Structure and Improvisation in Creative Teaching
"If we want our students to learn higher-level skills, including creativity and critical thinking, structures and scripts cannot get us there. That is why this book should be widely read and discussed! These chapters help teachers negotiate the necessary tensions of teaching in an age that must pay more attention to creativity."--David C. Berliner, Arizona State University"This exciting collection presents eloquently the reflexive relation between advance preparation and improvisation in the act of teaching. Teachers must be thoroughly prepared, to be sure. Sawyer's collection shows us they must also be able to respond artfully to the unexpected demands of teacher-student interactions."--Hugh Mehan, University of California, San Diego"...This text examines what it is that teachers actually do in classrooms and in preparation for being in classrooms, and gives a nuanced view of what goes on in the minds of excellent teachers.... Sawyer's purpose for Structure and Improvisation in Creative Teaching is ambitious.... The contributions in the book offer illustrations of teaching and improvisation at work and further develop the idea of using improvisation for initial teacher preparation and professional development.--Dr. Kathleen Brown, College of Education, University of Missouri St. Louis, PsycCRITIQUES