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 by participants; individual reflection will be required. Participants will be asked to share and self-reflect through Microsoft Teams.

Description

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."