Book Shelf
Add these great new books to your reading list
What Keeps Teachers Going?
By Sonia Nieto (Teachers College Press, $18.95).
Drawing on a solid grounding of multicultural education
principles, including the premise that "autobiography is
part of teaching," Nieto delves deeply into the personal and
professional lives of successful urban teachers. At the center of
her research is a year-long inquiry group who discuss tough
issues such as anger, democracy, and intellectual challenges.
Their candid exploration illustrates the need for teachers to
form communities of learning.
The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can
Learn from Each Other
By Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot (Random House, $24.95).
When young Sara's second-grade teacher told her parents that
she might not be college material, the child was more surprised
by their reaction–quiet acceptance. That silence haunted
the author through all subsequent parent-teacher conferences,
including those when she was the parent. Written from a personal
perspective, The Essential Conversation is a painfully
honest account of what goes on beneath the surface on both sides.
Lawrence-Lightfoot, a sociologist and professor of education at
Harvard (guess she was college-ready after all), offers lucid
observations, keen analysis, and recommendations for parents and
teachers alike to transform the classic ritual dialogue into a
productive one.
Retirement Straight Talk: Stories and Wisdom from
Educators
By Donald R. Draayer (Scarecrow Press, $24.95).
Several hundred participants speak for themselves in this
congenial account of retired educators' experiences, compiled
by a former National Superintendent of the Year. The interviewees
describe the typical stages of retirement–defining success,
staying involved, maintaining financial security–from an
educator's perspective. Each chapter in this practical guide
focuses on a particular milestone and poses exploratory questions
for the reader.
