Retracing the Journey: Teaching and Learning in an American High School

By Leila Christenbury

Leila Christenbury is well known as a writer and researcher in English education. Her classic book Making the Journey, now in its third edition, has been a guide to countless middle and high school language arts teachers. In her new book, this veteran teacher and teacher educator reveals what did and--more surprisingly--did not happen when she returned to the high school classroom after a hiatus of many years. Exploring her experiences in light of current teacher preparation reform efforts, the author's compelling narrative is a continuation of her earlier work that will resonate with those concerned with the state of secondary education in the United States today. In addition to personal reflections on her practice, Christenbury also:

Provides specific recommendations for enhancing the English classroom.Explores the state of the American comprehensive high school and the fiction of excellence.Examines the role of school in relation to the suburban middle class.Addresses a number of problem areas: the timing of high-stakes tests, policies regarding academic regulations, the uncritical adoption of a college "model," the widening use of dual enrollment courses, and more.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807748056
• ISBN13: 9780807748053
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Teachers College Press
• Length: 158 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.1" x 8.8"