Spectacular Things Happen Along the Way : Lessons from an Urban Classroom

This is an inspiring story of one teacher who resisted the pressures of “teaching to the test” and created a curriculum based on his students’ needs, wants, and desires. When Brian Schultz challenged his fifth-grade students to name problems in their community, they unanimously focused on replacing their dilapidated school building. This book portrays the students’ attempts at solving this real-world problem through a year-long project that they developed together with their teacher. Throughout his narrative, Schultz shares the difficulties he encountered with the curriculum, the school system, the students, and himself, as well as the successes and discoveries made along the way. This hopeful classroom story:

• Examines a year-long, social justice curriculum with descriptions of events, activities, and student interactions.
• Depicts what one determined teacher achieved in the current environment of high-stakes testing, accountability, and standardization.
• Shows the capabilities, interest, and fortitude of students from a Chicago public housing project.
• Highlights how teachers can reflect on and transform their own classroom practices.

Brian D. Schultz is an assistant professor of education and honors faculty at Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) in Chicago. He also taught in the Chicago Public Schools and in 2005 received the Educator of the Year award from the Illinois Computing Educators. He is the recipient of the AERA Narrative & Research SIG's 2008 Early Career Award and the AERA Critical Issues in Curriculum & Cultural Studies SIG 2008 Early Career Award.