What does it mean to teach for human dignity? How does one do so? This practical book shows how the leaders at four urban public schools used a process called Descriptive Inquiry to create democratic schools that promote and protect human dignity. The authors argue that teachers must attend to who a child is and find a way to create classrooms…

Impact Home Economics is designed to assist junior high school students who have self-concept problems. Teaching strategies are directed toward values clarification; self assessment; communication, decision making, and interpersonal skills; and concern for others. (SK)

Guidelines for structuring dramatic activities to foster personal and social growth of students are presented. Eight techniques, including role reversals and situation tests, are described, as well as the need for warm-up and wrap-up periods. (CL)

The purpose of this article is to clarify critical variables in the individualizing process. These include selecting appropriate practices, dealing with the abstract, changing student behavior, and humanizing instruction. (SK)

Provides information on how to develop a humanistic academic environment for learning undergraduate mathematics. Recommends writing invitation letters to students for participating in honors calculus courses or having no placement tests for assigning students to mathematics courses. (ASK)

Described is a unit that is an example of how a traditional subject in Canadian history, the Rebellions of 1837, can meet the social and emotional needs, as well as the intellectual needs, of students. In the unit, adolescent students are compared to "adolescent Canada" of the 1830s. (RM)

Profiles one high school teacher's humanities course, which emphasizes human expression through art. (RL)

The article offers a technique of self-concept development that has been used successfully with elementary level gifted students. (SBH)

Reviews various theoretical models of the communication process and relates these to information on instructional presentations, student-teacher interaction, nonverbal communication and the use of instructional media. Maintains that regardless of future technological innovation, elements of interpersonal communication should be considered the most…

Discusses the difference between sentimentality and compassion and provides various literary excerpts, drawings, photographs, and a list of additional resources that can be used in the classroom to develop compassion among students. (GC)

This article discusses an alternative method of teaching literature in a foreign language class using a humanistic approach. (CFM)

Makes a case for presenting humanistic mathematics and science to elementary school children. Introduces a theoretical yet practical framework for teaching these subjects in K-6 classrooms. Describes components of the humanistic curriculum: interactive/collaborative, holistic/relevant, interdisciplinary, and problem-based. (Contains 43…

Maria Montessori believed that preschool children were capable of practicing an elementary form of democracy, could direct their own learning and discipline themselves, and were able to thoughtfully control their behavior for the benefit of the group. She believed also that it was necessary to prepare the environment so that democracy would begin…

Skilled teachers need to structure the instructional process for learning disabled students so that it builds confidence, reduces anxiety, encourages autonomy, and instills a sense of the delight of learning. (Author/DB)

Prevention of behavior problems among gifted students is considered in terms of typical behavior problems of the gifted, teacher behavior and classroom climate, and the importance of affective education. Teacher behaviors which structure the classroom for success are listed as are characteristics which encourage underachievement. (DB)