Customer Reviews

For the Love of Teaching: And Other Reasons Teachers Do What They Do

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While I was teaching, this book gave me energy to continue doing what I loved to do. Now that I am no longer teaching this book reminds me why I taught and reawakens the pain of not being able to continue in the profession. Ira Shull paints a picture of teaching, of education, of life, and he does it through the words of those who really know what it's like. A must-read for any teacher, prospective teacher, or parent. Though I am no longer in the profession, Ira's book keeps reminding me that I'm still a teacher.

When we look for success in education, we can find it in wealthy and poor cities, suburbs and small towns. While theories abound on what's wrong with schools, there is much right as well. When we want to know how a school becomes successful, we need to look no further than the teachers that spend their days with the students in that school. Some would choose to believe that the best schools are found where the most money is spent on them. Some choose to cast blame on large city school systems that they declare disaster zones. However, good schools are found in the midst of all of these places. And so are poor schools. The secret to the places we observe as successful schools are its teachers. There is no magic or panacea of reform in higher standards, testing and whatever tomorrow's reform will be when we drop last year's which has proven to be too complex to actually work.

In a time when legal and bureaucratic changes abound that promise to "save and improve education," For the Love of Teaching is a book that allows over 50 teachers who are committed educators to tell their stories of why they love what they do and why they continue despite the obstacles, the poor pay and the often demoralizing work conditions. They stay for the kids. And undoubtedly these are teachers who succeed. And it is their students who are the winners as a result.

If we hope to improve our nation's educational system, we need to attract and retain excellent committed teachers with high expectations like the one editor Ida Schull interviewed for this book. Their stories are inspiration for those who teach in that they should serve to reaffirm one's choice in becoming an educator. For others, most especially school board members, state education leaders and politicians, a book like For the Love of Teaching should serve as a roadmap to truly improving the state of American Education.

A truly worthwhile book of inspiring stories of teachers devoted to their students! Daniel J. Maloney, Saint Paul, Minnesota

This book, while letting the individual subject's voices shine though, provides a thoughtful retrospective on the many reasons why teachers chose their profession.I have never seen another book quite like this; an important work for our times. I highly recommned this book.