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The Ethical, Legal, and Multicultural Foundations of Teaching
The Ethical Legal and Multicultural Foundations of Teaching Author:Fred D. Kierstead, Paul A. Wagner, Jr. This book is about the awesome responsibility of teaching. The job has never been an easy one, and recent public criticism, social pressure, and demands for more teacher accountability have not made this change any less demanding. If anything, the responsibilities are now even greater: yet teaching is still one of the most rewarding professions.... more » In the past the public focused on the problems of American education. It is time now for teachers to focus on solutions. A new century challenges not only in the academic realm, but also specifically in the moral, legal, and cultural realms. The cause of this renewed challenge is simple. We are a new America. The cultural and ethnic makeup of the nation is different. So-called minority children are becoming a majority. As in all professions, teachers have been asked to do more with those who will inherit the world. The need for teachers to be moral models has never been greater. The authors realize that prospective and in-service teachers are not looking for any easy answers to today's educational dilemmas. There just aren't any. Despite the sense of alienation and lack of participation they sometimes feel, teachers applaud the requirements by state education agencies that all be morally responsible, legally aware of their rights and accountabilities, and able to teach in a multicultural environment. This book is designed to help those going into and staying in the profession of teaching, with special guidelines for the resolution of moral questions that teachers face every day. It is not enough to say that teachers should be examples to the students by being even-handed in such duties as evaluation, punishment, and reward/encouragement. Teachers are also exemplary of moral life while in the classroom. That is not an easy role to assume. The legal cases used in this work are designed to show the relationship between teachers and their social responsibility. The multicultural element in the book integrates the moral and legal responsibilities with a transcultural perspective.« less