Reflective Teaching Professional Artistry Through Inquiry

PREFACE This third edition ofReflective Teachinghas been written to support the professional inquiries of teachers who see themselves as more than content specialists. The book's focus is stated in its opening two sentences: "Perhaps you know a special kind of teacher. This is an educator who understands that his or her job is not just teaching subject matter but teaching a way of living." This way of living is understood as the practice of a generative and generous intellect. John Dewey's phrase for this understanding of the "good life" was learning through experience, which he felt provided the basic moral justification for a democratic society: The question I would raise concerns why we prefer democratic and humane arrangements to those which are autocratic and harsh. And by "why," I mean thereasonfor preferring them .... Can we find any reason that does not ultimately come down to the belief that democratic social arrangements promote a better quality of human experience, one which is more widely accessible and enjoyed, than do non-democratic and anti-democratic forms of social life? Does not the principle of regard for individual freedom and for decency and kindliness of human relations come back in the end to the conviction that these things are tributary to a higher quality of experience on the part of a greater number than are methods of repression and coercion or force? Is it not the reason for our preference that we believe that mutual consultation and convictions reached through persuasion, make possible a better quality of experience than can otherwise be provided on any wide scale? (Dewey, 1998/1938, pp. 24-26; author's emphasis) This book builds on this progressive understanding of the "good" life. Current and future teachers receive guidance on how to integrate five forms of inquiry into the continuing reflections on their craft so that they are better able to facilitate ademocratic livingthat is manifested through the daily practice of a generative and generous intellect. These five forms of professional study are: public moral inquiry, multiperspective inquiry, deliberative inquiry, autobiographical inquiry, and critical inquiry. Because this is a very sophisticated and challenging approach toreflective teaching,each form of inquiry is carefully introduced through the use of an illustrative vignette, a concise explanation, a set of guiding questions, and an experienced teacher narrative. This four-part strategy, which has been field-tested with a voluntary group of education students, provides a number of ways to understand the inquiry material in this book. Though the purpose of this book is to present five forms of professional inquiry, the text ends with a discussion ofteacher leadership.There is a reason for this conclusion. Teachers can better develop their inquiry capacities by working with their peers in a supportive and respectful manner. Initiating such professional collaboration will require the efforts of "lead" teachers working in conjunction with school administrators and other educational stakeholders. The history of education in the twentieth century includes many stories of teachers leading the fight for socially respectable salaries and benefits. Hopefully, the history of education in the twenty-first century will include many stories of teachers leading the fight for a work life of socially responsible professional inquiry. New to This Edition To ensure the readability of this edition of Reflective Teaching, we have added: Useful tables, schematics, and lists A careful analysis of craft reflection and five forms of professional inquiry A concise definition of professional inquiry artistry and teacher leadership Numerous illustrative vignettes and teacher narratives The integration of guiding questions for inquiry and discussioHenderson, James George is the author of 'Reflective Teaching Professional Artistry Through Inquiry', published 2000 under ISBN 9780130258465 and ISBN 0130258466.