Teachers' stories : [electronic resource] from personal narrative to professional insight / Mary Renck Jalongo, Joan P. Isenberg, with Gloria Gerbracht.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 219-250) and index.

Teachers' stories, teachers' knowledge -- How narrative connects -- What students can teach us -- The practice of reflection -- Dilemmas of teaching -- Professional development -- From narrative to insight -- Strategies for generating narrative.

Storytelling - or narrative - is gaining acceptance as an important tool for professional development, research, and teaching. This book shows how teachers and educators can use stories of their professional experiences to reflect on their own practice, articulate values and beliefs, give shape and form to teaching theory, and better understand decision-making processes. The book offers strategies for generating, sharing, and using narrative - and illustrates its points with many rich classroom stories.

Individual chapters built around specific themes show how teachers use narrative to forge connections, learn from students, reflect upon experience, resolve conflict, develop as professionals, and enter the educational dialogue. A wealth of examples and specific suggestions show teachers at all levels, preschool through high school, how to compose and give voice to their own stories, forcing them to dig beneath the surface, think more deeply about teaching and learning, and become truly reflective practitioners.