The Teaching Life
Stories of Teaching and Learning in the Classroom and Beyond
1st Edition
Published on 3. June 2026
Book
Hardback
174 pages
978-1-041-26132-2 (ISBN)
Description
"Through identifying connections between teaching and learning, I suggest that teaching can give a life meaning, that we might define ourselves, understand ourselves, meaningfully, as teachers. Teaching is a way of living and not just a way to make a living. We teach as we live, and we live through our teaching. It's our life-blood."
Robert DiYanni
Drawing from five decades of experience teaching over 11,000 students across ten institutions, this profound exploration reveals teaching as not merely a career, but a vocation. In this captivating book, leading scholar Robert DiYanni offers engaging personal narratives and research-backed insights to reveal the delicate symbiosis between teaching and learning, demonstrating how these interconnections flourish only within genuine community.
From traditional classrooms to business settings, from church halls to international conferences, these stories illuminate the transformative power of authentic educational engagement. Part I delivers practical, hands-on classroom advice distilled from years of pedagogical refinement. Part II expands beyond conventional settings to showcase teaching's boundless potential in diverse environments.
The ideal resource for English and humanities educators from middle school through university, this book arrives at a critical moment when educational relationships face unprecedented challenges. As remote learning reshapes our understanding of classroom dynamics, The Teaching Life reminds us why the human connections at education's core remain irreplaceable.
Robert DiYanni
Drawing from five decades of experience teaching over 11,000 students across ten institutions, this profound exploration reveals teaching as not merely a career, but a vocation. In this captivating book, leading scholar Robert DiYanni offers engaging personal narratives and research-backed insights to reveal the delicate symbiosis between teaching and learning, demonstrating how these interconnections flourish only within genuine community.
From traditional classrooms to business settings, from church halls to international conferences, these stories illuminate the transformative power of authentic educational engagement. Part I delivers practical, hands-on classroom advice distilled from years of pedagogical refinement. Part II expands beyond conventional settings to showcase teaching's boundless potential in diverse environments.
The ideal resource for English and humanities educators from middle school through university, this book arrives at a critical moment when educational relationships face unprecedented challenges. As remote learning reshapes our understanding of classroom dynamics, The Teaching Life reminds us why the human connections at education's core remain irreplaceable.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Academic and Postgraduate
Product notice
Laminated cover
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Weight
450 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-041-26132-2 (9781041261322)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
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1st Edition
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06/2026
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Person
Robert DiYanni is Professor of Humanities at New York University, USA, where he serves on the faculties of the School of Professional Studies and the Stern School of Business, following a decade in the College of Arts and Science. His publications include The Pearson Guide to Critical and Creative Thinking (2014), Critical and Creative Thinking: A Brief Guide for Teachers (2015), and Critical Reading Across the Curriculum (with Anton Borst; 2017). His co-authored The Craft of College Teaching was published in 2020.
Content
Preface
Acknowledgments and Recognitions
Part I: Classroom Practices
Chapter 1. Learning with High School Students
Baptism by Fire / Classroom Novice / Meetings with the Principal
Back in the Classroom / What is a Teacher? Why Teach?
Chapter 2. Joining College Educational Communities
Queens College Apprenticeship and More / Successes and Failures / Masterful
Mentors /Joining the College Teaching Community / Major Mistakes / Becoming a Professional / Extraordinary Colleagues / Visiting Scholars / Teaching Writing about Music / Teaching and Feelings
Chapter 3. Settling into the Teaching Life
Teaching at Pace University / Teaching American Literature / Teaching
Exploratory Writing / Teaching Adults / Teaching Music Appreciation
Teaching for IBM / Teaching Through Field Trips / Teaching with Emotion
Chapter 4. Teaching in Cambridge, MA and in Taiwan
A Different Writing Pedagogy / Some Harvard Teachers / Some Harvard
Students / Fear of Failure / Students in Charge / Teaching Poetry in Taiwan
Chapter 5. Teaching at New York University
Seizing Opportunities / Teaching Critical Thinking / Teaching Cultural Foundations / Teaching Essay Writing / Teaching in the NYU Business School / Teaching Online
PART II: TOWARD MASTERY
Chapter 6. Teaching in the Classroom-and Beyond
Adjunct Teaching-On the Road Again / Suburban
School Scenarios / Teaching in Churches, Libraries, and Museums
Chapter 7. Different Kinds and Conceptions of Teaching
Interdisciplinary Teaching / Teaching Imaginative Thinking
Imagination, Creativity, Innovation / Capacities for Imaginative Thinking and Learning / Metaphors of Teaching /
Mentoring and More
Chapter 8. Teaching Literature
The Pleasures of Fiction / From Stories to Poems / A Teaching Framework / Teaching Drama / The Pleasures of Essays / What Good is Literature?
