Behind Closed Doors: Teachers and the Role of the Teachers' Lounge
, by Ben-Peretz, Miriam; Schonmann, Shifra- ISBN: 9780791444481 | 0791444481
- Cover: Paperback
- Copyright: 2/1/2000
Behind Closed Doors examines the teachers' lounge as a site for the development of communal knowledge. While the book discusses an extensive qualitative study of teacher interactions in 26 teachers' lounges in Israeli schools, it reveals that the culture of teachers transcends national boundaries and is quite recognizable. Teachers in the lounge are regarded in this book as 'learners' whether they are actually involved in formal professional development activities, or in informal exchanges with their colleagues. Teachers learn about students and modes of instruction, but also about norms of collegiality that govern life in the lounge, and about supporting each other and coping with the manifold stresses of teaching. This book makes a significant contribution to the literature on teacher learning and socialization.