Resources

Higher education is becoming destabilized in the face of extraordinarily rapid change. The composition of the academy's most valuable asset—the faculty—and the essential nature of faculty work are being transformed. Jack H. Schuster and Martin J. Finkelstein describe the transformation of the American faculty in the most extensive and ambitious analysis of the American academic profession undertaken in a generation. A century ago the American research university emerged as a new organizational form animated by the professionalized, discipline-based scholar. The research university model persisted through two world wars and greatly varying economic conditions. In recent years, however, a new order has surfaced, organized around a globalized, knowledge-based economy, powerful privatization and market forces, and stunning new information technologies. These developments have transformed the higher education enterprise in ways barely imaginable in generations past. At the heart of that transformation, but largely invisible, has been a restructuring of academic appointments, academic work, and academic careers—a reconfiguring widely decried but heretofore inadequately described. This volume depicts the scope and depth of the transformation, combing empirical data drawn from three decades of national higher education surveys. The authors' portrait, at once startling and disturbing, provides the context for interpreting these developments as part of a larger structural evolution of the national higher education system. They outline the stakes for the nation and the challenging work to be done. (From the Publisher)

"Soul Searching tells the definitive story of the religious and spiritual lives of contemporary American teenagers. It reports the findings of the National Study of Youth and Religion, the largest and most detailed study of teenagers and religion ever undertaken. Based on a nationwide telephone survey of teens and their parents, as well as in-depth face-to-face interviews with more than 250 of the survey respondents, Soul Searching shows that religion is indeed a significant factor in the lives of many American teenagers. Chock-full of carefully interpreted interview data and solid survey statistics, Soul Searching reveals many surprising findings." Combining a national overview with an insider's view of teenage religious and nonreligious perspectives, Soul Searching provides not only an unprecedented understanding of adolescent religion and spirituality but also, because teenagers may be bellwethers for future trends, an important window through which to observe and assess the future of American religion. (From the Publisher)

Christians are of two minds about excellence. We commend excellent teaching, seek out excellent health care, and celebrate excellence in the arts. When a Christian life of congregation is described as excellent, however, we are suspicious that achievement, ambition or success may get the best of us. Cultural standards of excellence may turn out to be Christian stumbling blocks. "Resurrecting Excellence" urges Christians to reclaim their distinctive understanding and emphasis on excellence: an unselfish ambition for the gospel. The life death and resurrection of Jesus are both the basis and the goal of our summons to excellence. Drawing on ancient traditions as well as contemporary voices, the authors -- a divinity school dean and a parish pastor -- offer both a theology of excellence and compelling portraits of pastors, lay leader, congregations, and judicatories who embody "a more excellent way." Excellence in Christian ministry requires the capacity for measuring life by the complexities of judgment and grace as well as budgets and buildings. "Resurrecting Excellence" commends this beautiful and challenging task to all with a heart and mind for the excellence of God. (From the Publisher)

Pastoral ministry is an occupation in flux. In this comprehensive study Jackson Carroll considers the many factors — changing roles among clergy and laypeople, the opening of ordination to women, an increasing shortage of clergy, and more — that are shaping congregations and ministers today. Building on Paul’s image of Christians as “clay jars,” Carroll paints a portrait of “God’s potters” — pastors whose calling is to form their congregational jars so that they reveal rather than hide God’s treasure. A veteran clergy watcher, Carroll uses data from what is likely the most representative survey of Protestant and Catholic clergy ever undertaken, as well as focus group interviews and congregational responses, to take a hard look at who is doing ministry today, what it involves, and how pastors are faring in leading their congregations. Significantly, his study covers clergy from a broad range of traditions — Catholic, mainline Protestant, conservative Protestant, and historic black churches. Replete with pertinent tables and figures, God’s Potters culminates with specific strategies for strengthening pastoral leadership and nurturing excellence in ministry. (From the Publisher)

Increase student learning with an effective classroom management plan! One of the most challenging tasks for teachers is classroom management that ensures high levels of achievement for all students. In this updated edition, Karen Bosch helps preservice and experienced teachers develop classroom management plans tailored to their specific needs and skills. She discusses a five-step process that includes introspection, classroom observation, plan development, implementation, and plan revision. Field-tested for more than ten years, this unique book includes: Worksheets with questions to guide each step of the process Ample vignettes and examples Strategies for organization, discipline, classroom operation, and instruction Tips for working with diverse students This excellent resource provides guidance for teachers seeking to create a positive classroom environment, plan for student-centered learning, and meet the demands of today’s classrooms. (From the Publisher)

Engage and enlighten students by skillfully guiding them through thought-provoking classroom discussions using these straightforward strategies. Aligned with the principles of Paideia and Socratic seminars, and packed with real-life examples, this teacher-friendly resource highlights the fundamentals of planning for text-based discourse, the four key factors that shape the teacher’s decision-making during discussions, and tips for problem-solving and fine-tuning facilitation skills. (From the Publisher)

Sustaining Teacher Leadership describes a model for linking leadership and learning and identifies six components of an enabling culture for teacher leadership: learning, valuing, nurturing, supporting, sharing, and coaching. The model is based on an historical review of artifacts from earlier qualitative studies that report on eight years of a middle school's restructuring and restructuring experiences. (From the Publisher)

Building Bridges for Women of Color in Higher Education is designed to create a forum for synthesizing collective voices from women of color in academia. This book will serve as a professional development tool for academicians, both embarking upon and maintaining careers in higher education. (From the Publisher)

"Becoming an effective teacher can be quite painful and exhausting, taking years of trial and error. In The Art of Teaching, writer and critic Jay Parini looks back over his own decades of trials, errors, and triumphs, in an intimate memoir that brims with humor, encouragement, and hard-won wisdom about the teacher's craft." Here is a godsend for instructors of all levels, offering valuable insight into the many challenges that educators face, from establishing a persona in the classroom, to fostering relationships with students, to balancing a teaching load with academic writing and research. (From the Publisher)