Teaching a Future President

The purpose of this book is to articulate an aspirational vision for education, one that deeply engages students in complex and meaningful work and prepares students for the personal, social, and societal problems and opportunities facing them and our society. However, simply adopting an aspirational vision for a high quality learning environment isn’t the real challenge. Most educators, students, and parents don’t need a lot of convincing that schools can and should do more. Many educators espouse ambitious goals for their students, articulating the need for “21st century skills,” and classrooms that are more innovative, responsive, and collaborative. However, so many of our classrooms fall woefully short of these goals. That’s because knowing the why and the what is sometimes not enough. Teachers need help with the how. Accordingly, this book does not stop at simply articulating a vision of the possible; the book also helps individuals visualize what it can look like, and supports teachers, parents, and other engaged community members as they work towards closing the gap between what is possible and what is currently realized. 

Today's students are Iiving in an increasingly complex world requiring in depth learning that will prepare them to solve almost impossible problems awaiting them. In this timely and inspired book, Zachary Herrmann examines the types of forward-looking educational experiences necessary to equip and empower students to take risks, accept and learn from failure, and be prepared to work in teams to solve the most difficult problems awaiting them. This book is a must-read for educators, parents, students and all of us who believe in the power of education to shape the future with new possibilities in thinking and creative problem solving. Dr. Herrmann provides a transformative vision for what students need to be experiencing in their learning for the betterment of the world.--Eric Witherspoon, Superintendent, Evanston Township High School, Evanston, Illinois; Former Superintendent, Des Moines Independent Community School District, Des Moines, Iowa, In Teaching a Future President, Herrmann lays out a powerful argument for the design of learning experiences that make a difference, while offering practical guidance aimed at bringing to life the classrooms that both teachers and their students crave.--Jennifer Cheatham, Director of the Public Education Leadership Project and Senior Lecturer on Education at Harvard University, This book is, at once, inspirational and practical. It offers a provocative and compelling way to envision the aims and purposes of education. And it provides tangible strategies for educators who want to help their students tackle impossible problems.--Janine Remillard, Professor and Director of Teacher Education at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

Zachary Herrmann started his career in education as a high school math teacher, athletic coach, and theater director. Zachary now serves on the professional faculty of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where he works with both novice and veteran educators.