The Moral Work of Teaching and Teacher Education

Book excerpt: What makes teaching a moral endeavor? How can we prepare classroom practitioners for engaging in that moral endeavor in meaningful and effective ways? This volume brings together leading scholar who draw upon both their academic expertise and substantial wisdom of practice to offer a variety of perspectives on the challenge of preparing today’s teachers for the moral work of teaching. Book Features: Examines the role that teacher preparation and development can play in addressing the moral work of teaching.Highlights the work of leading scholars from educational psychology, educational philosophy, and teacher education.Provides compelling insights for identifying the next generation of our nation’s best teachers. Contributors: Wolfgang Althof, Karen D. Benson, Marvin W. Berkowitz, Donald Blumenfeld-Jones, Elizabeth Campbell, Julie Canniff, Mary Crawford, Lana Daly, Rebecca Evers, Cathie Fallona, Gary Fenstermacher, Anthony Holter, Lisa E. Johnson, Daniel Lapsley, Darcia Narvaez, Virginia Navarro, Larry Nucci, Joy Pelton, Virginia Richardson, Don Senneville, David Shields, Barbara Stengel, Jonatha W. Vare, Marilyn Watson Matthew Sanger is associate professor of Educational Foundations in the College of Education at Idaho State University. Richard Osguthorpe is associate professor and chair of the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Foundational Studies at Boise State University. “The editors and contributors help us appreciate that many teachers come to the work precisely because of abiding moral commitments —to help others, to make a difference in the lives of the young, to give something back to society. But they also help us see how crucial it is to give candidates systematic support in coming to grips with the meaning of these commitments, and how to translate them into pedagogical action for the well-being of students and society alike.” —From the Foreword by David T. Hansen “This book sheds light into the core of professional morality. It should be a ‘must’ for each student teacher and for each practitioner around school life.” —Fritz Oser, professor of education and educational psychology, University of Fribourg, Switzerland “Lest we forget that teaching is inherently moral work, Sanger and Osguthorpe explain what this means for teachers and teacher educators. The combination of conceptual analysis and cases of teacher education practice make this book a valuable resource and welcome antidote to the current preoccupation with test scores.” —Sharon Feiman-Nemser, Brandeis University