Building upon a strong “mentoring” message that has long been the tradition of this text, Becoming a Teacher, Sixth Edition, takes a straight-forward look at what it means to be a professional teacher in today's high-stakes environment of education. This no-nonsense approach provides students with the tools and information necessary to answer the questions “What does it take to become a professional teacher?” and “Do I want to teach?” New “On the Frontlines” feature in every chapter provides readers first-hand insights into real-world challenges teachers face. A special “Preparing for the Praxis” section at the front of the book and a new “Meeting the Standards” feature in every chapter provides prospective teachers with guidelines on developing the skills necessary to meet the performance standards on teacher development set forth by INTASC, NCATE, PRAXIS, and NBPTS.