My Homecoming Dance

In her memoir My Homecoming Dance: Reflections on Teaching in Wisconsin, Sue Leamy Kies returns to her alma mater to teach high school English. What's changed in the twenty years since graduation? What hasn't? Her recollection of former classmates, students, mentors, peers, and lessons taught and learned provide a humorous, behind-the-scenes look at secondary public education.

Platteville, home to a state university, lies amid the rolling hills of the Driftless Area of Wisconsin that was left untouched by glaciers. This work embodies small town Middle America, its customs, attitudes, and people. Platteville High School maintains a stellar track record for providing students with a top-notch education, but, like all schools today, it faces unprecedented, historical challenges.

Over the course of her nearly thirty-year career, Sue deals with homecoming pranks, hormonal teens, disgruntled parents, demonstrative administrators, and ever-changing technology. The drama of three bomb threats in one year, mandatory shooter drills, book banning, and ramifications of Act 10 distract from teaching and put a damper on the joy of the job. But, through it all, Sue finds hope for the profession in her ever-inquisitive students, those priceless teachable moments, and her dedicated supportive peers.

Compassion and empathy present powerful lessons as Sue experiences the deaths of students, her beloved mentor, and her own son. Sue's story will inform and entertain anyone who has entered the doors of an American high school.

You are cordially invited to My Homecoming Dance. Unlike in the author's day, no date is required.

Why teach? In Wisconsin-and nationally-interest in participating in this labor-intensive and life-changing profession has decreased dramatically. If you have ever wondered why anyone would feel called to teach, read this memoir by Sue Kies, who gives us a close look at the reality and rewards of a profession that has changed its methods but not its mission.

--Catherine Stover, educator and author of Three Ways to Write Memoir

Sue Leamy Kies, a retired high school English teacher, lives in Platteville, Wisconsin with her husband Dave, border collie mix Jojo, and her backyard chickens. She relishes spending time with family and friends, growing flowers, kayaking and walking in nature, cooking and eating food, listening to music and reading and writing books. Before teaching, Sue and her husband ran a dairy and hog farm and had five children. She returned to school and at the age of 36 graduated in 1991 as valedictorian from the University of Wisconsin Platteville. Her degree in English education and minor in journalism led her to 27 years in the classroom at her alma mater, Platteville High School. She earned her master's degree in education in 2000 and began writing down teaching stories. She spent the last four years compiling them into My Homecoming Dance. She has published poetry, essays, movie reviews, and short stories for regional magazines and newspapers, including The Illinois English Bulletin, The Voice of the River Valley, and The Wisconsin Academy Review. Also, in 2021 CADA (Center for Applied Drama and Autism) chose her play Back about a disabled veteran to be performed for their One-Act Play Festival. Additionally, Sue has written two children's books. The Platteville Library Foundation published Saving Sadie in recognition of the donors for the new library that opened in 2017. Sassy's Vacation was published by the Platteville Community Arboretum in 2022 to promote literacy and nature education on the Rountree Branch Trail.

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