Why teachers are so secretive, even protective, about the conditions in which they work is top on veteran teacher Susan Ohanian's list of concerns. There is nothing secretive about Ohanian. This collection of her writings, many of which were gleaned from leading publications such as Phi Delta Kappan and USA Today, attests to that. If you ask for permission to speak up, she says, you are doomed. But if you write about your classroom-about the texts and traditions, about the administrators who annoy you and the texts that block you, your public words will provide a protective shield. Based on Ohanian's twenty years as classroom teacher, consultant, journalist, and observer of the education scene in the U.S., the essays will anger, confirm, delight, and inspire.
Just about any teacher, regardless of grade level, will find familiar the scenarios, contretemps, ironies, and kids Ohanian details.
Visit www.susanohanian.org
Visit Susan Ohanian online for a wealth of information on education issues and to learn more about her. You'll find commentary, cartoons, letters, resources, quotes and a word of the day offering children a provocative way to increase their vocabulary.
About the Author: Susan Ohanian is a longtime teacher and free-lance writer whose articles have appeared in periodicals ranging from the Atlantic and Washington Monthly to Phi Delta Kappan and Education Week. Visit www.susanohanian.org for a wealth of information on education issues and to learn more about Susan Ohanian. You'll find commentary, cartoons, letters, resources, quotes and a word of the day offering children a provocative way to increase their vocabulary. Her email address is: susano@gmavt.net.
