The Heart and Mind in Teaching

Lowery and Hayes claim their aim is to identify various individuals and movements that influenced the evolution of teaching. They divide the book into 16 chapters. The first eight chapters move from the Sophists in Ancient Greece to the last half of the 20th century in 83 pages. The second section covers the present in five chapters that discuss the effects of the federal legislation No Child Left Behind and the impact of educational choice on teaching. The last section has chapters on the influence of technology and the impact of educational research as well as a chapter devoted to concluding thoughts. Pointing out that their book asks whether teaching is an art or a science, the authors describe how achievement tests constrain teaching.  Nonetheless, they contend that good teachers can rise above those limits if educational resources are equal in schools. . . .Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and lower-division undergraduate students. * CHOICE *
With the Race to the Top reform agenda, the profession of teaching has come under attack. It is one of the few professions that everyone now has an opinion about, and the opinions are certainly varied. Phrases like accountability for teaching, common core, assessments, and benchmarking are regular commentaries in our professional and social vernacular. Authors William Hayes and Alyssa Lowery take an in-depth analysis of the history of teaching and tackle the age old question of whether teaching is indeed an “art or science.” -- Dr. Lesli Myers, superintendent, Brockport Central Schools, New York
In The Heart and Mind in Teaching: Pedagogical Styles Through the Ages, Alyssa Lowery and Bill Hayes provide an overview of the history of teaching from a western perspective. Their questions about the role of technology, as well as the current political and philosophical battles involving the Common Core, standardized testing, and assessment, are provocative. Perhaps most importantly, they highlight the tension between the science of teaching and the art of teaching. They remind the reader that most of us can quickly identify a teacher or teachers that "made a difference" in our own lives. However these battles turn out, we cannot afford to lose the personal connection between student and teacher that helps infuse a passion for learning in students. Through the historical narrative of teaching, this ingredient has always been crucial. Hayes and Lowery encourage the reader to never lose sight of that understanding. -- Dr. Peter Knapp, retired high school principal, Brighton Central Schools, New York
Bill Hayes and Alyssa Lowery really hit the mark with this book! I think we strongly agree with Doug Lemov when he opens up Teach Like a Champion with the line: “Great teaching is an art!” How is it that we walk down a hallway of a school and see the art of teaching at its fullest going on, while right next door we see “Ferris Bueller” "sit and get"? Resurrecting and restoring teaching as an art has got to be an essential part of any Common Core! -- James Thompson, former New York State Elementary Principal of the Year and National Distinguished Principal