Recommends an interview technique that penetrates teacher candidates'"good impression" efforts and probes their past experiences--such as how they handled a specific discipline problem or taught a difficult lesson. Intensive grilling about specific lesson plans, disciplinary actions, and achievements and failures is more revealing than informal…

Highlights critical moments in classrooms that demonstrate the powerful teacher-student relationship that is imperative to effective teaching and learning. Suggests that a learning group would be an effective way to structure a graduate class for teachers. Contends that observing children is an important learning technique for teachers. (PM)

Presents effective methods of conducting and documenting teacher interviews. Provides an outline for developing interview skills and documenting the selection process. (MD)

Describes six common weaknesses of student publications advisers and suggests ways of overcoming them. (GT)

An in-depth study of the problems and achievements of 100 new college teachers is reported and discussed, covering teacher training and experience; situational factors found to affect their teaching; the varying quality of performance; and recommendations for the teachers, departments hiring them, graduate students, and graduate departments. (MSE)

Discusses how to motivate teachers to read. Proposes that teachers who exhibit the characteristics of engaged readers will help create students who exhibit the same characteristics. Suggests that in order to engage teachers in reading, teachers' social interaction with books and teachers' access to books should increase; existing practices should…

Notes that the number of second language writers in composition classes and seeking assistance at university writing centers is growing every year. Explores some insights offered by second language acquisition research. Argues that writing centers may be an ideal place for second language writers to work on their writing. (PM)

Introduces a collection of papers that discuss using personal histories to better understand teacher preparation and development. The article explains what personal histories are, why it is important to write about and research them, and how to understand the power of personal histories in the work and lives of teachers. (SM)

Study of teachers' professional knowledge and development examined seven new instructors at a Canadian community college. The paper discusses a range of levels at which teachers' professional knowledge can be discerned, emphasizing the importance of listening to teachers' voices without limiting that listening to personal, practical, or…

Presents findings from observations of 11th- and 12th-grade mathematics classes in Goa, India. Discusses classroom environment, senior-year curriculum, teacher background in India, and sources of student motivation. Includes sample questions from the comprehensive year 12 high school mathematics examination. (KHR)

Developing best practices in the hiring of new teachers has become a necessity in times of teacher shortages. Personnel directors and principals charged with recruitment must be able to distinguish the most qualified applicants and to hire those with the most potential to succeed and remain in the profession. Behavior-based interviewing (BBI) is a…

This document examines legal issues in the negligent hiring and retention of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction school employees. There are no statutes that relate specifically to negligent hiring or retention; it is a judicially created area of law. This document centers around employees who cause injury to school children, but the…

Development of effective cognitive-behavioral training approaches for students with learning handicaps in academic domains, such as spelling, requires greater concern for teachers' knowledge of the academic domain, as well as their pedagogical expertise in finely and precisely adjusting their instructional use of language to communicate that…

Offers to help new teachers adjust to a first job. Proposes bringing to the job the most complete and practical body of knowledge possible, including knowledge of the subject, the situation, and the self. Suggests areas in which the new teacher must seek out information about policies and resources of the particular school. (DK)

Discusses how teachers' and students' personal stories are central to teacher education and to the improvement of schools. The article illustrates how the telling and writing, retelling and rewriting of teachers' and students' stories leads to awakenings and transformations resulting in changes in teaching practices. (SM)