With a bright and engaging writing style that enlists the voices from experts as well as novices, Becoming a Teacher explores what it means to be a professional teacher in today's climate of accountability, high-stakes testing, and changing legislation. The fully revised 9th edition embraces and articulates the changing field of education, outlining ways to be an agent of change in the profession, pinpointing meaningful uses of technology in education, clarifying realities of diversity in the classroom, and clearly outlining past, present, and future thoughts on curriculum, instruction, management, philosophy, and issues in education. This down-to-earth and straightforward approach provides students with the tools and information necessary to answer the questions, "What does it take to become a high quality teacher?" and "Do I want to teach?" Along the way, the author provides practical perspectives for meeting the challenges of teaching. Organized into four parts, the book addresses both functional and foundational topics to give readers a well-rounded view of the teaching profession.