Jones, an instructional coach, shares ideas for how to make changes in how PD sessions are offered to teachers. PD that empowers rather than bores teachers puts flexibility first, encourages teachers to be active within each session, and provides both sessions tied to specific school priorities and space for teachers to pursue many learning…

For professional learning to "stick," teachers need to connect what they learn to their practice--and particularly to their work with their current students. The authors describe a PD program they've developed for math teachers with emergent multilingual students (English language learners) in their classes. Teachers choose "focus…

In the struggle to raise U.S. students' achievement in literacy, Hartnett-Edwards says, the emphasis has shifted from finding the right materials to creating better teachers. Central to creating better teachers are literacy coaches. The author claims that the role of literacy/reading coach has evolved beyond its roots in NCLB legislation, when…

National science assessments and international comparisons indicate that science achievement in the United States is stagnant or declining. Of the many steps needed to improve U.S. science education, the authors write, none is more important than improving teacher training and preparation. Analyses of scores on the National Assessment of…

Simulation is an appropriate technique for inservice education. Current research on simulation lends credibility to its usefulness as a training technique. A simulation game called "Choices" is described. (Author/MLF)

Describes Critical Friends Group process for helping teachers improve teaching and student learning through collaborative feedback and problem-solving activities. (PKP)

A curriculum coordinator describes the benefits of his experiences during four weeks in the Exeter Writing Project in New Hampshire. (MLF)

Describes a one-day workshop that prepares practicing teachers for designing and directing their own personal and professional development using experiences and resources on the job. (Author/MLF)

Opening activities at meetings should provide opportunities for people to get acquainted. Some examples are provided. (Author/MLF)

Teachers at a Calgery, Alberta, high school are pooling their talents and expertise within peer support groups to aid one another's professional growth. Evaluation of the program's pilot year indicated enthusiasm for collegial support groups. (MLF)

The advantages of video tape recorders in improving a teacher's innate talents are presented. (CK)

Research conducted with a sample of 86 classroom teachers concerning the teaching of reading suggests that the needs they report must be analyzed by objective means to determine the underlying conditions that result in expression of the symptoms. (Author/MLF)