This book traces the experiences of one cohort of Teach For America (TFA) corps members as they reconcile their hopes for their students with the reality of teaching in a district that favors compliance over compassion. The voices of the teachers are highlighted as they wrestle with urban poverty, question bureaucratic mandates, resist dehumanizing reform initiatives, and experiment with critical pedagogy.

Autorentext

Katherine Crawford-Garrett, an assistant professor at Ithaca College, holds an EdD from the Reading/Writing/Literacy program at the University of Pennsylvania and an MA in English literature from the Breadloaf School of English. Dr. Crawford-Garrett has been exploring urban education for the past 15 years as a 5th grade teacher, teacher educator, researcher, and scholar.

Inhalt

Contents: There is no single Story: Problematizing the American School Reform Narrative - The Struggling Urban District: Teach for America and School Privatization - 'The Tension between Urgency and Humanity': Confronting Factory-Style Education - 'Infinite Jurisdiction': Managing Student Achievement - In And Out Of School - 'We Don't Know How To Be Teachers': Negotiating Knowledge And Practice In The Elementary Classroom - 'A Happier, More Engaged Teacher': The Transformative Potential Of The
Methods Classroom - Reconsidering The Possible In Urban Education: Embracing Multiple Narratives.