Reflecting on her 40 year-long "happenstance" career in teaching--a field she had as a child vowed to avoid--Carol Ann Tomlinson describes five personal practices that have helped her and her colleagues achieve an effective, personally meaningful practice. She shares stories from her professional journey that illuminate these elements of a high-quality teaching life: (1) find a place that fits you; (2) see teaching as a calling; (3) know you don't know; (4) associate yourself with quality; and (5) generate your own energy.