Dilemmas of Practice, 1st edition

Published by Pearson (November 3, 2011) © 2012

  • Mary Weaven Victoria University
Products list

Title overview

Dilemmas of Practice is a collection of case studies authored by pre-service teachers from a number of Australian Universities, who reflect on an incident or situation they faced on prac that challenged their teaching philosophy.

Lecturers and students who used this text (when it was a six-case collection from VU) have given very positive feedback, saying that these cases encouraged critical thinking and discussion about how their teaching practice differed from theory in real-world situations.

Table of contents

Notes on contributors
      
Introduction
 
Case 1:  To Teach or Not to Teach Shakespeare?
Choice of curriculum content: a perennial problem for teachers.  Who should choose, and what should be the criteria?
Case 2:  Rosie’s Snacks 
What should we do when we see unhealthy snacks in a child’s lunch box?  In what circumstances might it be permissible to remove these? 
Case 3:  When Silence is Golden
When silence is golden ... yet the supervising teacher insists that a whistle is the best way to achieve this.
Case 4:  Hope for Henry
After a two-week break, Henry, who was previously working well, has ‘gone downhill’.  Why are successful strategies now being ignored by the mentor?
Case 5:  Crossing Unspoken Boundaries
On the importance of being positive in a negative environment.  Anh is a talented student, yet she has been labelled a ‘no-hoper’.
Case 6:  The Photo Puzzle: Encouraging Parent Involvement
Asking for family photos to be brought into the classroom seemed like such a good idea at the time... 
Case 7:  Locked In  
What are the implications when a pre-service teacher is placed in a physically compromising position by a reckless student?
Case 8:  Best Laid Plans
Who should accept responsibility when a teaching folder containing detailed notes for the lesson is tampered with before the lesson could begin?
Case 9:  The Curious Incident of the Injured Student 
When should we take seriously the claim that a student is injured?
Case 10:  Chair swinging  
Confessions of a self-acknowledged chair swinger who is asked to discipline a child for refusing a request to stop swinging on the chair.
Case 11:  An ‘ill’-conceived Choice?
The task was to teach the phonics concept of ‘ill’ words, yet all of these students spoke Pitjantjatjara as their first language. How to proceed?

Need help?Get in touch