Publisher's Synopsis
We still know remarkably little about the work of the teachers of Traveller children. Yet they help families gain access to schooling from preschool on, they work with class teachers to include Traveller pupils, they develop appropriate books and resources, and in their support of mobile pupils' learning they are leaders in the application of the latest technologies. This book describes what these teachers do and how they do it. It also reveals how they feel about their work and their relationships with the Traveller families and the wide range of professionals their work involves. In qualitative interviews, 26 heads of service and teachers in nineteen English Traveller Education Support Services (TESS) reflect on their professional and personal identities and the strategies they use to maximise the learning outcomes of Traveller children. The Services range from metropolitan to rural areas to the industrial midlands; some participants had worked in Traveller education for decades and some were new to the field. Each chapter deals with a vital element of the work of TESS heads of service and teachers. They discuss legislation and Traveller sites; government and local authorities; working with the families; working in the schools; and their innovative educational practice in literacy, and in technology to support mobile pupils. The implications of all this for teachers' practice and professional development are made clear. "Teaching Traveller Children" is essential reading for Travellers, TESSs, teachers, policy makers and researchers interested in understanding what influences TESS staff members' identities, and the approaches they found to work effectively in this complex and challenging field. The book makes a significant and original contribution to both Traveller education scholarship and research into teachers' work.
