A unique introduction to education text designed to help pre-service teachers identify and confirm certification levels for their future careers in teaching. The book focuses on 12 students, as well as teachers and administrators, using them as examples in the opening chapters as well as throughout the book. Along with the book comes a DVD that is also unique in that it includes classroom footage of the focus students and teachers featured in the text. The overall theme of the book is "how are the children?" This serves as a reminder that all teachers must always remember to think of the student first. The text brings teaching to life by taking the reader into a real school with real teachers and students. All but one chapter begins with a Teaching in Focus feature that focuses on one of the ten-featured teachers and an experience from their classroom that fits with the content of the chapter. Rural, suburban, and urban schools are represented to help teaching students decide if teaching is right for them, what kind of teacher they want to be, and what age students they would like to teach.Some of the other pedagogical features in the book include: Teacher's Days, Delights, and Dilemmas--In each chapter a state Teacher of the Year writes about experiences and lessons learned related to the chapter content. Letter to the Editor (Chapters 1-7, and 10-12)--a public response to a relevant issue in education in the form of a letter help readers decide what their teacher identities might be. In the News--this feature links ABC News footage on the DVD of national issues and gives opportunities to reflect on the impact of the content on teachers, classrooms, and students. A scales icon marksBalance Margin Notes in each chapter. What Role Will Diversity Play in My Teaching Identity?--these boxes appear at the end of every chapter. Professional Practice features also appear at the end of every chapter to help students apply the chapter content to what they need to do to become a professional educator.

Table of Contents

(Note: Each chapter contains the following features: Concluding Thoughts, What Role Will Diversity Play in My Teaching Identity?, Chapter in Review, and Professional Practice) Part I Teachers, Schools, and Students Chapter 1 Teachers Who Teaches in the United States and Why? What Are the Roles of Teachers? How Do We Prepare to Teach? What Is Teacher Professionalism? What Are the Characteristics of Effective Teachers? What's It Like to Teach at Various Grade Levels? Chapter 2 Schools What Is the Culture of a School? How Do the Venues of Schools Differ? What Is School Like at Different Levels? What Are the Three Principle Settings of Public Schools? What Is an Effective School? Chapter 3 Students How Are We Similar? How Are Gender Differences Manifested? How Does Cultural Diversity Impact Us? How Is Language Diversity Manifested in U.S. Schools? What Impact Does Diversity in Family Structure Have on Students? How Does Diversity of Socioeconomic Status Affect Students? How Are Differences in Intellectual Ability Manifested in Schools? Who Are Students with Exceptionalities, and How Do We Serve Them? Meet the Students Part II The Work of Teachers Chapter 4 Curriculum and Instruction What Is the Relationship Between the Learning Process and the Brain? What Curriculum Do We Teach in U.S. Schools? How Is Instruction Implemented in U.S. Schools? Are We All Teachers of Reading and Writing? How Do Teachers Match Instruction to School Levels? Chapter 5 Assessment and Accountability What Is Backward Design? What Is Involved in Classroom Assessment? How Do Teachers Evaluate Student Learning and Assign Grades? What Are Standardized Tests and How Are Their Results Used? Who Is Accountable for Student Learning? What Are Some of the Challenges of Accountability? Chapter 6 Technology in U.S. Schools What Guides the Use of Technology in U.S. Schools? What Technological Tools Are Available to Enhance Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment? Does Technology Make a Difference in Student Learning? How Do Teachers Use Technology in Their Classrooms? What Issues Surround and Affect the Use of Technology in Schools? What Does the Future Hold for Technology in Schools? Chapter 7 Creating and Maintaining a Positive and Productive Learning Environment How Do Teachers Create a Positive Learning Environment? What Routines Contribute to Maintaining a Productive Classroom Environment? How Do Teachers Establish Expectations, Incentives, and Consequences? How Can I Develop a Classroom Management Plan? Part III Foundations of Education in the United States Chapter 8 History of Education in the United States What Were the Major Influences, Issues, Ideologies, and Individuals in 17th-Century American Education?What Were the Major Influences, Issues, Ideologies, and Individuals in 18th-Century American Education? What Were the Major Influences, Issues, Ideologies, and Individuals in 19th-Century American Education? What Were the Major Influences, Issues, Ideologies, and Individuals in 20th-Century American Education? How Can I Be Aware of Education History in the Making? Chapter 9 Philosophical Foundations of Education in the United States What Is a Philosophy of Education? What Are Four Branches of Philosophy? How Do Five Prominent Philosophies of Education Affect Teaching and Learning? How Do I Begin to Develop My Personal Philosophy of Education? Chapter 10 The Societal Context of Schooling in the United States How Do Family, Community, and Society Impact Students in the United States? How Do Socioeconomic Status and Race Affect Students in the United States? How Do Health Issues Affect Students in the United States? What Effects Do Bullying, Theft, and Violence Have on Students and Schools in the United States? How Do Truancy and Dropping Out Affect Youth in the United States? Chapter 11 Ethical and Legal Issues in U. S. Schools What Does It Mean to Be an Ethical Teacher? How Do Laws Affect Schools, Teachers, and Students? What Are the Legal Rights of Teachers? What Are the Legal Responsibilities of Teachers? What Are the Legal Rights of Students? How Does the Law Impact the Relationship Between School and Religion? Chapter 12 Governing and Financing Public Schools in the United States How Does the Federal Government Influence Public Education in the United States? What Is the State's Role in Public Education? How Do School Districts Function? What Is the Management Structure of Individual Schools? What Other Entities Impact the Governance of Public Schools in the United States? How Are Public Schools Financed? How Are Funds for Education Spent? Part IV Growing Toward the Teaching Profession Chapter 13 Teacher Responsibilities and Opportunities What Are a Teacher's Responsibilities and Opportunities Regarding Family Involvement? What Are a Teacher's Responsibilities and Opportunities Regarding the Community? What Are a Teacher's Responsibilities and Opportunities Regarding Colleagues? What Are a Teacher's Responsibilities and Opportunities Regarding Systemic Involvement? What Are a Teacher's Responsibilities and Opportunities Regarding the Teaching Profession? What Are a Teacher's Responsibilities and Opportunities Regarding Self-Growth? What Are a Teacher's Responsibilities and Opportunities Regarding Students? Chapter 14 Charting My Teaching Course How Can I Make the Most of Teacher Preparation? How Can I Make the Most of Searching for a Teaching Position? How Can I Thrive, Not Merely Survive, During My First Year of Teaching? References Glossary Name Index Subject Index