Making it Real

This book provides no answer key. If you are looking for "e;one right answer,"e; go elsewhere. Implicit in the current educational reform movement towards standards and standardization is the belief that the work of teachers is quantifiable; that the hours and days of contact time between teachers and students can be reduced to a number that has meaning; in short, that there is one right answer. Making it Real: Case Stories for Secondary Teachers focuses not on the episodic nature of the standardized test but on those "e;hours and days of contact time"e; that represent the essence of what teachers do on a daily basis. Within that context, teachers are called upon to make hundreds of decisions each day - decisions which require knowledge and expertise about planning, learner development, content knowledge, student assessment, and ethical practice-among many others. These decisions are not made easily and cannot be quantified because they take place in the complex world of human nature and human activity; where values and priorities conflict and often clash. The teachers, administrators, and students in Making it Real: Case Stories for Secondary Teachers represent the day-to-day situations, relationships, conflicts, and dilemmas that exist in every school. No "e;formulas"e; are presented. No "e;secrets"e; are revealed. Rather, the authors provide a template for analysis that encourages readers to place themselves in these real life school settings and consider the causes and consequences of their decisions-for themselves, their students, and society as a whole.