A timeless book of lessons on mentorship, teaching, and learning from New York Times bestselling author Tim Gunn, host of the Emmy Award–nominated Project Runway and the reality show Under the Gunn . Tim Gunn, America’s favorite reality TV cohost, is known for his kind but firm approach in providing wisdom, guidance, and support to the scores of design hopefuls on Project Runway . Having begun his fashion career as a teacher at Parsons The New School for Design, Tim knows more than a thing or two about mentorship and how to convey invaluable pearls of wisdom in an approachable, accessible manner. While Gunn’s Golden Rules showcased Tim “as life coach,” imparting lessons based on his personal experiences, Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor will focus on Tim “as teacher.” Divided into sections on common themes—truth-telling, empathy, asking, cheerleading, and hoping for the best—this practical, timely book takes us on a journey through life lessons and uses Tim’s own personal experiences, from the classroom to the therapist’s office, to illustrate larger concepts. Says Bette Midler of Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor , “This book is as smart and fashionable as Tim Gunn himself, and it’s teeming with surprising, moving, and often hilarious stories about teaching, learning, and life. I loved it!” So grab a pencil and start taking notes: class is officially in session! Praise for New York Times bestselling author Tim Gunn "Tim Gunn's done it again but this time he's going to surprise you because he goes places you didn't realize he's been. His lessons, his intuitiveness, his empathy—Tim Gunn at his best. Give it a read, you won't be sorry. Lessons for all!" -- Whoopi Goldberg “This book is as smart and fashionable as Tim Gunn himself, and it's teeming with surprising, moving, and often hilarious stories about teaching, learning, and life. I loved it!” -- Bette Midler “There is a reason Tim Gunn is so beloved. Who else are you going to take advice from if not the consummate gentleman? Tim is the best—and he knows what he’s talking about!” -- Heidi Klum "Tim Gunn is fun and chatty, but most of all he is incredibly knowledgable and informed!" -- Diane von Furstenberg Beloved pop culture icon and New York Times bestselling author Tim Gunn is best known as the Emmy Award–winning host of Project Runway . He also hosted two seasons of his own Bravo makeover series, Tim Gunn’s Guide to Style , and was the host of the reality TV series Under the Gunn . Tim Gunn: The Natty Professor LIFE AS A NEW TEACHER When I was a classroom teacher, the first day of class was so important to me. There is so much to be said about that first day. We’re making a first impression and so are the students. I’d like to think that I’m dispelling their preconceptions and that they are more alert and they’re thinking, Oh! This is engaging! You want them to know you care about them. In fact, if someone was absent on that first day, I often told him or her to go ahead and withdraw. That first class was about learning the basics: who they are, who I am, and my rules and expectations. One expectation I always wanted to extinguish was that just showing up to every class meant “I get a B or a C.” Showing up is the smallest expectation I had for any of them. Key to first impressions is, as we all know, what you wear. That goes for both teachers and students. As a teacher, I felt stronger and more in control if I looked professional. Even in my junior days of teaching, I always wore a tie. It might be a knit tie, and I might have worn jeans with it, but a tie denotes effort. I wanted to feel in command, and dressing up helped me do that. Also key for teachers looking to make a good first impression is to look around the room at the start of every class and fully engage with the students. Opening the class with “How are you?” is a sensational idea, and so simple. In any group, you don’t walk in and start to talk. You shouldn’t do that in a classroom, either. I would ask everyone in the class to say their name and something about themselves, and then I would make notes on the roster. I found the students felt more invested if they introduced themselves rather than just saying, “Here!” They had a responsibility to show up and participate and contribute to the chemistry of the class. “You’re all on an even playing field,” I told my students in my opening remarks. “You will distinguish yourself up or down from this point forward. Just being here, that’s not enough. You have to fully embrace these assignments and do them exceptionally well. You can’t be a cipher. Just because you’re present doesn’t mean you’ll get a good grade.” At the end of every class, I would wait until everyone was gone and the next class was coming in, and then I would think, Now I can go. Maybe no one would come up to me after class for weeks on end, but I still never rushed out. Whether or not they took advantage all semester of my availability, I