers, salespersons, street sweepers, and so forth.

Continuous education is mandatory for growth. These three teachers found their growth, through mentoring each other. Hopefully, the reader will also grow and begin to see teachers beyond their teaching scope.

Teachers in the Village

Teachers in the village

Teachers in the village

They all come together

For education in the village

They teach in the village

They teach in the village

They all come together

For education in the village

They work with the parents in the village

They work with the parents in the village

They all come together

For education in the village

-By Rea

Ann (Teacher A) Part I

I was in a state of emotional joy. This was the second Tuesday of the month, and I had something good to share with Betty and Carol. The three of us meet the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, to mentor each other professionally, emotionally and spiritually. We met on a bus trip to Canada. We were on our way to attend an educational workshop, sponsored by a sorority.

On our way back we stopped for a break, and the three of us gravitated towards the same table. We began to discuss some of the points that the workshop covered. I told them, that this workshop was similar to the one I attended in London, England, some time ago. We all agreed that it was one of the most inspiring workshops, that we had encountered in a long time.

The workshop presenters gave us many skills, that recharged and motivated us to help accomplish our goals for the coming school year. One, that teachers should support each other more, and I agreed. And, Betty said, Why don’t we form a group? And we all agreed at the same time. We exchanged phone numbers, and talked with each other for about a week, making plans for our first meeting. So, for the last six years we have supported each other. First we discussed a set of rules, that we could all live by. One, to meet twice a month, and to be flexible about the day and time. Two, to discuss our professional lives and try to mentor each other. Three, to listen to each other, and to stroke one another—not to pry into each other’s personal lives. This would be a natural thing once we get to know each other, we agreed. Four, to find three different restaurants where we could have dinner and linger for discussion.

Betty is very health conscious.

Reviews for It's Time to Go

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A semi-autobiographical novel, Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin takes place over the course of young John Grimes fourteenth birthday. John spends the day reflecting on his life, the people in it and the conditions he lives with. His is a racist society and his violent preacher stepfather does nothing to make his life easier. Set in Harlem, the book seems to describe one harrowing incident after another. James Baldwin has been recognized as one of the foremost black American writers, and this short and angry novel was the one that brought him to fame. The author’s rage simmers just under the surface while his beautiful writing captures the reader emotionally and draws them into the story. Touching on themes of religion, family and race there is a lot here for the reader to absorb but the author delivers his story with an evangelistic passion. Go Tell It On The Mountain is a powerful story that is abrasive, resolute and poetic.

[sean191 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not every writer has his or her first novel become a classic. James Baldwin is among a select few, with good reason.Go Tell It on the Mountain is powerful, heartbreaking, heartbreaking powerful and powerfully heartbreaking. It gives a glimpse into a American past that many don't remember, some can't and others are still living. It gives insight into the hypocrisy of faith, while at the same time reaffirming the power of pure faith. It does the same with love, race and social class. Not bad for a first novel.

[chrisblocker · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

No doubt, James Baldwin had a mastery of the English language. There is a lilt to his words that echoes the classics of literature. With its religious theme, Go Tell It on the Mountain nearly comes across seamlessly as another testament of the Bible. I believe this was Baldwin's intention, but if not he succeeded without trying. Though the tone emulates the best of the Biblical narrative, it rarely gets bogged down by the parts that are best skimmed. There is poetry in these pages, though the format is strictly narrative.As a reader, however, my attention was lost in the massive section of backstory placed in the middle of the story; backstory that takes up over half of the entire novel. Now, I'm not a flashback hater. I have no issue with backstory if it is implemented well. But the backstory in Go Tell It on the Mountain goes on much too long and isn't completely necessary for the story of young John. Sure, it gives some indication of what John was born into and how he's been shaped, but it doesn't forward his story; it only sets the foundation. The story of John is packed so deeply in the story of his family and buried beneath Biblical allegory that I felt, in the end, I didn't know John. And that's unfortunate because John seemed like he might have been an interesting individual.I hate not enjoying a classic, especially one with so much of importance to say, but I failed to find the story here. Go Tell It on the Mountain is a beautiful hymn that is likely a prelude to a compilation of many wonderful works. I recognize Baldwin's talent, but I think he spent too much time in the past with this novel. I want to see a more forward-thinking Baldwin. Judging by his life, I know he had it in him; I just need to find the work that exemplifies this character.

