This book presents, in journal form, the teaching philosophy of Louis Schmier, a university history professor. Through a series of brief essays that were originally published as electronic mail on the Internet, he challenges teachers to reach out to their students. He suggests that unless the teacher values, respects, likes, and accepts himself, he cannot reach out to value, respect, like, and accept the students; that unless the teacher has a high opinion of himself, he cannot have a high opinion of the students; and that unless a teacher is sensitive to himself, he cannot be sensitive to students. He also suggests that teaching technologies and teaching techniques and scholarly resumes are educational camouflage and academic window dressing. The critical issue of education and teaching is seen to be neither the quality of the students nor the expertise of the teacher but rather the success of students, as they learn and grow. Schmier's concept of teaching is to help students reach their inner strengths for development, to feel true about themselves, to feel engaged in class and in life, and to develop strategies that will help them operate as effective persons. (JLS)