Ruth Harwell Fawcett has been an elementary teacher, principal, and instructor of undergraduate education classes. She lived and studied in northern England, earning a Ph.D. for original research in the work of British head teachers and American school principals, and visited many schools in the process.

“I have been in love with words my entire life,” she says. She wrote poetry and essays in her young years. As an educator, she wrote many professional papers, including articles on economics education and teacher guides for instructional films. She produced publicity tapes for her school district, serving as scriptwriter and videographer.

Dr. Fawcett left her place in education to live her dream of writing fiction. She writes about her favorite place to be—a school. Always fascinated by the rich mix of personalities in a school, she creates composite fictional characters from observations gathered in what she calls “that laboratory of human behavior.”

“I understand that instructional approaches are ever-changing, but the tenets of high standards, good relationships and positive communication are constants. They are crucial to school effectiveness,” Ruth states

.

Portrait by Dick Thomson