When Peter Mansbridge asked “Who is your favourite teacher and why?” on his daily podcast The Bridge on SiriusXM satellite radio network, he was suddenly inundated with an enormous number of responses from across the country. It seemed that hundreds of people wanted to share their story about their favourite teacher and how they had influenced or changed their lives for the better. The overwhelming response was the inspiration for his new book A Noble Profession: Inspiring Stories of the Teachers Who Shape Our World, co-written with veteran journalist Mark Bulgutch.
As chief correspondent for CBC News and anchor of The National for more than 30 years, Peter Mansbridge is one of the most respected and most recognized journalists in Canada. Now just in time for the start of the school year, Mansbridge and Bulgutch have released A Noble Profession, featuring a collection of stories that recognize and celebrate the positive impact teachers had on some students. There are 35 “contributors” including 24 teachers along with stories from 11 students who talk about how their favourite teacher changed their life.
The book recognizes that teaching has its rewards and challenges, but Mansbridge and Bulgutch focus on the positive side of teaching. Told in the first person by teachers and students, these true stories take us inside the classroom to witness some of the things students may be struggling with—course material, language skills, sexuality, mental health, suicidal thoughts, and more- and how these teachers were able to offer help and offer guidance when needed.
From elementary school to post-secondary school, the stories are as inspiring as they are entertaining. And a few will likely pull at your heartstrings.
This is yet another collaboration between the #1 bestselling authors Peter Mansbridge and Mark Bulgutch, who also wrote Extraordinary Canadians, How Canada Works. Mansbridge also penned the bestsellers Off the Record and One on One.
Mansbridge openly admits in the Introduction that the book is biased. He states that he and Bulgutch pride themselves on being unbiased in their working lives in daily news, but not in the pages of this book. He states they are both “unabashed admirers of teachers”; after all, Mansbridge’s mother was his first teacher, and both he and Bulgutch have daughters who are teachers.
A Noble Profession will make the perfect Christmas gift for any teacher on your list. It’s an ideal read for the more than 400,000 educators across Canada, and as a boss, parent or coach, you will find some great tips on how to deal with young people. So, if you looking for some feel-good inspiration on how a person can change the lives of others through their words and actions, you may just want to read it first (or buy a second copy) before you give it to that special teacher.
A Noble Profession: Inspiring Stories of Teachers Who Shape Our World is available on Amazon and at bookstores everywhere. Copyright © 2026 by Peter Mansbridge and Mark Bulgutch. Published by Simon & Schuster.
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