This popular, motivational introduction to the field of education and the roles of today's teachers focuses on four main aspects of teaching: general characteristics of the profession; various needs of today's learners; approaches to management, teaching, and assessment; and, influences of technology, philosophy, sociology, and history on today's educators. Guided by these well-known authors' belief that “this book is only the beginning,” coverage exhibits a realistic emphasis on the topics that will be of particular concern to novice teachers, especially a unique methods chapter in Part 3: Teaching and Assessing. Numerous projects throughout the material actively engage readers in text content, while the special features encourage reflection, analysis, and self-discovery.