“Real guidance from an authentic instructor who had experience at all levels. . . . Her voice is so true that on reading this book I feel as if we have had a conversation, a conversation that I would love to share with others.”
–English Journal

“Critics of teacher education assert that those who teach teachers are out of touch with the realities of today’s classrooms. . . . These critics haven’t met Leila Christenbury. . . . All of us who believe the heartbeat of democracy is synchronized to the heartbeats of our nation’s public school teachers will benefit greatly from Leila’s hard-won insights.”
—From the Foreword by Deborah Appleman, Carleton College

“As I was reading Retracing the Journey, I kept nodding and saying, ‘Yes, that’s the way it is. That’s what teachers face.’ Rarely do I read something that gets so to the heart of teaching.”
—Thomas Newkirk, University of New Hampshire

“This compelling volume explores why ‘best practice’ is not always enough. With a candor that may shock you, Christenbury examines students', parents', teachers' and administrators' competing beliefs about what matters most. This book is important reading for anyone in teacher education.”
—Carol Jago, Teacher, Santa Monica High School

Leila Christenbury is well known as a writer and researcher in English Education: her classic book Making the Journey, now in its third edition, has been a guide to countless middle and high school language arts teachers. In her new book, this veteran teacher and teacher educator reveals what did and—more surprisingly—did not happen when she returned to the high school classroom after a hiatus of many years. Exploring her experiences in light of current teacher preparation reform efforts, the author’s compelling narrative is a continuation of her earlier work that will resonate with those concerned about the state of today’s American secondary education. In addition to personal reflections on her practice, Christenbury also:

• Provides specific recommendations for enhancing the English classroom.
• Explores the state of the American comprehensive high school and the fiction of excellence.
• Examines the role of school in relation to the suburban middle class.
• Addresses a number of problem areas: the timing of high stakes tests, policies regarding academic regulations, the uncritical adoption of a college “model,” the widening use of dual enrollment courses, and more.

Leila Christenbury is a veteran high school English teacher and Professor of English Education at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond. She is former editor of English Journal and past president of the National Council of Teachers of English.