Book: Classroom Confidential: How I Survived 33 Years in a Public School Classroom…and You Can Too!
Q1. Hello Ma’am, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
My name is Victoria Lucido, but I go by Vickie. I grew up on the Monterey Peninsula, was a student of Monterey Peninsula Unified School District from K-12, and ended up teaching in my home district for 33 years. When I decided to retire, I wanted to share what I learned with other teachers so they wouldn’t have to struggle to figure things out the way I did when I first started teaching.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing ‘Classroom Confidential: How I Survived 33 Years in a Public School Classroom…and You Can Too!’ book?
Writing the book was actually the easy part. It truly just flowed out of me once I started writing it. I had so many things I wanted to say and share, and it was very cathartic getting to write them all down. The hard part came when it was time to pitch it to publishers hoping someone would pick it up. The next hard part has been marketing a book on teaching during a pandemic when schools are closed down. I never saw that coming in a million years! It’s been a challenge not being able to have a launch party or do book signings during COVID. Fortunately, the message in my book is timeless, so I will hit the ground running as soon as it’s safe to do so.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
Being from the Monterey Peninsula, I have always been a fan of John Steinbeck. Being a former social studies teacher, I love reading historical fiction. I don’t particularly have an author who influenced my writing because I wanted my book to be uniquely me and my voice.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
I love to travel and visit all sorts of different places. I just got back from visiting Bass Lake, California, which is very special because I grew up there camping and water skiing with my family. But I would have to say my favorite spot in my country is my hometown and my favorite place to visit is wherever I can spend time with my family.
Q5. Is there lots to do before you dive in and start writing a book?
I don’t think so. I think you need to just do it. Since I got my book published, many people have said to me, “I have an idea for writing a book” or “I’m thinking about writing a book,” and I always tell them, “Just start writing!” The main thing, for me, about writing a book is be sure you have something to say. I definitely felt I had something to say when I wrote my book.
Q6. How long did it take you to write ‘Classroom Confidential: How I Survived 33 Years in a Public School Classroom…and You Can Too!’ book?
On one hand, I suppose you could say it took me a lifetime to write my book because I couldn’t have written it without living through all of the experiences I shared. But if the question is how long did it take to do the actual writing, I would say 6 months for the rough draft and another six months with all of the edits.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find your book ‘Classroom Confidential: How I Survived 33 Years in a Public School Classroom…and You Can Too!’ to buy?
I am selling my book on my website: victorialucidobooks.com and it is also available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other book stores.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Classroom Confidential: How I Survived 33 Years in a Public School Classroom…and You Can Too!’?
My brother actually came up with the idea of Classroom Confidential as a homage to Anthony Bourdain with his book Kitchen Confidential. My editor and I came up with the tag line: How I Survived 33 Years in a Public School Classroom… and You Can Too! We wanted to make sure people knew I would be sharing my secrets to help others. Being a classroom teacher all of those years, I envisioned a chalk board on the cover of the book because while a lot of my advice is “old school” the lessons will never go out of style since people are people and that doesn’t change. Morgan James Publishing took the cover idea in my head and made it a reality.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
I believe the best way to keep things fresh is to be authentic and write from your heart and not your ego. Don’t ever try to manipulate the audience into feeling a certain way. When you tell your truth with honesty, it has a universality to it and others can relate.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
Those of you who choose to read my book will see that it is like having a safe conversation with an experienced teacher. While my book is set in the classroom, it’s really a no-nonsense book about life and best practices for managing and working with others.
Book Is Available On Amazon
Classroom Confidential: How I Survived 33 Years in a Public School Classroom…and You Can Too!
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