[andreancarr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

great, its james baldwin. nothing more to say.

[jvioland_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book. Well worth reading.

[thornton37814 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

John Grimes is expected to follow in his father's footsteps and become a preacher. John believes his father hates him. There's just one problem. He has not been saved or called to preach. Most of the action occurs on his 14th birthday at the Harlem church as a result of the prayers of members. We learn about his family and his true relationship to the man he calls father through flashbacks, mostly in the prayer chapters. It's a classic work of African-American fiction and one which will resonate with many readers, particularly those with a Calvinistic bent.

[gracez-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Oh man, what a writer. Baldwin makes some of the most real characters I've ever read. And at the same time he writes about humanity, that big picture of humanity. I could read his books forever.

[antt-4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first Baldwin book I read, and the experience remains with me.

[donna828 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Unsurprisingly, this is a spiritual book. And the type of Spirituality practiced at the Temple of the Fire Baptized in 1930?s Harlem was spelled with a capital ?S?. As was Power and Shout, two words which hurtled from church into the homelife of 14-year-old John Grimes. He grew up amidst a passionate religious fervor from a father who preached the love of Jesus -- and when that didn?t take, he beat it into his wife and children.While John is at the heart of the novel, the stories of Aunt Florence and John?s parents, Gabriel and Elizabeth, get equal time in the form of flashbacks. They all have their hidden demons who shape them into who they are. This book is as powerful as any Southern Baptist sermon about the fine line we walk between sin and redemption and between pride and humility. Being holy doesn?t mean that we always do the right thing. John learns from the people he loves (and hates) that ?the way of holiness is a hard way?a steep side of the mountain to climb.? (214) Recommended to those with a high tolerance for Bible quotes!

[seriousgrace · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What a simple concept. The beginning of the story takes place in a church. Fourteen year old John Grimes is praying beside his family - his Aunt Florence and parents, Gabriel and Elizabeth. It is in these prayers that an epic story emerges. Go Tell It On the Mountain is a tale told in three parts: The Seventh Day (a day in the life of the Grimes family on a Sunday), The Prayers of the Saints (starting with John's Aunt Florence), and The Threshing-Floor. John Grimes is at a crossroads in his young life. He knows he is destined to be like the father he can barely stand but how much like him? Will he become a preacher man, a servant of god? Will he carry anger and violence like his father?

[mjennings26 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my very favorite books.

[porch_reader · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am fascinated by first novels. They often tell us a lot about the author. Such is the case with [Go Tell It on the Mountain], James Baldwin's debut novel published in 1953. This book centers around John Grimes on his 14th birthday. John is the son of a harsh father, Gabriel, who is the minister of the Harlem church where most of this book take place, and a gentle mother, Elizabeth, whose past has secrets of its own. As John experiences a spiritual awakening at church one night, the adults reflect on their own lives and the events that have brought them to this day. But this is much more than a semi-autobiographical story recounting the lives of individuals. It is also the story of a people, a generation, a time and place. The characters in this book have moved from the South to the North, accompanied by hopes for a better life, and Baldwin tells the story of all those who did the same. As one character reflects, "There was not, after all, a great difference between the world of the North and that of the South, which she had fled; there was only this difference: the North promised more. And this similarity: what it promised it did not give, and what it gave, at length and grudgingly with one hand, it took back with the other."

[umdlotilover · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Important book... Beautifully and fiercely written.

[zohrab_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A story of violence and lust and of tenderness and compassion.

[julierh · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

this book is so good. it's one of those you'll want to devote a close reading to, with pencil in hand to make note of its thought-provoking symbolism. it's full of insight, conflict, introspection, wisdom, and feeling. don't miss this harlem-renaissance inspired classic of american literature.

