This book offers first-person narratives of teachers’ curriculum encounters. The reflections of teachers are presented using Pinar’s Method of Currere as a tool for undertaking deep analysis of teachers’ curriculum encounters. The Method of Currere allows teachers to embody curriculum in all its forms, allowing for reflection on encounters in the formal, informal, hidden curriculum and beyond. The book aims to provide readers with a broad understanding of curriculum as the lived experience encapsulating the educational, personal, and professional life of the teacher. In this way teachers are able to trace and make sense of the development of their knowledge and make changes that lead to the continuous offering of quality education. The book will be of interest to students, scholars and practitioners involved in curriculum studies, teacher education/training, teaching, and general education.

Nowhere is teachers’ lives and work more challenging than in Jamaican schools. Teachers in Jamaica are regularly faced with limited resources and challenging students. Teacher pay has been historically low and current conditions continue a long tradition of providing minimal compensation for teachers’ work. Recent school reform efforts has been successful in producing a teaching force that is better educated than ever before, and yet, teachers are seldom given the autonomy in decision-making and/or respect that accompanies the work of comparable professions. Coupled with these issues, teachers regularly face hunger, poverty, behavioral issues and a lack of parental support as part and parcel of their experience in 21st century schools. If teachers are perceived as having low professional status, it is not surprising that they are often blamed for the shortcomings of Jamaican schools. The citizens of Jamaica are firmly committed to the notion that “every child can learn, every child must learn;” however, the reality is that while all children can learn, many children do not learn in this country where the allocation of resources favors the rich and disowns the poor. Public schools in Jamaica vary tremendously across the fourteen parishes. Geography and social class regularly determine both the context and circumstances of teachers’ work, and yet, discussions of teachers seldom acknowledge the differences. There is a place for a more in-depth examination of teachers’ work and teachers’ lives in Jamaica where a consideration of the emergence of teacher leadership and higher professional status can intersect with a vision of new roles and responsibilities for teachers. While many of the reports on Jamaican education consider the role of administrative leaders, there is an absence of any discussion of the role of teacher leaders is school reform. It is interesting that a country can advocate for higher levels of teacher preparation and an upgrading of the professional status of teachers, and yet, ignore the potential power of teachers as major actors directing efforts to reform the schools. Teachers acting as leaders, in a profession dominated by women, would challenge the status quo and usurp preconceived notions regarding the work of teachers. In this book, 21st century descriptions of teachers’ lives and work will accompany a consideration of how the transformation of the teaching profession could positively impact both schools and classrooms across the island.

A Practical Guide to Teaching Art and Design in the Secondary School bridges the gap between key themes in Art and Design education theory, professional practice and the classroom. This practical and accessible book introduces methods for the delivery of engaging Art and Design lessons that safely and meaningfully address the current key issues in the subject. Each chapter includes tasks to support trainee and early career teachers in implementing, reviewing and adapting their teaching. Chapters cover a range of core approaches to the curriculum such as powerful knowledge for the Art and Design teacher, the place of Art History in the curriculum and critical thinking in Art and Design learning. In addition, emerging cultural and political issues (such as decolonising the Art and Design curriculum, gender and sexuality, anti-ablism, sustainability and well-being) are explored in ways designed to guide teachers towards applying their own unique teaching style. Linking directly to the planning and delivery of the subject in Key Stages 3, 4 and 5, the book is divided into three sections: Imaginative Curiosity for the Art and Design Teacher Epistemological Curiosity for Teachers and Learners Critical Curiosity in the Art and Design Classroom Designed to be used independently or alongside the essential textbook Learning to Teach Art and Design in the Secondary School, this book is packed with practical strategies, teaching ideas and activities in every chapter. The book provides everything trainee and early career teachers need to reflect on and develop their teaching practice, helping them to plan lessons across the subject in a variety of teaching situations.

This volume illuminates the most pressing challenges faced by urban schools, teachers, teacher candidates, and teacher training programs and offers a range of insights and possibilities for urban teacher education and teaching. Covering issues spanning the broadly theoretical to the urgently practical, it goes beyond the traditional discourses in teacher education to focus on diversity, social justice, democratic schooling, and community building. What emerges is an emphatic message of hope for those committed to the ongoing project of improving urban teacher education and working in urban settings. Contributors from Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean bring rich and divergent knowledges, perspectives, and cultural experiences to their discussion of the three central themes around which the book is organized: • the conceptual framing of key issues in urban schooling; • pre-service teacher preparation for urban transformation; and • culturally relevant pedagogy and advocacy in urban settings. This book is intended for all students, practitioners, and researchers involved in urban education. It is appropriate as a text for student teaching and field experience seminars, and for courses dealing with social issues, educational policy, curriculum development, and multicultural teacher education.

Nowhere is teachers' lives and work more challenging than in Jamaican schools. Teachers in Jamaica are regularly faced with limited resources and challenging students. Teacher pay has been historically low and current conditions continue a long tradition of providing minimal compensation for teachers' work. Recent school reform efforts has been successful in producing a teaching force that is better educated than ever before, and yet, teachers are seldom given the autonomy in decision-making and/or respect that accompanies the work of comparable professions. Coupled with these issues, teachers regularly face hunger, poverty, behavioral issues and a lack of parental support as part and parcel of their experience in 21st century schools. If teachers are perceived as having low professional status, it is not surprising that they are often blamed for the shortcomings of Jamaican schools. The citizens of Jamaica are firmly committed to the notion that "every child can learn, every child must learn;" however, the reality is that while all children can learn, many children do not learn in this country where the allocation of resources favors the rich and disowns the poor. Public schools in Jamaica vary tremendously across the fourteen parishes. Geography and social class regularly determine both the context and circumstances of teachers' work, and yet, discussions of teachers seldom acknowledge the differences. There is a place for a more in-depth examination of teachers' work and teachers' lives in Jamaica where a consideration of the emergence of teacher leadership and higher professional status can intersect with a vision of new roles and responsibilities for teachers. While many of the reports on Jamaican education consider the role of administrative leaders, there is an absence of any discussion of the role of teacher leaders is school reform. It is interesting that a country can advocate for higher levels of teacher preparation and an upgrading of the professional status of teachers, and yet, ignore the potential power of teachers as major actors directing efforts to reform the schools. Teachers acting as leaders, in a profession dominated by women, would challenge the status quo and usurp preconceived notions regarding the work of teachers. In this book, 21st century descriptions of teachers' lives and work will accompany a consideration of how the transformation of the teaching profession could positively impact both schools and classrooms across the island.

This book brings together leading scholars of Caribbean education from around the world. Schooling continues to hold a special place both as a means to achieve social mobility and as a mechanism for supporting the economy of Caribbean nations. In this book, the Caribbean includes the Greater and Lesser Antilles. The Greater Antilles is made up of the five larger islands (and six countries) of the northern Caribbean, including the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. The Lesser Antilles includes the Windward and Leeward Islands which are inclusive of Barbados, St. Vincent, Trinidad and Tobago along with several other islands. Each chapter provides a unique perspective on the various social and cultural issues that define Caribbean education and schooling. The Handbook on Caribbean Education fills a void in the literature and documents the important research being done throughout the Caribbean. Creating a space where Caribbean voices are a part of “international” discussions about 21st century global matters and concerns is an important contribution of this work.