If you have ever found yourself asking, "Why don't students see the relevance in what I am teaching them?", you are not alone. I recently discovered that I had become out-of-touch with what college students find relevant. My purpose in writing this commentary is twofold: (1) to reflect on and improve my own practice, and (2) to encourage…

FORUM invited Melissa Benn and Jane Martin to interview Clyde Chitty, a brilliant and effective classroom and university teacher, one of the most well-known advocates of comprehensive education, a long-standing member of FORUM's editorial board, and for two decades co-editor of the publication. It was Michael Armstrong who called him 'the patron…

In this article, the author, a professor, muses over his educational life and the troublesome times he faced. He remarks that he was glad to have had wise voices who could call him to other possibilities, visions, and stories. Roger Simon was one of the most important wise voices he heard, and this sustained the spirit of his work. While many…

The author of this article, a middle school science teacher, reflects on her teaching profession and how she connected to other teachers which helped fuel her students' love of learning. She describes her traditional teaching practice and the facilities of her school's middle science laboratory facilities. She explains how social media…

Educator Bell Hooks acknowledged the fundamental truth that teaching, caring, and transformation are closely linked, that is, that true teaching must be accompanied by a deep level of care in order for learning to take place. No matter how young or old, no matter the subject matter, and no matter where teaching and learning take place--a…

Since 1966 when we began our careers in special education, we and others in our cohort have seen substantial changes in our discipline. In our personal experience, we had the opportunity to work together in situations that led us to focus on practices and procedures that produced better outcomes for our students, and better outcomes for students…

Since the author began work in reflective practice, at first informally in the late 1970s and then more formally in the mid-1980s, he has always looked at reflective practice as a compass of sorts to guide teachers when they may be seeking direction as to what they are doing in their classrooms. The metaphor of reflection as a compass enables…

In this article, the author reflects on on his role in preparing English teachers. Leading into his twelfth year concerned with the art and science of teaching English, he wondered what exactly he could say or do to help them stick their toes in some uncertain waters. What could he say of an educational context bent on holding people--different by…

The author began his first year teaching at an open-enrollment university with the belief that "most students can learn to do intellectual work, if they are only given the opportunity." This belief is inspired by the research on teaching and learning and is rooted in the characteristic idealism of teachers. He had seen the principle borne out in…

While every child has individual needs, living in poverty further compounds the issues many students bring to school. This reality was brought home to the author in a way that compelled her to take a hard look at her approach to teaching. What started her reflection was a professional development experience on understanding poverty. The principal…

In an increasingly global higher education environment, many universities are taking their educational services overseas. One model of overseas provision is through transnational (offshore) education. Transnational teaching challenges the prevailing understanding of an academic role at every level. Transnational teachers are expected to work in…

This article is about locating equity concerns "within" epistemic processes in school mathematics professional development. The professional development literature indicates a focus on subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge without explicit attention to equity concerns as they arise in professional development practice. Though scholars…

In this article, Laurinda Brown and Alf Coles relate to each other their own observations from each other's teaching styles. Brown relates that she was quite unsuccessful when she used Cole's strategy of using chanting when she introduced the Gattegno chart to her class. She realizes that could have raised the level of complexity of her lessons to…

Increasingly, the use of ideas and exercises designed to promote personal growth, empowerment, and self-reflection is being incorporated into interpersonal communication (IP) textbooks, and presumably IP courses as well. The purpose of this essay is to engage the academic discipline in a conversation about transformative education within the…

Reflecting on past experiences is an important problem-solving technique when teachers face new situations. In fact, teachers' attitudes and practices are highly influenced by their prior experiences as both learners and teachers. This paper is based on the premise that growth as an effective teacher is enhanced when one reflects more deeply about…