[fhudnell-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't know why I hadn't read James Baldwin before, but this year I am trying to rectify that lapse. This is a brilliant, character-driven book, with beautiful use of language. A large part of the book is the coming of age of 14 year old John, who is a surrogate for the author. Although I am not at all religious, I was pulled in by how the family members depicted in this book relied upon and wrestled with their faith in the light of painful experiences, including racism, death, hypocrisy, abandonment, various temptations and abuse. Reading this was a wonderful experience. Adam Lazarre-White was an excellent narrator of the audiobook.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Knappe evocatie van het opgroeien van een jonge zwarte in Harlem in een milieu van "vurige" baptisten. De onderlinge relaties (zoon-vader, zoon-moeder, vader-tante, enz) worden mooi, stapsgewijs in beeld gebracht, bij elk hoofdstuk krijg je meer informatie over de precieze onderlinge verhoudingen. Daaruit blijkt een ongelofelijke obsessie met zonde en heilig worden die enerzijds verstikkend werkt, maar anderzijds toch ruimte laat voor heel mooie, humane opstellingen (vb John tav Elisha, moeder Elizabeth ten aanzien van haar schoonzus Florence). De structuur is drieledig, waarbij vooral het openingshoofdstuk inleidt op een heel intense manier, vervolgens waaiert het verhaal uit in een drieluik, om uit te komen op een bijna ondragelijk slothoofdstuk met een bezeten John, en daarna de ongelofelijk mooie finale van ontladenheid. Af en toe werd mijn irritatiedrempel overschreden, zeker in het begin van het slothoofdstuk, toen de bijbelse taferelen en sympboliek tot het ondragelijke toe werd opgevoerd.

[brakketh-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this a really powerful novel. Looks at the life of a young intelligent African American John and his relationship with his father and the church. Simply written but very moving for me.

[theampersand · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"Go Tell It On the Mountain" is a difficult novel to read and a difficult novel to write about. I came to it, I suppose, expecting something like Richard Wright's "Native Son" or Ralph Ellison's "Invisible Man," explicitly political mid-century novels by black Americans which pressaged the civil rights movement. "Go Tell It On the Mountain" is something else, a more personal, inward-looking book that spends more time looking at the ways in which poverty and social injustice grind people down than describing the social injustice itself. There are, in a other words, very few white people and a whole lot of sadness to be found in this novel's pages. Most of Baldwin's characters have been through the worst that life can offer, and, Baldwin bucks modern literary expectations by showing that these experiences haven't made all of his characters wiser or stronger. Many of the people we meet in "Go Tell It On the Mountain" lead small, sorrowful, or tortured existences, stuck on the periphery of the communities that are supposed to support them. Baldwin is also a thrillingly good writer, delivering his narrative in spare, forceful, hard-edged prose, but he's not your average short-sentence minimalist. He's also capable of borrowing the sway and power of biblical language without making his prose seem stuffy or grandiose, a feat only the best writers are able to pull off. I'm not surprised that Norman Mailer saw fit to call Baldwin one of America's few real writers. Baldwin's almost unbelievably ambitious, too, taking on the impossible job of describing a mystical experience at length -- and perhaps even succeeding -- while at the same time questioning religion's central role in the lives of his characters. "Go Tell It On the Mountain" is a slow, difficult book; I had to double-back several times while reading it and knew before I finished it that it deserved a re-reading. Still, Baldwin leaves no doubt that he can write rings around most of the authors on your bookshelf. I've certainly read more enjoyable novels than this one, but the combination of talent and skill that Baldwin displays in "Go Tell It On the Mountain" left me impressed, almost awestruck. Highly recommended.

[valerieandbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although this was well-written, I can't say I enjoyed reading this novel about a dysfunctional family affected by fanatical religious family members and other characters here. Overall, kind of a downer, and I'm not sure the ending made complete sense to me; possibly it was left for interpretation by the reader. In spite of the dark tone of this book, I still would like to try to read more of Baldwin's work eventually.

[gabarito-3 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book. All of the women in this novel were so real, so alive to me - Florence, Elizabeth, Deborah, Ester. Florence was probably my favorite, I savored her final lines to Gabriel so much. She saw right through him. This novel was so well constructed, letting you learn things slowly, in time. Each prayer of the saints made me cry at some point. I had to take breaks from this book because it left me emotionally unsettled, which is rare for me. John's saving was left ambiguous enough that it did not rub me to the wrong way. I'm sure there was a level of richness in bible references that went over my head, but the book was still excellent without it.

