This provocative text offers an inside look at the hidden dimensions of teaching. Sometimes controversial, always poignant, the book examines highly debated issues fundamental to a free and open society. School reform is at a critical juncture; the portrait of the profession revealed here serves as a catalyst for change. Chapters discuss such timely and relevant topics as the preparation of teachers past and present, the daily work of teachers, and the influence of current policy on public education.

Teaching our children is a shared responsibility. The work of teaching...