This post is a classic essay by Philip Jackson from his 1974 book, Life in Classrooms. Here's a link to the original. To me, it's the best piece that has ever been written about "the daily grind" that students experience in elementary classrooms, which I often used in my classes. It's all about the hidden … Continue reading Philip Jackson — The Daily Grind
This post is a lovely essay by William Deresiewicz about what he calls "blue state culture." It's published in the current issue of Salmagundi, and it's available without paywall at this link . This issue of the magazine presents a series of responses to a powerful piece by David Brooks last fall in Atlantic, “How … Continue reading William Deresiewicz — On the Smug Dysfunction of the US Meritocracy
In 1932, Willard Waller published his classic book, The Sociology of Teaching. For years I used a chapter from it ("The Teacher-Pupil Relationship") as a way to get students to think about the problem that most frightens rookie teachers and that continues to haunt even the most experienced practitioners: how to gain and maintain control … Continue reading Willard Waller on the Power Struggle between Teachers and Students
David Labaree on Schooling, History, and Writing 