Patty Lee has been in school since the time she was five years old. Before that, she was playing "school" in the basement of her parents' home in Independence, Missouri. She had always wanted to be a teacher and began that journey in 1960. Her formal education included a Master's Degree in Counseling and a Doctorate in Special Education Administration. From speech therapist to counselor to middle school teacher to special educator to district administrator and finally teaching in higher education, her journey has been long and rich. Throughout this time, she paid particular attention to the spirits of teachers and how they thrived in this profession. Along the way, she gathered stories of teaching and learning and tucked them away in her heart. Those stories served as guides and mentors to her throughout her career. They kept her on track and reminded her of the larger truths of what it means to be a teacher. One week-end in September, 2012, while attending a writing retreat, these stories came to life in the form of The Enlightened Teacher: Vignettes to Guide Your Practice.