Professional Development.

Times are tough for teachers these days. Teachers are being blamed for failing schools; the teaching profession itself is the target of much criticism; and teachers unions are being undermined. On top of that, the economy is weak, and teaching positions are being eliminated from school districts across Illinois and the country. Given the current state of the profession, it wouldn't surprise us if teachers were feeling bitter, or even worse, apathetic. And yet, in our everyday interactions with teachers, what we observe instead is professionals committed to doing whatever they can to reach each and every one of their students. Teachers amaze us in their ability to focus on what matters and ignore, as best they can, those who will continue to misunderstand or misrepresent the work they do each day. Teachers understand the importance of continuing to learn and grow, and they work hard to make sure they serve their students most effectively, from taking classes, workshops, or attending professional conferences, to reading books such as those that are reviewed in this column. These challenging times, we know, will pass, and in the meantime, teachers across the country will continue their important work. We hope that the books reviewed below, which present interesting and relevant ideas about formative literacy assessments for secondary students, helpful tips for Writing Workshop, ways for using technology in writing instruction, and a look at how pop culture influences our students and our literacy instruction, will help teachers in their quest to continually reflect on and improve their practice in spite of (or perhaps because of ) the tough times we face. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]