Covering all grade levels, Tensions of Teaching is a collection of teachers' and principals' thoughts and reflections about their experiences as practitioners and learners. Through their writings, the participating educators learned a great deal about the political nature of teaching, as well as everyday issues that teachers face. They discovered that every action and every decision in a classroom carries with it the potential both to support and to interfere with a student's learning. They observed how their decisions make them vulnerable and fearful. And they learned how teaching is fraught with tensions. The action research, and the writing that brings it to fruition, allowed them — and all who read this book — to better understand the constraints under which teachers work.

Judith M. Newman, formerly Dean of the Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba, is now writing and consulting in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She is author of several books and numerous articles on literacy and critical inquiry into teaching.

Judith M. Newman's profile page

"Judith Newman and the [12] teachers who have shared their struggles with the Tensions of Teaching provide an alternative perspective on teacher change. They show that ongoing critical reflection is a powerful means through which teachers transform their beliefs and practices…. I hope that teachers, administrators, policy makers and others involved in reform will listen to what they have to say."— “Susan Church, Halifax, Nova Scotia