Drop-Out to Teacher: Overcoming Fear and Failure

When Barrington High School teacher William J. Palmer tells his at-risk students he can relate to their problems, he's speaking literally. As a teenager, Palmer couldn't balance academics with the pressures of his dysfunctional family and the temptations of the streets. Once a student at Barrington High School, he dropped out before earning a diploma. Palmer's path from dropout to beloved teacher was a long and winding one. He earned a GED, an Associate's degree, bachelor's degree, and a master's degree. He also built a successful career in commercial real estate. Palmer knew, however, that a teaching career would allow him to be the mentor he always wished he'd had. At the encouragement of his colleagues and students, Palmer wrote his story as both an inspiration to troubled youth and a guidebook for parents and educators. Palmer focuses on helping others understand the connections between negative life experiences and potential academic failure. He utilizes the cognitive behavioral strategies of Dr. Albert Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Education (REBT/E) model to encourage students to live and learn positively. Palmer believes all students can achieve, even those who come from families blighted by alcohol, poverty, or domestic violence. He's a living example of the strategies he teaches.