Teaching with Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Teach Hardcover - 2003 - 1st Edition

First line

One of us was trained as an engineer, the other as a sociologist, two fields infamous for being something less than "poetic."

From the rear cover

RECLAIM YOUR FIRE

"Teaching with Fire is a glorious collection of the poetry that has restored the faith of teachers in the highest, most transcendent values of their work with children . . . . Those who want us to believe that teaching is a technocratic and robotic skill devoid of art or joy or beauty need to read this powerful collection. So, for that matter, do we all."

--Jonathan Kozol, author of Amazing Grace and Savage Inequalities

"When reasoned argument fails, poetry helps us make sense of life. A few well-chosen images, the spinning together of words creates a way of seeing where we came from and lights up possibilities for where we might be going . . . . Dip in, read, and ponder; share with others. It's inspiration in the very best sense."

--Deborah Meier, co-principal of The Mission Hill School, Boston and founder of a network of schools in East Harlem, New York

"In the Confucian tradition it is said that the mark of a golden era is that children are the most important members of the society and teaching is the most revered profession. Our journey to that ideal may be a long one, but it is books like this that will sustain us--for who are we all at our best save teachers, and who matters more to us than the children?"

--Peter M. Senge, founding chair, SoL (Society for Organizational Learning) and author of The Fifth Discipline

Royalties from this book will be used to fund scholarship opportunities for teachers to grow and learn.

Media reviews

Citations

• Library Journal, 12/01/2003, Page 0