Making the Journey: Now Available

I’m very happy to share the news that Making the Journey: Being and Becoming a Teacher of English Language Arts, Fourth Edition, co-authored by Leila Christenbury and me, is now available for purchase at Heinemann.  The book is available in print and as an ebook, and Heinemann has a good package deal for both. There is a free sample available on the site as well.

Leila wrote the first three editions of this book on her own, and I was honored when she asked me to author the fourth edition with her. If you’d like to learn how this happened, please read this MTJ4 Origin Story blog at the Heinemann site.

The fourth edition retains Leila’s approach as a smart, friendly colleague, but now there are two of us speaking in the book, so you can read an exchange of views. We tried to write it in a way that makes readers feel like they are in a conversation with two trusted colleagues. We tell a LOT of stories from our own classrooms, some positive and inspiring and others quite unnerving cautionary tales. We’ve both made lots of mistakes and had some important successes as teachers. We also bring humor to our tales and tribulations wherever possible. As teachers know, there are just some times that if you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.

We also asked many pre-service and current teachers to contribute their thoughts on various topics in the book, and their voices add to the authenticity and practical value of the text. We grateful to our colleagues and students who contributed, almost all of whom allowed us to use their real names.

There are also a few whimsical touches throughout the book, not the least of which are some cartoons of the authors and some stories (mostly mine) of hilarious teaching fails. Why should I be the only one who learns from my epic mistakes? We also offer teaching resources, tech tips, and lots & lots of advice on the myriad questions and controversies that all teachers eventually face.

Leila and I are very excited about the potential for this book to help pre-service and early-career English teachers. For my part, the first edition of this amazing book was my constant companion during my first years as a high school English teacher at Columbia High School in East Greenbush, NY (suburb of Albany). That I am now a co-author with THE Leila Christenbury is a professional dream come true.

Please feel free to comment or ask questions below. I’d be delighted to hear from anyone about their experiences with Making the Journey.