Becoming a Teacher, Sixth Edition [Paperback]

Forrest W. Parkay (Author), Beverly Hardcastle Stanford (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 020538854X | ISBN-13: 978-0205388547 | Publication Date: May 27, 2003 | Edition: 6

Becoming a Teacher, Sixth Edition, takes a straightforward look at what it means to be a professional teacher in today's high-stakes environment of education. Building upon a strong "mentoring" message that has long been the tradition of Becoming a Teacher, the Sixth Edition helps students make difficult decisions about their teaching future by fostering an awareness of the realities of teaching in America today. This no-nonsense approach provides students with the tools and information necessary to answer the questions, "What does it take to become a professional teacher?" and "Do I want to teach?" Along the way, the authors provide practical perspectives for meeting the challenges of teaching. Organized into four parts, the book addresses both practical and foundational topics to give readers a well-rounded view of the teaching profession. The book's Companion Website reinforces this decision-making with rich Internet resources, activities, multimedia, and study aids.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Building upon a strong “mentoring” message that has long been the tradition of this text, Becoming a Teacher, Sixth Edition, takes a straight-forward look at what it means to be a professional teacher in today's high-stakes environment of education.

This no-nonsense approach provides students with the tools and information necessary to answer the questions “What does it take to become a professional teacher?” and “Do I want to teach?” Along the way, the authors provide practical perspectives for meeting the challenges of teaching. Organized into four parts, the book addresses both practical and foundational topics to give readers a well-rounded view of the teaching profession. This new edition lends added emphasis to meeting standards and helps students make difficult decisions about their teaching future by fostering an awareness of the realities of teaching in America today.

New to This Edition

• A new chapter Chapter 10 “Curriculum Standards, Assessment, and Student Learning” examines the role that standards and new approaches to assessing student learning have in today's classrooms.
• A new Chapter 9 on “Authentic Instruction and Curricula for Creating a Community of Learners” highlights proven strategies for creating positive learning environments and well-managed classrooms.
• A new “On the Frontlines” feature in every chapter provides readers first-hand insights into real-world challenges teachers face and practical solutions for meeting those challenges, as well as a “Survival Guide” of recommended resources to help them in their practicum and student teaching experiences.
• A new “Meeting the Standards” feature in every chapter provides prospective teachers with guidelines for developing the skills necessary to meet the performance standards on teacher development set forth by INTASC, NCATE, PRAXIS, and NBPTS.
• “Reflections on Education” features at the end of each Part provide a scholarly examination of key issues that must be addressed as education moves forward into the twenty-first century.
• A special “Preparing for the Praxis” section at the front of the book provides students with a brief tutorial of FAQs, test-taking tips, and sample test questions intended to remove some of the intimidation of this important professional step. Correlations to content in the book demonstrate why Becoming a Teacher, 6e is the ideal preparation guide for taking the Praxis.

Visit the Companion Website for this text at www.ablongman.com/parkay where you will find a variety of online resources to enhance learning.

Product Details

• Paperback: 592 pages
• Publisher: Allyn & Bacon; 6 edition (May 27, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 020538854X
• ISBN-13: 978-0205388547
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #126,700 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overpriced and not honest enough, August 28, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Becoming a Teacher (Hardcover)

No book can fully relate what it is like to become a teacher. Do you want to know what teaching's really like? Sit in for a week at a school, preferably the kind of school that beginning teachers usually get their start in (read: poor ones). Observe the classes. Talk to the teachers. Talk to the administrators. Talk to the kids. Tell them to be honest with you. One week of that will tell you more about teaching and education today than this book.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I like it!, July 24, 2004

By 

R. Segerstrom "Rotorhead" (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Becoming a Teacher, Sixth Edition (Paperback)

Overall, it is a very good introductory text. It covers a broad range of topics. Overall, this is a basic first semester text for both Elementary and Secondary Teachers. Don't expect it to Rock Your World, but overall its pretty good.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Waste of money, May 6, 2007

By 

Jessica A. Tull (Cedar Falls, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Becoming a Teacher (7th Edition) (Paperback)

I had the misfortune of attending a class where this was the required text. This may be the worst textbook I've ever had. The editors have no pretenses about being objective: they often present only one side of an issue, or dramatically downplay the opposing view. Some of the exercises are comically biased. The MyLabSchool portion of the text was abysmal: the pre- and post-tests were riddled with errors. My professor was engaged in a continuous battle with the publishing company over the shoddy workmanship. The online video portions would freeze or, more often than not, simply not play - the whole class complained about it.

If you are a professor looking to acquire a new text for your class, please skip over this one. If you're a student who is required to use this text, Lord help you.