This paper is a collection of pieces that contemplate life and mortality in the realm of education. A terminally ill, eight-year-old boy named Kole and his struggle within the confines of formal schooling inspires it. This piece of poetic inquiry gives voice to questions that need to be addressed in schools today, such as: In the face of…

A fictional confrontation among Plato, Rousseau, Reimer, Dewey, and Horace Mann on teacher accountability is presented. (JMF)

Imaginative account of an encounter between a modern English teacher and John Dewey, applying Dewey's insights to contemporary issues in English education. (DF)

This collection of poems was written to honor literacy educators for all that they do. The collection's author has gathered 40 of his favorite poems about literacy and teaching--the poems range from serious to hilarious as they take poetic license with the stuff of teachers' daily lives: beginning readers; grammar; spelling; handwriting; and…

The purpose of this poetry anthology is to create a positive inspirational yet realistic picture of teachers and the very challenging and complex contexts within which they "weave their magic in students' lives" and make contributions to the world. The anthology aims to show how teachers think and feel about teaching, learning, and their…

Dedicated to all teachers, this book of poems seeks to capture the voice of the classroom teacher and to remind them of the power inherent in the art of teaching other human beings, the calling to which they have dedicated their lives. The book is broadly divided into "Act One--The Children" and "Act Two--The Staff," with a…

A sarcastic essay outlines ways in which the college faculty member can avoid carrying out committee service responsibly. (MSE)

The problems plaguing a frequently-recalled car provide satirical evidence that permitting students to get by with bad habits in school may enable them to continue their bad habits at work, forcing a wider public to suffer from the results. (PGD)

For students, a multi-level of learning goes into the production of a play. When students are involved in a production, they are reading, memorizing and interpreting a script. They are writing notes and learning to take stage directions, and they are using math concepts when they are building a set. On the stage they learn that the ensemble (or…

This paper, written in a highly personal style, follows the "docustory" model first employed in "Communication Education" in 1993 when the journal presented a series of 13 docustories from various scholars in the field--each tried to articulate "When Teaching Works." The paper is a partial attempt to value the…

A collection of humorous anecdotes, poems, and essays written by M. Dale Baughman, who is retiring as editor of "Contemporary Education," focuses on a variety of topics including: (1) humor and the child; (2) the school's role in community life; (3) school administration; and (4) educational research. Also included is an editorial about…

Introducing children to theater and play production in the classroom setting can give a richness and energy to the quality of teaching. Play production can also be beneficial as a curriculum tool. When students participate in a project in an experiential way, learning is taking place. "Simon and the Woo" is an original play for children…

Presents a double-voiced narrative that represents a collaborative experiment to rewrite the traditional relationship of a professor and a graduate student. Represents an open invitation to the voices of others, women and men, who will wind their stories with the lines and notes of this story, expanding the collaboration. (PA)

Discovering the truth of personal experience inside a poem engenders a bond of community. This collection of poems was written to honor literacy educators for all they do. The book presents poems about literacy teaching and learning in a collection of honesty and wit that aims to touch and inspire educators at all grade levels. For those in higher…

This novel for youth describes the world and experiences of a group of poor inner city junior high school students and their teacher. The students are all in a remedial classroom designed to meet their special needs and led by a dedicated teacher nick-named "Harp On". The central character Frankie describes their school year and particularly the…