Excerpt: Woven throughout his book, the joy Hazel found in the vocation of teaching rises above all other content, ergo the title. Hazel begins in the first chapter with the joy and the rewards of teaching by observing that our call to teach provides a means toward self-actualization as well as a way to serve God\u27s people. Many enter the field of teaching with hearts and minds centered on care for others as well as a desire to make a difference in the lives of students. Through many of the over one hundred stories collected during the research for this book, Hazel speaks to the inherent joy many teachers find as the most compelling reason to remain in education. Regardless of the age level taught, the teachers\u27 stories in Hazel\u27s book expose the intrinsic rewards of the vocation as an essential reason we have responded to the invitation to serve as educators
