Toward a More Perfect Union: Creating Democratic Classroom Communities

The purpose of this book is to consider the role that the teacher plays in developing democratic classroom communities and examine ways in which elements of inquiry based instruction can be used to cultivate participatory virtues in students. A critical examination of this topic promises to be significant for four reasons: First, it will establish a working definition of democratic community as it applies to the classroom and its relevance to the field of teaching; Second, it will provide educational practitioners insight into the importance of developing democratic communities in their classrooms in this current climate of standards and high stakes accountability; and third, it will discuss the profound influence democratic classroom communities have on student perceptions of schooling, self concept and relationships with their peers and their teacher. Finally this book will explore how teachers and administrators can reframe their approaches to classroom management and effective instructional strategies and student evaluation to more closely approximate a true democratic model.