Full Description
Half an Inch from the Edge: Teacher Education, Teaching, and Student Learning for Social Transformation is a book about the tensions and opportunities reflected in today's public school classrooms in the U.S. Through detailed case studies of four classrooms, the authors explore socially transformative pedagogy in action. The result is a narrative that intertwines a critical social analysis of our educational system with real-life examples from K-12 classrooms. The four teachers highlighted in the book are new, urban, socially-conscious educators of Color who strive to make their classrooms something new and something different—spaces where youth can learn about and express their own cultural identities as a part of the curriculum.
These stories are told through the creation, implementation, analysis, and assessment of teachers' action research projects as they complete their Masters degrees and begin their first years as full-time teachers. Central to each of the case studies—which span multiple grade levels and content areas—is a focus on self-reflection, a deep desire to build meaningful relationships with students, and a quest to make learning relevant to students' lived experiences. Also painfully clear is the role of failure, and the tremendous creativity, ingenuity, and persistence of these new teachers, as they learn alongside their students and together fight the injustices inherent in their schools, districts, and the national system of education. Ultimately, the portraits of these teachers show that amidst all of the forces working against them and their students, there is hope—hope that the great experiment of American public education can transform into a system that serves all students.
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Introduction: Socially transformative teaching: Disrupting White supremacy
Chapter One: Notes to Mr. G: Making an entirely new story
Chapter Two: Reflections on Mr. G: Humanizing connections through relevant data
Chapter Three: Autoethnographies with Esther: Building community and self-discipline
Chapter Four: Reflections on Esther: Assessment - authentic vs. repressive
Chapter Five: Reading the World and the Word with Sharim and Cam: The power of performance poetry
Chapter Six: Reflections on Sharim and Cam: Youth voice, student literacies
Chapter Seven: Routines for liberation with Ms. A: Classroom community in third grade
Chapter Eight: Reflections on Ms. A: Revisiting the purpose of schooling
Chapter Nine: Socially transformative pedagogy and the tasks for urban teachers
References
About the Authors
