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Chapter One
The American Teacher
Chapter One: The American
Teacher

Overview of material presented in the
book, with summaries of each chapter

Describes Focus Boxes that clarify
ideas and themes
“Journaling Activities”
“Links to the Past”
“Reflections”
“Praxis Alerts”
“Situations and Solutions”
“Wisdom of Teachers”
Chapter Two: Classical and
Educational Philosophy
 Examines
the philosophies that are
important to teachers
• Describes the relationship to the primary branches
of classical philosophical thought
Chapter Three: Our Multicultural
Classroom
 Discusses


the multicultural classroom:
Teachers can help overcome some of its
parochial attitudes and move toward a more
open and democratic society.
American teachers must be aware of other
important subcultures that make up our
multicultural classrooms.
Chapter Four: Just Outside the
Classroom
Our
profession is profiled.
Reasons we become teachers.
Ways to improve parent-teacher
relations.
Important issues of teacher salaries
and benefits.
Chapter Five: Classical and Global
Roots of Education





The roots of education in a number of ancient
civilizations.
The Western model of education.
The Dark Ages in Western society during which
religious bigotry eclipsed secular education.
The slow revival of education during the
Renaissance and Reformation.
The Age of Reason and Enlightenment when
John Locke, Jean Jacque Rousseau and
Johann Pestalozzi revolutionized our
understanding of early education.
Chapter Six: American Educational
History
 New
England’s Puritan schools.
 The “common school” of the 1800s.
 The “graded schools” that emerged in the
late 1800s and early 1900s.
 The “educational ladder” of primary, junior
high schools and high schools.
Chapter Seven: America’s Diverse
Society
 Our
country has always been a
multicultural nation.
 Today’s immigrants may appear different,
but are part of the same historical pattern.
 Asian and Hispanic (Spanish speaking)
people have become the new immigration.
Chapter Eight: The School
Curriculum
 The
core curriculum and multicultural
education.
 The Democratic and Authoritarian
Curricular approaches and different forms
of curriculum evaluation.
 The explicit and implicit curriculum and
extracurricular programs.
Chapter Nine: Instruction and
Discipline

Instruction: The planning and delivery of instruction

primary domains of learning
cognitive
affective
psychomotor

approaches to learning
whole class instruction
cooperative learning
discovery learning

Instruction and Discipline



student discipline has changed over time
discipline is more democratic
preventative disciplinary methods based on effective communication
Chapter Ten: The Organization
and Funding of Schools

Early American schools typically were controlled by local
communities and funded through property taxes.

Control of schools gradually was assumed by the states,
with shared funding through state tax revenues and local
property taxes.

This state control was accompanied by greater
accountability.

The growth of federal funding of specific educational
programs, has shifted some control of the schools to the
national level. (NCLB)
Chapter Eleven: Rights,
Responsibilities and the Law
 The
law has changed American public
schools over the years.


There has been a struggle with local and state
level majorities to ensure the basic rights of
minority individuals and groups.
A number of court rulings have involved
school desegregation and minority access to
schools.
Chapter Twelve: The Noble
Profession
 This
chapter turns to the issue of
professionalism in education.
 Addresses the question of teacher
accountability and rigorous certification
standards.
 Describes professional support networks.
The American Teacher Focus
Boxes

Situations and Solutions present a common
situation and a veteran teacher recommends
creative solutions.
 Wisdom of Teachers provide teaching tips,
helpful hints and teaching strategies from some
of America’s finest educators.
 Praxis Alerts focus on the three Praxis Exams
that you may be required to pass for licensure.
 Links to the Past offers insights of how teachers
in the past dealt with their problems.
Additional Features
 Lists
of internet sites keyed to topics under
consideration.
 References, chapter summaries, and
discussion questions for review.
 Journaling activities, reflection
opportunities and portfolio development,
including INTASC activities.