The Professional Practice of Teaching is a best-seller. It's been snapped up by teachers, student teachers, school board members and keen parents for more than 20 years. It's been updated and revised throughout its five editions and all the while has stayed on the list of publisher Cengage's stable of top sellers. The latest edition in hard copy can be ordered online now.
Professor Deborah Fraser from the Faculty of Education developed the book back in 1994 with the now Emeritus Professor Clive McGee. Back then the contributors were all from Waikato, but these days authors also come from Otago, Auckland and Massey universities.
"The book's one of a kind. We've always tried to keep it relevant and contemporary," says Deborah who now edits the book with Associate Professor Mary Hill from the University of Auckland. "I think this is why it keeps on selling. We work from the assumption that teachers and schools can and do make a positive difference to the learning of students and that teachers can learn to continually extend their professionalism for the ongoing benefit of their students. We then present and discuss many relevant issues that can influence teaching practice and student learning in a positive way."
Deborah says this latest edition has a greater emphasis on digital technologies, inclusion and partnerships with parents. "And we also look at classroom culture and climate, how people learn, student engagement in dialogue, planning and assessment, culturally responsive teaching … right through to political issues in education."
Each chapter concludes with suggested activities that could form the basis for tutorial work for pre-service and in-service teacher workshops. "The book's contributors have used New Zealand and overseas research, and we've given all chapters a unique New Zealand 'flavour' by using examples from the classroom and school context of Aotearoa," says Deborah. "This is vitally important in order to be relevant to the students teachers work with."
Read more about the book and to order a copy click here