[bookworm87_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting and absorbing book. It provided a look into the spiritual lives of African-Americans in the early 1900's. The book deals with prejudice, struggle against sin, and conversion--with the entire story not encompassing no more than two days. It seems to be a story about sin and the freedom of redemption, telling the reader that although the past is never forgotten, it is possible to change one's life. Overall, I liked the book, and it was not hard to read and it engaged my attention. I may have actually learned a little bit, too!

[clurb · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

John is the young son of a black preacher fighting for the love of his family, his church and his god in turbulent downtown Harlem. Whilst John as a character was very engaging I lost interest in the story about half way through because of the writing style.

[ma_washigeri · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Plus a half star and maybe the full star. I read half this book before I could put it down. I feels part like a long poem, part like a song. A window on another world which is my world too - and I should never forget that. Cultural and institutional pressures are fierce and unrelenting in this book but the people are still portrayed as agents too. You can see how their struggles make changes to their world possible and however heartrending the detail there's a sense of possibility, not doom.

[narshkite · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gutting, painful, agonizing, true, important and beautifully written. Page after page of perfectly constructed bits of language linked into perfect passages. Language that is haunting and poetic and lovely until it registers that the pretty words are conveying things so horrible and rank and hideous it hurts to read and understand them. The hand of God is in this writing. Not the shiny happy God, the unforgiving, cruel God. The God who made Abraham drag Isaac up the mountain believing he had to murder he whom he loved most, but this God never stopped that act. This addresses all the big subjects. Race is front and center, but the oppression of women is right there next to it tied with the minimization of those who are not heterosexual and on the gender binary. And then there are subjects like love and sex and faith and secrets and the unremitting anger and fear that alter your genetic code. Everyone is in pain, in pain all the damn time until they are so broken they die or lose the capacity to feel. I know things now, after reading this, that I did not know, and they are true. I do not doubt their truth for a moment. Part of me did not want to know what I know now, but I needed to know. Everyone should read this book. I would actually like to strap down the current US President in a sort of Clockwork Orange scenario and make him listen to the audiobook (I am not convinced DJT can read text) over and over because this is transformative writing with the potential to change all whom it touches.

[wearylibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While this book is considered a work of fiction, anyone that is familiar with Baldwin's life story will see an obvious connection. I was immediately whisked away to Harlem, where I was a ghost, hiding in corners watching as the story unfolded and the characters revealed themselves. The book is a story of complex lives entwined with ghosts from the past. I found myself hurting for Deborah and Elizabeth and disliking Gabriel. I wanted to reach out and hug John one minute and the next tell him to 'man up'. This book is a classic that should be required reading in all schools.

[bbt-16 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing book. It touched my heart. Everyone should read and understand this lovely writer. It is an American classic.

[stillatim · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

All this time I thought it was called 'Go Tell it *to* the Mountain.' Well, the mountain gets told from a great height I guess. Great structure, great writing, great insight. A few reviewers complain that the ending is too 'simplistic,' which I take it means 'main character doesn't become an atheist.' Indeed he doesn't, but to describe anything about this book as simplistic or disappointing, as if being slightly different means you have to break out of your entire community and history, is itself bizarrely simplistic. This book is great, and the ending deserves to be read closely and thought through, not complained about.

[andreablythe · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's hard to sum up Go Tell it on the Mountain, which is in part about 14 year old John Grimes and his rough home life, how he longs to escape the path his preacher father walked and find another kind of living that still escapes sin. It's also about John's the spiritual awakening one night while nearby his father, mother, and aunt each say their own prayers and remember their own lives. Religion is a major theme of this book; it's at the periphery of every scene and sometimes right out front. It brushes against the Christian faith, sits with it, lives in it, while at the same time showing some of the hypocrisy of those who preach it. The novel unfolds somewhat like a poem, in that it doesn't follow a straight linear thread. Rather it relies on image, tone, and symbolism as it moves from scene to scene. The language is lyrical and vivid, thick with emotion, and like a poem I had to sit with it for a moment and try to absorb what I could. It's a book I'll return to again, to read and see what else I might discover. Highly recommended.

[shulera1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If I hadn't been reading Go Tell it on the Mountain for class, I probably wouldn't have finished it. The writing was difficult to sink into and I didn't really relate to the characters.

That being said, I'm glad I finished it. Once I fell into the rhythm of the story I was hooked, and I enjoyed reading about a style of religion and life that is far removed from my own ideas.