Maintains that fantasy literature, based on archetypal rites-of-passage, provides a context in which students can gain insight into their own struggles for growth and self-awareness and that this "link to life" is one of the genre's most attractive features. (FL)

Speech-language pathologists planning intervention programs for high school students with voice disorders are faced with the problems of changing student attitudes and dealing with general societal apathy concerning the importance of effective voice use. This article introduces a series of papers addressing the unique developmental needs of the…

Attention to teaching and developing spirituality in interpersonal communication is timely. Today's technology usurps the "human" in human being. Humankind is displaced by computers, e-mail, and various websites which substitute for the "person" in interpersonal communication. This technology, combined with the emergence of…

A new idea is catching on fast: instead of giving all students the same classroom time and grading A to F, give each the time and the teaching technique he or she needs to master the subject. (LBH)

This digest considers approaches to langugae arts teaching that are based on mythic or archetypal ways of experiencing and knowing. The Digest argues that such approaches address students' inner lives more directly than do the usual instructional methods such as whole language or student-centered instruction, and thus can help to promote…

Brief discussions are presented on the areas a cooperating teacher should concentrate on in the initial conference to determine the needs of a new student teacher. These areas include: (1) determining the student teacher's career aspirations; (2) identifying the academic training and preparation of the student teacher; (3) discovering the student…

Seven suggestions for meeting the social/emotional needs of gifted students include encourage controlled risk taking; provide myriad social experiences; inventory family similarities and differences; encourage biography reading; provide mentorship opportunities; love and respect students as individuals; and encourage a self-concept that extends…

Perspectives on going through the education system are offered by an adult who was diagnosed with learning disability. Experiences are shared concerning elementary school, high school, college, employment, and graduate school. Ten tips are also offered for teachers of students with learning disabilities. (SW)

Emotional issues impacting the lives of gifted students are discussed, including peer pressure, competition, perfectionism, independence, expectations of self or others, and economic disadvantage. Teaching suggestions and poems by gifted students are provided. (DB)

Offers excerpts from Shalva Amonashvili's 1983 teaching guide, "Hello Children." Includes chapters on Amonashvili's analysis of Day No. 122 in the school year and reflections on the last day. The guide is based on Amonashvili's experiences teaching six-year olds that incorporated his love for children and humanistic teaching methods. (CH)

Provides excerpts from Shalva Amonashvili's 1983 teacher's guide, "Hello Children." Explains that "Hello Children" is based on Amonashvili's successful experience teaching six-year olds and increasing the elementary grades to four (now implemented throughout the USSR). Amonashvili stresses teachers' love for children and…

The cases in this book, based on classroom observations and interviews with principals and key teachers at 17 California middle schools, focus in depth on middle-grade reform in the classroom. Organized in four chapters, the cases look at four critical areas of curriculum and instruction: (1) heterogeneous grouping; (2) cooperative learning; (3)…

Explains nondirective or pupil-centered teaching, an alternative to traditional education in the Soviet Union. Uses Vygotsky's area of proximal development to envision teaching methods that anticipate and promote higher development levels. Stresses humanistic approach, involving students and responding to individual needs. Also proposes in-depth…

This book reviews and summarizes recent research into the intellectual, emotional and creative development of young gifted children. An introductory section includes the following: "Early Signs of Giftedness: Research and Commentary" (Abraham Tannenbaum); "Creative Giftedness in Children" (Robert Sternberg and Todd Lubart); and "Cultural…

This guide for middle school health education teachers in Georgia first sets forth the state policies on the school's responsibility for student health, the general objectives of health education, and the purposes of school health services programs. Instructional units are provided for grades 5 through 8. Topics covered in the units include: (1)…