Using Tension as a Resource

English teacher educators struggle to resolve tensions between teacher preparation and classroom experience; they help preservice English teachers move toward resolution on those issues as well. This book provides a thoughtful, inspired, and analytical discussion of some of these tensions, and is particularly well situated to assist both new and experienced English teacher educators with this puzzling and difficult work. The book is both a mirror and a ladder: the discussion between chapter authors and respondents mirrors the values placed in our field on discussion and collaboration, while the content of the chapters and responses will provide a helpful assist to English teacher educators. The tensions addressed in our work and in this book are many — the chapters here will provide new direction and ideas for any English teacher educator who takes it up. -- Leslie S. Rush, director, School of Teacher Education; associate dean, undergraduate programs, University of Wyoming
This is a clear-eyed and thoughtful examination of critical problems identified by English teacher educators who wish to prepare teachers for classrooms as they are, not as we wish they were. The list of teacher educators and the experience and wide-reading they bring to the tensions explored validates our entire profession: we seek to negotiate messy and complicated truths to educate young people for the future. This book is an important tool for that quest. -- Ken Lindblom, professor of English, Stony Brook University (SUNY)
Amidst the changing field of English education, Using Tension as a Resource offers a variety of enlightening and informative perspectives that recognize the complexity of our work in the field. The chapters provide invaluable ideas for extending the learning of our pre-service teachers beyond the university and into the communities of the students with whom they will work. -- Ashley S. Boyd, assistant professor, English education, Washington State University