During their first few years of teaching, teachers go through a series of stages that comprise a psychological development of a professional self. Students, rather than colleagues or administrators, are the primary agents of teacher socialization, satisfaction, and motivation. (SK)

The first section of this paper deals with the contributions of non-academic experiences to education. Two measures, "my overall development as a person" and satisfaction with the non-academic scene, indicated positive correlations both between satisfaction with experiences in the non-academic area and overall growth, and between level of…

This booklet introduces elementary school teachers to the methodology, climate, aims, and objectives necessary for the teaching of philosophical thinking to grade schoolers. The methodology casts the teacher as a facilitator whose primary task is stimulating children to reason about their own problems. The discussion process with hints and guides…

This self-development guide for the preservice or beginning classroom teacher focuses on professional and personal growth in the context of the classroom and concentrates on teachers' affective side, a perspective or component of teaching that is not often addressed in the preparation of teachers. The volume begins with a discussion of the…

After several groups of parents began learning basic computer skills, it became evident that they were developing or evolving into a different relationship with their children; as the parents' skills in the area of computer literacy were strengthened, they became empowered to enter into the teaching and learning process. Writers on empowerment (a…

Defines student empowerment and asserts that the classroom teacher can be a catalyst for that process. Discusses three aspects of classrooms that enable children to become empowered. Provides seven steps for developing democratic classrooms. (CFR)

Autonomous learning, which implies the development of attitudes of responsibility and self-awareness related to thought processes on the part of the learner, is examined in the context of the organization and structure of the English public school system. Part 1 discusses autonomous learning and the way in which it may be developed in children…

Proposes recommendations for balancing middle school students' academic, personal, and social needs by addressing personal development through curriculum and instruction, instructional program components, and a culture of assessment. Argues that academic achievement enhances self-esteem, concluding that students' academic achievement and personal…