A teacher's decision to leave the classroom to become a staff development trainer has personal and professional effects. These issues are described. (Author/MT)

A study was made of 17 successful "professional assisters" to examine patterns of successful assistance and to convert that understanding of effective behaviors into training materials to support staff development activities. Training modules were created to address skill clusters for which practical materials were needed. (MT)

A Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum project is used to demonstrate the kinds of support a staff developer needs from the school district. These include financial support for various expenses as well as support in the form of reinforcement and idea sharing. (Author/MT)

The professional development of trainers requires an understanding of the developmental stages of adults. As with other adults, trainers may progress through stages of development. Staff developers must align the type of support given with the current stage of the trainer's development and move the learner to the next stage. (JD)

The question of whether teachers should train other teachers is discussed from the perspective of the literature and the opinions of classroom teachers. Several cautions for using teachers as staff developers are given. (MT)

This article describes the experience of the Fort Worth Independent School District, Texas, with peer coaching, using teachers as their own staff developers, to improve performance in the classroom. Problems associated with traditional inservice education are discussed. Implications of the peer coaching program are presented. (MT)

The concept of peer coaching of teaching is discussed and specific, low-cost strategies are recommended to support peer coaching. (Author)

A peer coaching program at Forest View High School, Illinois, is described and evaluated. Recommendations are provided for other districts to consider when implementing a similar program. (Author/MT)

One person's experience as the first building-level staff developer in her school is examined. Tasks of the job, experiences, personal insights, and recommendations for other building-level staff developers are described. (Author/MT)

The implementation of a school-based program in which specially trained teachers served as staff developers to introduce a writing-across-the-curriculum program is described from the perspectives of the teacher/staff developer, the principal, and the district director of staff development. (Author/MT)