Traces the evolution of the teacher and the profession of teaching from the late 18th century to the present through a range of narrative forms (fiction, memoirs, letters, ethnographies).

This volume presents a complex portrait of the American teacher through a fascinating range of "story" narratives, including fictional short stories, poetry, diaries, letters, ethnographies, and autobiographies. Through these stories, the volume traces the evolution of the teacher and the profession over the course of two centuries -- from the late 1700s to the late 1900s. In depicting the profession over time, the authors include stories by and about both male and female teachers, as well as teachers from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds, including white, black, Hispanic, Asian-American, immigrant and native-born, and gay and straight. This book offers accessible, comprehensive introductions to both the central ideas associated with each period and to the representative individual stories that are included within it. The volume editors connect each of the parts to earlier and later ones by tracing evolving themes of feminization, teacher activism, conceptions of curriculum and discipline, and issues of multiculturalism. Questions, suggested readings, and activities are offered at the end of each section. Photographs and drawings -- retrieved from state historical archives -- provide telling images of the teacher in each of the four periods.

"I think the authors have constructed a valuable text that will be an excellent supplement in a variety of educational foundations course and courses for prospective and practicing teachers....the stories they have collected are compelling enough to be of interest to anyone who cares about teaching....a thoughtful, interesting, and well organized text."—Educational Studies"The emphasis on stories makes it particularly attractive for a wide audience of teacher educators, historians of education, and the general reader."—Paedagogica Historica--International Journal of the History of Education"...A fascinating, charming, and teachable book. The stories portray real teachers...in a variety of situations, with diverse student populations....They consider a wide range of real and important educational problems now confronting teachers and present these problems in challenging ways....This book is not just another collection of stories about teachers, but one that introduces the 'social history' of American teachers' lives through stories."—Betty A. SichelUniversity of Houston"....A must for those who teach and do research on the history of teachers in America....Using stories is an appropriate and effective approach for teaching both preservice and inservice teachers and scholars-to-be about the life of teachers, the challenges and struggles they faced and, in many instances, still do face....The stories are balanced, and have a richness and complexity that one rarely finds in education texts."—Thomas V. O'BrienMillersville University