Classroom Conversations: A Collection of Classics for Parents and Teachers

In Classroom Conversations, two generations of educators―a mother and daughter―point us to the great thinkers who have shaped their beliefs and practices in education, and who continue to influence teachers today. Nineteen essays by educators from Dewey to Delpit offer parents and new educators an education degree in a nutshell. The Milettas frame these touchstone texts with commentary explaining why these writers resonate for them, sharing not only the personal meanings they have derived from the selections but why these writings have endured in the field over time. Brief biographies set each author in context for the lay reader.

As educational fads and jargon come and go, parents and teachers alike will appreciate and find value in the wisdom distilled here. Classroom Conversations will help experienced teachers find renewed meaning in these seminal essays and will help younger teachers discover just how important the work they do can be. For parents, the book will inform and enrich their understanding of their children's educational experience.

Contributors:

• Cynthia Ballenger
• Brian Cambourne
• Patricia Carini
• Christopher Clark
• Lisa Delpit
• John Dewey
• Eleanor Duckworth
• Joseph Featherstone
• Maxine Greene
• David Hansen
• Diana Hess
• Gloria Ladson-Billings
• Peggy Macintosh
• Loris Malaguzzi
• Sonia Nieto
• Vivian Gussin Paley
• Caroline Pratt
• Carla Rinaldi
• Sylvia Ashton Warner

Alexandra Miletta is an assistant professor in the department of childhood education at Mercy College. She is a co-author of Classroom Conversations: A Collection of Classics for Parents and Teachers. She lives in New York City.

Maureen Miletta is professor emerita at Hofstra University. She has taught elementary school in Great Neck, New York, where she currently lives, and is the a co-author of Classroom Conversations: A Collection of Classics for Parents and Teachers.