Careful planning of lesson plans and units of study is important. Good planning does not mean success in teaching, but it certainly is salient to be well prepared each day for teaching pupils. It is unfortunate if teachers enter classrooms with little to show in the way of being prepared for teaching. Pupils do notice if a teacher is ill prepared…

The reading teacher needs to choose students' reading goals carefully. This paper considers some of these possible goals, and states that, in the reading curriculum, the teacher needs to guide pupils to move upward on the cognitive level of objectives. The paper also states that pupils need to achieve well in the affective dimension of objectives,…

The zone of proximal development provides guidance to the teacher in taking care of selected prerequisites, prior to pupils doing the actual reading. Three models are presented and elaborated upon to indicate what can be done to fulfill requirements of the zone of proximal reading. The zone may be applied in relation to reading from basal texts…

Howard Gardner (1993) identified seven areas of intelligence: verbal/linguistic, logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, musical, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. At the elementary school level, he emphasized using an evaluation specialist, a curriculum developer, and a school-community worker to coordinate and harmonize…

Literature circles generally involve four or five students who are actively engaged in cooperative learning. Learners choose a library book to read based on interest. The same titled paperback might be discussed by participants in the literature circle. Alternative suggestions for literature circles include choosing a library book on a similar…

Spelling words correctly in a separate subject curriculum is a rare procedure of learning today. However, correct spelling of words harmonizes well with the behaviorally stated objectives movement in that either a word is spelled correctly or incorrectly. Standardized and criterion referenced tests (CRTs) stress precise learnings in that machine…

This document discusses the role of the guidance counselor in helping with the academic achievement of students. One way to do this is to instruct teachers and principals in some of the basic tenets from educational psychology that can help students feel more positive about themselves. Being unable to meet high curricular standards often leads to…

Because of problem behavior in society ranging from impoliteness to violence, character education for students has become a relevant topic. This paper asserts that character education for elementary students can be useful and discusses implementation of character education. The paper suggests that teachers should choose worthwhile goals for such…

Presently, there are competing philosophies of education which need comparison. Two philosophies will be compared which are at opposite ends of the continuum. They are distinctly different. And yet, both schools of thought have their disciples. Each of the two will be discussed in terms of its essential features and then there will be selected…

Selected issues must be considered in choosing an effective assessment method from diverse procedures. External means of evaluation stress the use of national and state-developed tests to measure student achievement. In addition to external evaluations of students, administrators may use external tests for teachers. Internal means of evaluating…

A major reason for social promotion has been to avoid feelings of failure on the part of the student who has been failed in the past. Failure to achieve academically has meant that the involved student repeats a grade. Feelings of failure make for an inadequate self-concept and might well involve future failure in life. This paper examines which…

Every educational change occurs with an equal and opposite reaction to that change. Some changes and their opposing reactions which illustrate this point are: (1) team teaching versus the negative dynamics of group planning; (2) justifications for funding special education versus emphasis on average and gifted students; (3) school site management…