[The Stricklands] will remind you why you chose to be a teacher in the first place. The classrooms they describe are places where both students and their teachers engage in powerful learning. Isn't this what we want for all students? Isn't this what you want for yourself?
—Carol Jago, education columnist, Los Angeles Times

"Life doesn't come with a set of instructions." But now, at least with the publication of the Stricklands' new text, the art and craft of teaching DOES!
—Jeffrey N. Golub, Associate Professor of English Education, University of South Florida

Engage with this extraordinary, deeply thoughtful book and you will discover the real magic: students who trust themselves as capable, creative learners, who can ask their own questions, and know how and where to search for answers.
—Jim Burke, moderator of CATENet and teacher, Burlingame High School, California

Kathleen and James Strickland provide their students with opportunities for authentic learning through meaningful, reflective activities every day. They firmly believe that if we empower students to make decisions about their learning, to set goals, and to work at a pace that is appropriate for them, they will be engaged in true learning. The Stricklands demonstrate exactly how this happens—how students learn and how beliefs inform behavior, in teachers and students alike. In the process, they provide an indispensable methods book for English language arts teachers.

The authors draw on their backgrounds in composition, linguistics, and literary theory to ground their teaching in a philosophy that is student centered and inquiry based. In each chapter, they address the means to facilitate inquiry—in the reading or writing workshop, in the use of technology, or in assessment and testing. Best of all, they offer stories from real classrooms, numerous examples of lessons and handouts that are immediately usable, and suggestions for new activities that engage students.