Myers Education Press By the Light of the Silvery Moon: Teacher Moonlighting and the Dark Side of Teachers' Work

Teacher moonlighting has been studied and documented since at least the early 1960s, and yet it can be easily argued that the phenomenon is still not understood. Teachers moonlight in higher numbers than other professions, and yet while most teachers claim that they do it for the money, increases in their compensation have not reduced the practice. By the Light of the Silvery Moon is the first book to provide a thorough review of the research on the topic, looking deeply into the intricate workings of a profession that is at least imperiled or, in the best of scenarios, a profession that is transition. Teachers play a critical role in society, so teaching needs to be a sustainable profession where teachers may still moonlight, but the opportunities to expand the status as well as the content and context of their work are unlimited. This book will fill an important gap in the literature by bringing together the research and situating it within a broader conversation about teachers’ work. Review This book is a must-read for teachers, administrators, policymakers, and anyone with an interest in entering the teaching profession. It leaves the reader with much to consider as it argues for respectable, fair working conditions in our 21st century schools. Blair concludes that as long as working conditions remain hostile and as long as personnel and educational decisions are left to a disconnected central office, teachers will be subjugated to a subprofessional role wherein moonlighting is normalized. Overall, the text makes valid arguments for change within the teaching profession while also leaving many opportunities for future research to move the discussion forward. For full review, click HERE.--William Leach and Erin Miller, University of North Carolina at CharlotteIn By the Light of the Silvery Moon: Teacher Moonlighting and the Dark Side of Teachers' Work, Eleanor J. Blair crafts a comprehensive examination of the complicated phenomenon of teachers' work outside of their classrooms. This edited volume includes a collection of previously published and unpublished research articles on teacher moonlighting as well as thoughtful analysis by the editor. Utilizing both quantitative and qualitative research methods, Silvery Moon relates insightful research along with thought-provoking discourse that will surely engage readers from a wide range experience in education. Practitioners, school leaders and education researchers alike will find useful knowledge in this text examining an elusive facet of the life of a professional teacher. (Read full review HERE.)--Jeffrey Keese, Texas A&M UniversityThe question, why do teachers moonlight?, is truly an open-ended one. While the correlation of moonlighting to teacher salaries may be a simple extrapolation, the reality is more perplexing. Perhaps one of the most compelling facets of By the Light of the Silvery Moon, is Blair's dedication to the enigma that is teacher moonlighting. On the surface, the rationale behind teacher moonlighting seems basic: money. However, beneath the surface lies multiple layers of varying depth rendering the phenomena both simple to understand, yet difficult to solve. ... Teachers may like their moonlighting jobs, but why they sought them in the first place is the critical question. For full review, click HERE.--Clint Iadanza, Western Illinois UniversityThrough careful curation of wide-ranging studies and essays, Eleanor J. Blair demonstrates that teacher moonlighting is ubiquitous, covert, and ripe with potential for supporting new conceptions of teacher professionalism. As such, this book is a worthwhile read for teachers, administrators, teacher educators, researchers, and policymakers interested in understanding the implications of teachers' work. (Click HERE to read full review.)--Mickey Diamond, Montclair State University for The Educational Forum 2020, VOL. 84, NO. 3"By the Light of the Silvery Moon offers students, teacher