This book presents a vision of why teaching is important in human life and why its rewards, to teachers, are so distinctive.

2007 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title These original essays focus on John Dewey's Democracy and Education, a book widely regarded as one of the greatest works ever written in the history of educational thought. The contributors address Dewey's still powerful argument that education is not a preparation for life, but rather constitutes a fundamental aspect of the very experience of living. The authors examine Dewey's central themes, including the dynamics of human communication, the nature of growth, the relation between democracy and education, and the importance of recognizing student agency. They link their analyses with contemporary educational concerns and problems, offering ideas about what the curriculum for children and youth should be, how to prepare teachers for the profession, what pedagogical approaches make the most sense given societal trends, and how to reconstruct the purposes of school. This first book-length study of Dewey's extraordinary text attests to the continued power in his work and to the diverse audience of educators to whom he has long appealed.

A methodology for using philosophy to guide teaching preparation and practice

William Kilpatrick's recent book Why Johnny Can't Tell Right from Wrong convinced thousands that reading is one of the most effective ways to combat moral illiteracy and build a child's character. This follow-up book--featuring evaluations of more than 300 books for children--will help parents and teachers put his key ideas into practice.

The Call to Teach has been used in teacher education and educational research courses the world over. This volume celebrates that landmark text and examines the far-reaching impact of David Hansen’s teaching and scholarship. Essays by international educators and scholars explore his influence on our understanding of a whole host of important themes, including the moral dimensions of teaching, educational research, teacher education, and the philosophy of education. Contributing authors from eight countries consider the influence of Hansen’s ideas from the vantage point of our contemporary educational scene, and from their own unique cultural perspectives. David Hansen and The Call to Teach continues the conversation about the meaning of teaching through the concept of vocation as initiated by Hansen in The Call to Teach and examines its potential to renew the practice of teaching within today’s educational landscape. Contributors: Catie Bell • Indrani Bhattacharjee • Darryl De Marzio • David Hansen • Ruth Heilbronn • Caroline Heller • Pádraig Hogan • Hansjörg Hohr • Margaret Macintyre Latta • Lisa Marques • Anna Pagès • Elizabeth Saville • Shelley Sherman • Katie Wihak • Huajun Zhang “David T. Hansen’s The Call to Teach is a modern educational classic. Coming from eight different nations, the contributors to De Marzio’s exquisitely edited David Hansen and the Call to Teach bring the passion, poetry, and piety found in the original text to a new generation of readers in a global context. The call to teach is truly universal.” —Jim Garrison, professor, Foundations of Education program, Virginia Tech

"This book is for teachers who have good days and bad -- and whose bad days bring the suffering that comes only from something one loves. It is for teachers who refuse to harden their hearts, because they love learners, learning, and the teaching life." - Parker J. Palmer [from the Introduction] Teachers choose their vocation for reasons of the heart, because they care deeply about their students and about their subject. But the demands of teaching cause too many educators to lose heart. Is it possible to take heart in teaching once more so that we can continue to do what good teachers always do -- give heart to our students? In The Courage to Teach, Parker Palmer takes teachers on an inner journey toward reconnecting with their vocation and their students -- and recovering their passion for one of the most difficult and important of human endeavors.

Society is a complex phenomenon, characterized by constant change, often entailing conflict. This is seen in our own times where philosophies and movements of individualism, pluralism and globalization intersect and often collide. Still, even in this fast-moving and highly materialist world, religion and spirituality remain crucial aspects of human and social living, and therefore must be among the many focusses of the modern school. Teachers of Religious and Spiritual Education (RSE) are therefore expected to support students’ religious and spiritual understanding as well as their overall development. How can they best meet this challenge? This book is comprised of various interdisciplinary research findings drawn from international scholarship. The findings are of a different order from each other but all have in common an element of surprise, sufficient to impel reflection and re-thinking of many of the assumptions that normally underpin RSE. The book therefore constitutes a contribution to ongoing understanding of the role played by religious and spiritual education and of the proper interface between RSE and the modern school, contemporary curricula and the teacher of today. Contributions by Robert Crotty, Ola Erik Domaas, Michael Fricke, Liam Gearon, Adrian-Mario Gellel, Eija Hanhimaki, Laura Hirsto, Tapani Innanen, Terence Lovat, Klaas Macha, Emanuel P. Magro, Adil Mamodaly, Fritz Oser, Ulrich Riegel, Inkeri Rissanen, Sturla Sagberg, Kirsi Tirri, Theo van der Zee, Karen Wenell