Tuned In and Fired Up

Description

Every teacher has powerful memories of becoming swept up in an electric moment when the classroom hums with energy and students are wholly engaged in learning. During such moments of real learning, teenagers find genuine meaning, worth, and value in their academic experiences. And their teachers find in these heightened and exuberant moments the embodiment of their best hopes and ideals as educators. How can such “teachable moments” be encouraged? What can teachers do to inspire more of these educationally vital episodes? In this compelling book, Sam M. Intrator scrutinizes powerful learning moments in a high school classroom. He offers five detailed portraits of these experiences, describing in each case how the teacher shaped the culture of the class, made critical pedagogical decisions, and connected students to the subject matter. Intrator confirms that seemingly magical learning moments can be cultivated, and he suggests numerous practical ideas to help teachers do so. Contents Foreword Gratitudes 1. “The Kids Were on Fire”: On the Nature of Inspired Learning and Potent Teaching 2. Spans of Time That Don't Glow: A Portrait of Everyday Life at Stanton High 3. Seeing the World in a Plot of Grass: Discovering the Enchanting Power of the Aesthetic 4. Forging Community: An Episode of Deep Connection 5. Grasping Insight: An Episode of Coming to Know Yourself 6. Doing Good: An Episode of Enacting Virtue 7. Tangling with the Unspeakable: An Episode of Facing Conflict in Conversation 8. Caught! Common Features in the Episodes 9. A Letter to a Colleague Author’s Note and Methods Notes Index