Touch the Future...Teach!

Touch the Future...Teach! has been called “the most reflective book on the market” by reviewers. One that “makes prospective teachers really think about the profession and their impact on it.” Written with the express purpose of developing a meaningful understanding of the critical role teachers play in the development of young people, Diaz, Pelletier and Provenzo use six themes as the foundation of their writing: professionalism, values and assumptions, multiculturalism and diversity, standards, linking theory to practice, and ethics and social justice. Through the use of a carefully designed pedagogical plan, the authors involve readers in the considerations and decision-making teachers undergo on a day-to-day basis and stimulate prospective teachers to consider their own future and begin to develop their own professional plan. The result is a book that shares an honest overview of teachers and their work, and inspires prospective teachers to remember that if children represent the future of the world then teachers do indeed touch the future.

Table of Contents:
1. Touch the Future. What is Involved in the Journey into Teaching? What Does It Mean to be a Reflective Practitioner? What Does It Mean to Teach in Today’s Diverse Society? What Are Factors to Consider When Preparing for a Teaching Career? Final Thoughts I. WHO IS INCLUDED IN THE COMMUNITY OF LEARNERS? 2. Becoming a Teacher. Who are the Teachers in America’s Schools? What is an Effective Teacher? What Are The Key Challenges for Teachers in Today’s Schools? Final Thoughts 3. Students in Today’s Classroom. What Demographic and Social Changes Are Occurring in the Schools? Have All Students Found Equitable Education? Are Student Accountability and Equity Complimentary or Competing Interests? What Educational Options Are Best for Racial or Linguistic Minority Students? Final Thoughts 4. Parents, Families & the Community. How Have Families Changed in Recent Years? How Does a Community Shape the Climate of a School? What Can Schools Do to Reach Out to Communities? Final Thoughts II. HOW ARE SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS SHAPED BY SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND ETHICS?  5. Teaching and the Social Foundations of Education. What is Meant by the “Foundations of Education”? How Have Historical Trends Affected Education Today? How Have Philosophical Changes Influenced Education? How do Legal Issues Affect Your Ability to Teach? How is the Foundations of Education Useful to You as a Teacher? Final Thoughts 6. The Social Context of Schools. What Makes a Good School? How Does School Culture Impact a Learning Community? Who Controls the Schools? How are Schools Financed in the United States? Final Thoughts 7. The Professional and Ethical Context of Teaching. What is the History of Teaching? What is Good Teaching? What Ethical Issues Do Teachers Face? What are the Legal Rights of Teachers? Final Thoughts 8. Diversity and the Cultural Context of Teaching. How Does Socioeconomic Status Affect Schools? What Affect Does Race Have on Schools? How Do Ethnicity and Language Differences Affect Learning? How Do Gender and Sexuality Issues Affect Schools? What Role Does Religion Play in Schools? Final Thoughts III. WHAT ARE THE KEY ELEMENTS OF PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE? 9. Curriculum: What to expect in American Schools. What is Curriculum? How Does Curriculum Represent Cultural Values? What are the Historical Roots of Curriculum in the United States? What Role do Teachers Play in the Curriculum? What Role do Textbooks Play in the Curriculum? Final Thoughts 10. Planning, Delivering and Assessing Instruction. Why Do Teachers Plan? How Do Teachers Deliver Instruction? Can Assessment Aid Student Learning? How Do Teachers Communicate Student Progress to Parents? Final Thoughts 11. Classroom and Behavior Management: Creating a Positive Learning Environment. What are the Dispositions of Caring Teachers? How do Effective Teachers Manage Their Classrooms? What are Different Approaches to Behavior Management?  How do Teachers Respond to Inappropriate Behavior in the Classroom? How can Inquiry Help Solve Classroom Management Problems? 12. Technology and Teaching. What Technologies Have Been Used In The Classroom? How do Television and the Internet Influence Children? Can Computers Change The Teaching Environment? What Should Teachers Know About Technology? What is the Significance of the “Digital Divide”? How Frequently do Teachers and Students Use Technology? Final Thoughts IV. HOW WILL I EVOLVE AS A TEACHER? 13. Entering the Profession: Next Steps. What’s Next? Early Field Experiences and Student Teaching What Can you Expect in the First Year of Teaching? How Will you Continue to Grow as a Teacher? What Does it Mean to Teach For Life? Final Thoughts 14. How the Teaching Profession Will Change. What will teaching look like in the future? How will students be different in the future? Why are multicultural and global perspectives necessary for future teachers? Should teachers be leaders and agents for change? Final Thoughts