In a thriving education system, students experience learning that prepares them as the vital keepers of a just and democratic society. Teachers as professionals and experts, not cogs in a machine, are essential to this goal. Sparks Into Fire offers design principles for facilitating effective professional learning in which teachers are active learners engaging in experiential learning, discussing problems, analyzing student work, and sharing their expertise with one another. The author introduces each principle with a compelling and illuminating story from his extensive experience teaching students and facilitating teacher learning in Providence, RI; Oakland, CA; and South Korea. These narratives, along with specific practices, show the reader not just what to do but how to do it. Whether you are a school leader, lead teacher, PD facilitator, or teacher educator, you can apply the ideas in this book to design collaborative experiences that revitalize teacher practice and, in turn, spark a fire in the hearts and minds of students. Book Features: Provides key principles and practices that can transform the quality of teacher learning in any subject area and across disciplines. Offers a human-centered approach to teacher learning with a focus on equity. Shares practical tools for facilitating teacher learning coupled with real-life examples and stories. Includes a set of reflection questions to encourage readers to recall stories from their own learning journeys.
Young Whan Choi is a lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley where he teaches the next generation of social studies educators. He has been a teacher in South Korea, New York City, Providence, RI, and Oakland, CA, during which time he developed expertise in project-based learning, curriculum design, and culturally relevant teaching. He produces and hosts The Young and the Woke podcast.
Contents Foreword ?Ericka Huggins ?vii Preface ?ix Acknowledgments ?xiii Part I: Fueling the Fire ?1 1. ?From Margins to Center: Telling Stories of Purpose ?3 Purpose in Teacher Learning ?4 Practices That Leverage Purpose ?5 Conclusion: The Power of Telling Stories of Purpose ?15 Reflection Questions ?16 2. ?Your Mission: Active Learning as Countersocialization ?17 Active Teacher Learning ?19 Practices in Active Teacher Learning ?20 Conclusion: We Can't Teach Where We Won't Go ?26 Reflection Questions ?27 3. ?"Why didn't you push me harder?": Learning From Students ?29 The Role of Students in Teacher Learning ?31 Practices in Centering Students ?32 Conclusion: Students Make Us Better Teachers ?44 Reflection Questions ?44 4. ?"Please, come in": Listening to and Leading With Teachers ?47 Listening to Teachers to Inform Teacher Learning ?48 Practices That Recognize Teacher Expertise ?49 Conclusion: Listen to Learn ?59 Reflection Questions ?60 Part II: Tending to the Fire ?61 5. ?Walking to the Sea: A Journey Towards Collectivism ?63 Collectivism in Teacher Learning ?66 Practices to Foster Collectivism ?68 Conclusion: Collectivism is Both a Process and a Goal ?78 Reflection Questions ?79 6. ?Throwing Away Baggage: The Power of Vulnerability ?81 Vulnerability in Teacher Learning ?82 Practices in Vulnerability That Nurture Learning ?85 Conclusion: Vulnerability Is Essential to Learning ?97 Reflection Questions ?98 7. ?"We haaaaated you": A Lesson in Empathy ?99 Empathy in Teacher Learning ?100 Empathy Practices ?102 Conclusion: Empathy Is Personal and Professional ?110 Reflection Questions ?112 Conclusion ?113 References ?115 Index ?117 About the Author ?125
