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Teaching Is Complicated, Not Simple Essay

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Professional Capital:
Transforming Teaching in Every School
By Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan, New York: Teachers College Press, Abingdon: Routledge, 2012
Reviewed by: Alexis Whitehorn, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND

“Teaching today is complicated, not simple” a simple sentence from Hargreaves and Fullan’s book Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School that summarizes what education is about in today’s world (79). The book takes readers into the realm of teaching and the expectations of today’s educational standards. The authors provide examples of how education has changed and challenge educational leaders to help lead the way through building what they call “professional capitalism.” Unlike the business world that focuses on quick returns, professional capital in education recognizes that education is a long-term investment. One cannot simply invest in new technology, new curriculum, new teachers and expect an increase in student achievement overnight. The process of creating an education that focuses on student achievement takes time and relies on the professional capital of teachers. That means investing in the future by investing in human capital - from preschool to high school to the teachers and all staff that work within the schools. Throughout this book, Hargreaves and Fullan deliver compelling evidence that education in the United States and England are failing their students by not allowing teachers to have the professional

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