Chapter 9. Teaching and Textbooks +
Textbook Conflicts / The Problem of Time / A Swerve to High School
Textbooks / Obstacles and Opportunities / Modern American Poets: Their
Voices and Visions / The Scribner Handbook for Writers and Prentice Hall
Humanities Texts / Great Essays / Powers of Two / Beyond Textbooks
Chapter 10. An Approach to Teaching
Teaching as a Vocation / Influential Teachers / Creating a Teaching Persona / Building Community / The Dynamics of Teaching and Learning / Master Teachers
Coda
A Teaching Credo
Epilogue
The View from Half a Century
Teaching and Learning in the Age of AI
AI and Education
References and Suggested Readings
Index
Acknowledgments and Recognitions
Part I: Classroom Practices
Chapter 1. Learning with High School Students
Baptism by Fire / Classroom Novice / Meetings with the Principal
Back in the Classroom / What is a Teacher? Why Teach?
Chapter 2. Joining College Educational Communities
Queens College Apprenticeship and More / Successes and Failures / Masterful
Mentors /Joining the College Teaching Community / Major Mistakes / Becoming a Professional / Extraordinary Colleagues / Visiting Scholars / Teaching Writing about Music / Teaching and Feelings
Chapter 3. Settling into the Teaching Life
Teaching at Pace University / Teaching American Literature / Teaching
Exploratory Writing / Teaching Adults / Teaching Music Appreciation
Teaching for IBM / Teaching Through Field Trips / Teaching with Emotion
Chapter 4. Teaching in Cambridge, MA and in Taiwan
A Different Writing Pedagogy / Some Harvard Teachers / Some Harvard
Students / Fear of Failure / Students in Charge / Teaching Poetry in Taiwan
Chapter 5. Teaching at New York University
Seizing Opportunities / Teaching Critical Thinking / Teaching Cultural Foundations / Teaching Essay Writing / Teaching in the NYU Business School / Teaching Online
PART II: TOWARD MASTERY
Chapter 6. Teaching in the Classroom-and Beyond
Adjunct Teaching-On the Road Again / Suburban
School Scenarios / Teaching in Churches, Libraries, and Museums
Chapter 7. Different Kinds and Conceptions of Teaching
Interdisciplinary Teaching / Teaching Imaginative Thinking
Imagination, Creativity, Innovation / Capacities for Imaginative Thinking and Learning / Metaphors of Teaching /
Mentoring and More
Chapter 8. Teaching Literature
The Pleasures of Fiction / From Stories to Poems / A Teaching Framework / Teaching Drama / The Pleasures of Essays / What Good is Literature?
Chapter 9. Teaching and Textbooks +
Textbook Conflicts / The Problem of Time / A Swerve to High School
Textbooks / Obstacles and Opportunities / Modern American Poets: Their
Voices and Visions / The Scribner Handbook for Writers and Prentice Hall
Humanities Texts / Great Essays / Powers of Two / Beyond Textbooks
Chapter 10. An Approach to Teaching
Teaching as a Vocation / Influential Teachers / Creating a Teaching Persona / Building Community / The Dynamics of Teaching and Learning / Master Teachers
Coda
A Teaching Credo
Epilogue
The View from Half a Century
Teaching and Learning in the Age of AI
AI and Education
References and Suggested Readings
Index