Award-winning educator, Genét Simone reveals how her time in a remote Arctic village transformed her approach to teaching and life. Her memoir, Teaching in the Dark offers a raw, humorous, and touching exploration of resilience, cultural immersion, and the impact of mutual learning.
Genét Simone, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, educator, and consultant, with over 30 years of experience in teaching and teacher education. Her debut memoir, Teaching in the Dark, captivates readers with the story of her transformative first year teaching in the remote Iñuit village of Shishmaref, Alaska. Recognized by a number of associations, including the Nonfiction Authors Association, International Impact Awards, BookFest Awards, and Chanticleer International Book Awards for Inspiring and Uplifting Non-Fiction, the book illuminates the profound lessons that shaped Dr. Simone’s philosophy and spearheaded a lifelong inquiry into what inspires and sustains educators, and the critical importance of self-care and emotional resilience in the teaching profession.
Based in Seattle, Dr. Simone is a high school teacher and the founder of Genét Simone Educational Consulting. She is the creator of the B.E.S.T. Formula, a groundbreaking framework that empowers teachers to be Brave, Effective, Self-Caring, and Transformative. Her mission is to inspire educators to thrive, lead with heart, and create meaningful, lasting change. Her guiding mantra: “If you want to make a difference, you have to make it YOU.”
This one-on-one interview shares Genét Simone’s background and experience in writing Teaching in the Dark: A Memoir.
Tell us about Teaching in the Dark: A Memoir.
In 1984, fresh out of college, I found myself on a one-way flight to the remote village of Shishmaref, Alaska, where I was about to begin my first year as a high school teacher—without any teaching experience and little idea of what I was stepping into.
Teaching in the Dark is the story of that transformative year.
Shishmaref, a small Iñuit village north of the Arctic Circle, was a world unlike anything I had known. In the midst of long, dark winters, biting cold temperatures, and a community deeply connected to its traditional way of life, I quickly learned that teaching wasn’t just about lesson plans. It was about relationships: understanding my students’ culture, working through my own doubts, and discovering resilience in the face of challenges I hadn’t imagined.
This memoir is a candid, often humorous, account of how I navigated culture shock, student apathy, and my own inexperience while finding profound life lessons of patience, watching, and compassionate action, from the very students I was there to teach. From snowmobile mishaps to unexpected moments of connection, this book offers a poignant look at the heart of teaching and the importance of finding your own way through the darkness.
Ultimately, this book shares my journey of discovery, as I reflect on how my first year in Shishmaref changed my life, and my approach to teaching, forever.
What inspired you to write Teaching in the Dark: A Memoir?
For over three decades, I’d been sharing stories with friends and colleagues about my first year as a teacher in Shishmaref, Alaska. They repeatedly responded, “You need to write a book!”
It wasn’t until 2019, when I returned to teaching high school, that I finally felt the pull to make it happen. As crazy as it sounds, even after a full-blown career as a teacher educator, where I guided thousands of adults on how to teach, I found myself feeling like a first-year teacher all over again! It was both humbling and enlightening.
The book became a way for me to process and understand my time in Shishmaref, while also refining my approach to working more skillfully with teens in the 21st Century.
I also wanted to honor the people of Shishmaref for their warmth and generosity toward an Outsider like me. Whenever I’m having a rough day in the classroom, I think back to my students in Shishmaref and find the strength to push through. Their lessons of resilience, patience, and humor continue to shape my work as an educator to this day. This book is my tribute to them and to the life-changing impact their culture has had on me.
How did your background and experience influence your writing?
I was a voracious reader as a kid. I loved stories about inventors and adventurers—people on the edge. I copied passages to “get the feel” of stories and get inside the writer’s head. Writing was my friend and confidante. It was where I found solace and power. Echoing Joan Didion, “I write entirely to find out what I am thinking.”
So, writing Teaching in the Dark as a memoir felt inevitable. Writing it this way helped me make sense of my current life as a teacher, and also my younger self— an idealistic, naïve young woman in the midst of an extraordinary experience. Memoir gave me the freedom to be myself, to let readers step into my head and heart, and, perhaps, into their own.
Through this book, I hope readers will reflect on their own journeys, find grace for their early missteps, and feel inspired for what lies ahead. It’s an invitation to embrace our stories, no matter how messy or imperfect, and to see the growth and beauty in every chapter.
What is one message you would like readers to remember?
Teaching is a dance of mutual influence, rarely spoken or cultivated. Yet it is a gem hidden in plain sight. Instead of chasing subject matter and strategies—the tip of the pedagogical iceberg—let’s look at what lies beneath: the person who teaches. How can we support them in heart, mind, and body so they can continue anchoring kids? Evolving instead of declining in the profession? Teaching in the Dark implies that I had no guideposts or support during my first year of teaching. It’s true, I did a lot of searching in dimly lit places, figuratively as well as physically. But the law of mutual influence dictates that there’s guidance and support everywhere. I just didn’t know that at the time.
My message is to pay attention to your inner voice, your intuition; pay attention to everyone around you. They are searching too. There’s a good chance you can help each other find your way.
Purchasing the Book
Teaching in the Dark: A Memoir has received positive reviews from well-known literary organizations, authors, and reviewers around the world. The Prairies Book Review writes, “A witty and heartwarming exploration of resilience, cultural immersion, and the profound impact of education in unconventional settings.” In addition, The Historical Fiction Company writes, “This memoir has it all – culture shock, profound life lessons, personal resilience…an extraordinary story.”
The book is available from an independent bookstore near you, or through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online bookstores. Readers are encouraged to purchase their copy today: https://genetsimone.com/purchase
To connect with Genétand learn more about her transformative work in education, leadership, and life, visit: https://genetsimone.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.
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