Meeting Pattern

This book study will be set up through Microsoft Teams.  All needed materials and links will be provided through Teams along with a class chat to share information with classmates. Outside reading and preparation will be expected of you; individual reflection will be required. You will be asked to share and self-reflect through Microsoft Teams.

Description

Follow the inspirational stories of three teachers as they navigate a year in the classroom. Understand the various dynamics in the teaching profession.

Alexandra Robbins goes behind the scenes to tell the true, sometimes shocking, always inspirational stories of three teachers as they navigate a year in the classroom. She follows Penny, a southern middle school math teacher who grappled with a toxic staff clique at the big school in a small town; Miguel, a special ed teacher in the western United States who fought for his students both as an educator and as an activist; and Rebecca, an East Coast elementary school teacher who struggled to schedule and define a life outside of school. Robbins also interviewed hundreds of other teachers nationwide who share their secrets, dramas, and joys.

Interspersed among the teachers’ stories—a seeming scandal, a fourth-grade whodunit, and teacher confessions—are hard-hitting essays featuring cutting-edge reporting on the biggest issues facing teachers today, such as school violence; outrageous parent behavior; inadequate support, staffing, and resources coupled with unrealistic mounting demands; the “myth” of teacher burnout; the COVID-19 pandemic; and ways all of us can help the professionals who are central both to the lives of our children and the heart of our communities. 

Syllabus, Objectives, and Outcomes

Objectives:

You will:

• Understand the reality of the year in the life of a teacher;
• How work/life balance, or lack thereof, can affect family and health;
• Gain prospect of others across the county in the profession of education;
• Understand the various dynamics in the teaching profession.

Materials:

Required Text

The Teachers: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable, Important Profession by Alexandra Robbins (March, 2023)

Required Materials:

• Required Text
• Form of technology to access the internet and Microsoft Teams and Teams Classroom

Testimonials:

"ENJOYED THE SELF-PACED MODEL. INSTRUCTOR WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS."

"THIS WAS A GREAT BOOK STUDY! THE BOOK WAS GREAT AND THE COURSE QUESTIONS WERE EXCELLENT."

"FINALLY A BOOK THAT ANYONE IN ANY PROFESSION COULD READ TO GET A REAL SENSE OF WHAT TEACHERS GO THROUGH IN A YEAR AND BEING ABLE TO RELATE SO WELL TO THE TEACHERS WHOSE STORIES WERE PRESENTED IN THE BOOK."

"THE COURSE WAS INTERESTING AND HAD A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION ABOUT THE TEACHING PROFESSION."

"A NICE WAY TO WRAP UP A SCHOOL YEAR AND GAIN INSIGHT TO IMPROVE IN THE NEXT."