The Moral Life of Schools (Jossey Bass Education Series) [Hardcover]

Philip W. Jackson (Author), Robert E. Boostrom (Author), David T. Hansen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 22, 1993 | Series: Jossey Bass Education Series

"Rarely have I come across a book that so quickly provoked me to re-examine my own classroom behavior. There is no place to hide in this careful scrutiny of the teacher as crucial player in the daily morality tale that becomes the story of school life."
-- Vivian Gussin Paley, teacher, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

This book takes the reader on an eye-opening journey through a variety of elementary and high school classrooms, highlighting the moral significance of all that transpires there. Drawing on the results of a two-and-a-half year study, the authors examine the ways in which moral considerations permeate the everyday life of classrooms. In addition to providing teachers and teacher educators with a new framework for looking at and thinking about the moral dimensions of schooling, the authors also offer specific suggestions about how to look at classroom events from a moral perspective.

Contents

One. Looking for the Moral: An Observer's Guide

Two. Becoming Aware of Moral Complexity Within a School Setting: Four Sets of Observations

Three. Facing Moral Ambiguity and Tension: Four More Sets of Observations

Four. Cultivating Expressive Awareness in Schools and Classrooms

Postscript: Where Might One Go from Here?

Philip W. Jackson is the David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor of Education and Psychology and a member of the Committee on Ideas and Methods at the University of Chicago.

Robert E. Boostrom is a senior research associate of the Benton Center for Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Chicago.

David T. Hansen is an assistant professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This book is one of the very best ethnographic descriptions of interactive processes in the classroom I have ever read. . .no more final exams for teacher students without giving them this oeuvre as compulsory reading." —?Educational Researcher

"Convincingly argues that morality in school has less to do with object lessons than with nuance. . .Who we are, this invaluable book reminds us, imbues our teaching, which is why good teaching?that is moral teaching?must begin with self-scrutiny." —?Teacher Magazine

"Rarely have I come across a book that so quickly provoked me to re-examine my own classroom behavior. There is no place to hide in this careful scrutiny of the teacher as crucial player in the daily morality tale that becomes the story of school life." —Vivian Gussin Paley, teacher, University of Chicago Laboratory Schools

"Jackson, Boostrom, and Hansen capture the ways in which classroom communities shape the hearts and minds of students and teachers alike in as full-bodied a fashion as Jackson's Life in Classrooms first recorded the pulse and passions of school life. The Moral Life of Schools is powerful reading for anyone concerned with the aims of education, with the inner lives of teachers and children, and with the most important foundations of our society--our ways of learning to live together." —Linda Darling-Hammond, professor of education, Teachers College, Columbia University

"Jackson, Boostrom, and Hansen guide the reader engagingly into largely uncharted territory. The moral impact of schooling has traditionally been tackled by philosophers, absent the rich descriptions of classroom life offered here. This well-justified departure from traditional empirical research brings essential new insights about the culture of schools and classrooms." —Jeannie Oakes, professor, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Los Angeles

From the Back Cover

"Jackson, Boostrom, and Hansen capture the ways in which classroom communities shape the hearts and minds of students and teachers alike in as full-bodied a fashion as Jackson's Life in Classrooms first recorded the pulse and passions of school life. The Moral Life of Schools is powerful reading for anyone concerned with the aims of education, with the inner lives of teachers and children, and with the most important foundations of our society— our ways of learning to live together."—Linda Darling-Hammond, professor of education, Teachers College, Columbia University --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Jossey-Bass; 1st edition (October 22, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555425771
• ISBN-13: 978-1555425777
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,324,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Teacher is the Message, June 10, 2011

By 

Dr. John Merks (Riverview New Brunswick Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Moral Life of Schools (Jossey-Bass Education) (Paperback)

The teacher is the message--that is the main lesson in The Moral Life of Schools. Today, many educational policy-makers seem to live in a Pollyanna world where academic achievement can be improved by treating students as disembodied intellects. Educational jargon abounds: rubrics, formative and summative assessments, essential learnings, standards-based testing, best practices, geometric interventions, scaffolding--the list is endless. Yet these all miss the central reality that our "classrooms are morally charged environments" and that "education is a moral endeavor."

Regardless of the subject taught, teachers are, for good or ill, the individuals who hold the greatest power in the classroom. Their character, choices in pedagogical strategies, compassion, professional insight, academic background, and commitment to their role impact the lives of their students, day after day, year after year. The teacher is the message.

The findings in this book are part of the Moral Life Project which lasted three years. Several schools and eighteen teachers were involved and, during this time, researchers observed the physical structure of the schools and classrooms, teachers and students, and other elements. Interestingly, the authors do not claim to have made any great discoveries. They have, however, presented an excellent case that establishes the moral ambiguity that makes up much of the moral life of schools.

A number of recommendations are made concerning the opportunities teachers have to reflect on the moral enterprise in which they are involved. In the fast-paced, sometimes hurly-burly atmosphere of the classroom, teachers have the opportunity to reflect on their choices, the mundane events of the classroom, and even how classroom objects might give clues about classroom life. This reflection requires time and a skill set which can be developed over time. The result should be a sort of Zen awareness of the moral lessons learned over time both by the teacher and students. In this connection, the authors cite Emerson's concept of "heavenly days" when we learn virtue, wisdom, and poetry unawares.

The authors describe the moral demands of teachers and suggest that not everyone who wants to be a professional teacher has the "right stuff." Any person contemplating a career in teaching would be well-served to read this description of what it takes to be a good teacher. This can be found on page 233.

A sociolinguist or ethnographer might find this book an easier read than a math teacher like myself. The book introduces concepts which take a little bit of learning, but the time spent is well worth the effort.

Dr. John Merks
Teacher
Riverview High School
Riverview, New Brunswick
Canada