Why teachers are so secretive, even protective, about the conditions in which they work is top on veteran teacher Susan Ohanian's list of concerns. There is nothing secretive about Ohanian. This collection of her writings, many of which were gleaned from leading publications such as Phi Delta Kappan and USA Today, attests to that. If you ask for permission to speak up, she says, you are doomed. But if you write about your classroom--about the texts and traditions, about the administrators who annoy you and the texts that block you, your public words will provide a protective shield. Based on Ohanian's twenty years as classroom teacher, consultant, journalist, and observer of the education scene in the U.S., the essays will anger, confirm, delight, and inspire. Just about any teacher, regardless of grade level, will find familiar the scenarios, contretemps, ironies, and kids Ohanian details. Visit www.susanohanian.org Visit Susan Ohanian online for a wealth of information on education issues and to learn more about her. You'll find commentary, cartoons, letters, resources, quotes and a word of the day offering children a provocative way to increase their vocabulary.

Contains updated and revised sketches on nearly 800 of the most widely read authors and illustrators appearing in Gale's Something about the author series.