Living as Mapmakers

While teacher knowledge is well-researched andconceptualized, parent knowledge remains largely unstudied. In response, thisbook details Pushor’s conceptualization of parent knowledge, the uniqueknowledge that arises from the lived experiences of being a parent, knowledgethat is relational, bodied and embodied, intuitive, intimate, and uncertain.Drawing from her narrative inquiry into parent knowledge, Pushor shares andunpacks the stories of one participant as a way to provide a close up view ofthe parent knowledge a First Nations father held and used in living with andeducating his children. Twelve teachers and parents then put forward theirindividual and contextual experiences immersed in explorations and use ofparent knowledge, attending to the questions, How can what parents know enhanceschooling experiences for children?How can parent knowledge, used alongsideteacher knowledge, inform decisions made in schools and enhance curricularprogramming and outcomes for children? 

Using the metaphor of maps … of mapmaking … ofliving as mapmakers, this book is a storied account of the new practices inwhich parents and teachers engaged to enable parent knowledge to guide theirwork with children. It is an honest and vulnerable account of their journeys.The authors puzzle over the complexities and the successes of their work andthe resulting impact on children, parents, and teachers. This book is aninvitation to educators and parents to consider how to walk alongside oneanother, using both teacher and parent knowledge, for the benefit of children’slearning and wellbeing.