Learning In Small Moments: Life In An Urban Classroom

by Daniel Meier

Chronicles the ups-and-downs of two young, first-grade teachers in an urban public school. Through rich, detailed portraits, excerpts from teacher journals, student work, and lived memories and recollections, Daniel Meier shows that the heart of teaching and learning in our culturally diverse urban schools is tied to the overall quality of human interaction in the classroom. "I know that every classroom teacher will read this with bated breath, perhaps even with a small knot in the pit of their stomach at times. What will the kids do next? Will it have a happy ending? . . . I think parents, too–regardless of race or class–will recognize their teachers, their children, and their schools in this account."
—From the Foreword by Deborah Meier
"I tell the story of our year together because teachers, educators, parents, and others are always in need of personal, direct accounts from the classroom. . . . I hope readers will see and hear and feel the voices in this story according to their own experiences and hopes and dreams for our children and schools."
—From the Introduction

Genres: Education

176 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1997

About the author

Daniel Meier is professor of elementary education at San Francisco State University, and teaches courses on children’s first and second language and literacy learning, narrative inquiry and memoir, and teacher research. Professor Meier holds degrees from Wesleyan University, Harvard University, and the University of California at Berkeley. He has worked with preschool and elementary school children on literacy development, and with teachers on inquiry-based projects at the early childhood and elementary school levels. He is the author of numerous books on education published by Teachers College Press, and is also co-editor of Voices of Practitioners, an online journal solely devoted to publishing teacher research in early childhood education. He lives in Berkeley, California, with his wife and two children.

Reviews

[Liz Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: Daniel Meier is a professor of mine at the time I'm writing this. I found this book to be honest and heartfelt. Daniel was in the fortunate situation of co-teaching this particular first grade class. I've also been in that situation and I think having another adult to talk to about the children in the class is so beneficial in many ways. It allows for adult to adult dialogue and feedback and despite hours being taken up with cool things the kids have done, it's a vital way to vent. If only all classrooms, especially in the early years, had two full-time teachers (I was in that situation, Daniel and John weren't) our students would be much better off. The reflections Daniel shares are a great starting point for anyone seeking to reflect on their own practice or take a glimpse into the life of an urban first grade classroom.

[Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells the story of two men sharing a teaching assignment in a first grade classroom. The two young men come from completely different backgrounds, and they idealistically try to merge their teaching philosophies and styles as they deal with the joys and trials learning to teach their 25 students. It's a raw and honest picture that rings true to what teaching is really like. Yes, it's satisfying, and wonderful and inspiring, but it's also hard work, and sometimes things just don't go well.