Narratives from the Classroom: An Introduction to Teaching

"The stories kept me wanting more and the lessons are valuable information for pre-service teachers. Bravo!"
―Sharon Ulanoff, California State University, Los Angeles

"Narratives from the Classroom will be useful in its ability to stimulate students to get in touch with their past experiences in education in a critical way. The questions offer a natural beginning for sharing experiences. In this way, beliefs and values can be recognized, scrutinized, and defended."
―James Curtiss, Wayne State College

"These narratives provide expansive opportunities for reflection and encourage each student to come to their own understanding about what it means to be a teacher."
―Betty C. Eng, Hong Kong Institute of Education

In order for pre-service teachers to fully understand what it means to choose teaching as a career, it is important for them to connect with experienced teachers who can share their experiences of what occurs within the walls of schools. Narrative accounts of teachers′ experiences with students, parents, administrators and colleagues are an excellent way for pre-service teachers to obtain a clearer picture of what teaching really involves.

Narratives from the Classroom: An Introduction to Teaching introduces the reader to many of the important classroom issues surrounding the field of teaching. This book is unique in that it is a collection of personal accounts and ideas written by the teachers and teacher educators who lived those experiences. Because this is an introduction to teaching, each chapter addresses a different topic, ranging from the purpose of schools and teachers, issues about policies and programs in the school, and various practices found within the classroom walls. There is also a section that addresses preparation for the job market and what the first year of teaching is like. This book deliberately avoids being prescriptive and encourages the reader to form his or her own conclusions about the presented issues.

Narratives from the Classroom is designed as a supplemental text for teacher education courses, especially those at the introductory stages. Beginning teachers and anyone considering teaching as a career will also find this collection an important and insightful addition to their libraries.

Key Features

• Editor′s introduction to each narrative provides context
• Questions and further readings stimulate the reader′s engagement and commitment to the topic
• Narratives provide readers with significant exposure to 16 experienced teachers and teacher educators
• Coverage includes diverse experiences and opinions from authors of various ethnic backgrounds

Paul Chamness Miller is Assistant Professor of Foreign Language Education in the Division of Teacher Education at the University of Cincinnati.  He received in doctorate in Foreign Language Education at Purdue University in 2003.  Prior to pursuing his doctorate, he taught French in both rural and urban schools.  He has taught French at the college level, as well as Foreign Language and TESOL methods courses at the undergraduate and graduate level.  He has also taught courses in teacher education on exploring teaching as a career and educational technology, in addition to supervising field experiences and student teaching.  He has published articles in Phi Delta Kappan, Multicultural Perspectives, and the Electronic Magazine of Multicultural Education.  He has also published book reviews in TESL-EJ and Education Review.  He serves as a member of the board of reviewers for CALICO Journal and TESL-EJ, and is also an Executive Peer Reviewer of Educational Technology & Society.