Teaching in Alternative and Flexible Education Settings

Several common threads run through the chapters in this book, highlighting core aspects of the work of staff in these settings:

• A strong sense of commitment to working with and for young people from marginalised backgrounds.

• Validation of the relational and emotional nature of education, as a fundamentally people-centred enterprise.

• The importance of explicit attention to critical reflection on staff members’ own positionality, assumptions and identity.

• Collegiality as a crucially affirming part of school culture for staff.

These elements are pertinent to educational settings everywhere. The chapters in this book serve as a reminder of what really ‘counts’ for our young people and their schooling.

The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Teaching Education.