In Praise of Our Teachers: A Muliticultural Tribute to Those Who Inspired Us

Gloria Jean Wade Gayles

Beacon Press, 2003 - Education - 140 pages

A joyous collection of tributes—both original and previously published—that celebrate the gifts of remarkable teachers.Teachers have always made an indelible impression on their charges. Now, in this new book, Gloria Wade-Gayles has brought together a winning and touching collection of pieces about teachers and teaching, with inspiring and dramatic anecdotes woven in. Each story offers a new and unique perspective on some of our country’s most beloved teachers. With pieces by legendary writers like Langston Hughes and Alice Walker, we see how a strong teacher can turn a nervous child into a worldrenowned artist. Robin D. G. Kelley frames a short history of busing with a sweet storyabout having a crush on his third grade teacher. Marian Wright Edelman celebrates Howard Zinn’s teaching style, his insistence on explorationand questioning; and Zinn himself provides an opinion on the profession he has practiced for most of his life. But we also hear from a diverse group of students: writers who were part of the first wave of integration in their school system and immigrants who learned to speak English and participate in American culture in their schools.We get stories from Catholic schools, pubic schools, college classrooms, and more. In this age of standardized testing, In Praise of Our Teachers is a wonderful reminder of the immeasurable influence that teachers willalways have on their studens. Gloria Wade-Gayles holds the Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair at Spelman College and is a CASE professor of Teaching Excellence for the state of Georgia. She is author of numerous books, including Pushed Back to Strength: A Black Woman’s Journey Home and Rooted Against the Wind: Personal Essays (Beacon / 0393-3 / $12.00 pb), and editor of My Soul Is aWitness: African-American Women’s Spirituality (Beacon / 0927-7 / $16.00 pb) and Father Songs: Testimonies by African-American Sons and Daughters. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

About the author

Gloria Wade-Gayles holds the Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair at Spelman College and is a CASE professor of Teaching Excellence for the state of Georgia. She is author of numerous books, includingPushed Back to Strength: A Black Woman's Journey Home and Rooted Against the Wind: Personal Essays, and editor ofMy Soul Is a Witness: African-American Women's SpiritualityandFather Songs: Testimonies by African-American Sons and Daughters. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Bibliographic information

• Title: In Praise of Our Teachers: A Muliticultural Tribute to Those Who Inspired Us
• Editor: Gloria Jean Wade Gayles
• Publisher: Beacon Press, 2003
• ISBN: 0807031488, 9780807031483
• Length: 140 pages
• Subjects: Education / Essays; Education / Parent Participation; Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / General; Self-Help / Motivational & Inspirational