Acknowledging that an interested and enthusiastic teacher can create excitement for students and promote learning, the author discusses how teachers can improve their appearance, and, consequently, how their students perceive them. She offers concrete suggestions on how a teacher can be both a "visual aid" and an "audio aid" in the classroom.…

This study investigates the extent to which the factors included in the dynamic model of educational effectiveness are associated with student achievement gains in six different European countries. At classroom level, the dynamic model refers to eight factors relating to teacher behavior in the classroom: orientation, structuring, questioning,…

What distinguishes effective teachers of at-risk or highly mobile students was the essential question addressed in this study. We conducted a cross-case analysis of US national or state award-winning teachers who taught in schools with student populations characterized as highly mobile, homeless, and/or high poverty. Six teachers meeting the…

This examination of various bases for choosing teaching behaviors emphasizes the teacher's values concerning aims and elements of education. Research data on teaching effectiveness are described as inconsistent. Prescriptions by experts, modeling, and adherence to a philosophical position are useful only when based on teacher's awareness of…

Observes literacy instruction in five first-grade classrooms. Finds classrooms headed by most-effective-for-locale teachers were characterized by excellent classroom management based on positive reinforcement and cooperation; balanced teaching of skills, literature, and writing; scaffolding and matching of task demands to student competence;…

In this paper it is argued that successful parenting techniques can be applied by classroom teachers to increase their teaching effectiveness. Based on a review of research on effective parenting, three factors were identified as being especially important to parenting success: (1) the use of affect when controlling children, (2) the organization…

Two questions were posed in this study: (1) Is there a significant difference between teachers' perceptions of desirable teacher behavior and actual teacher behavior? and (2) What combination of variables of sex, school level, race, age, experience, and preparation level is the best predictor of teachers' perceptions of desirable teacher behavior…

An analysis is presented of the Hunter Staff Development Model. Suggestions for improving the implementation of the model are based on a review of the literature pertinent to the Hunter model, and a series of interviews with: (1) teachers and administrators who have received training in the Hunter model; (2) a group of Hunter Staff Development…

An analysis of studies on teacher clarity reveals five components: (1) understanding; (2) structuring; (3) sequencing; (4) explaining; and (5) presenting. Three additional dimensions to be considered are rater qualifications, teacher dynamism, and student opportunity to learn. (CMJ)

Offers ideas on how to incorporate the principles espoused by Stephen Covey with the music classroom: (1) be proactive; (2) begin with the end in mind; (3) put first things first; (4) think win/win; (5) seek first to understand, then to be understood; (6) synergize; and (7) improve skills. (CMK)

The Texas Teacher Appraisal System (TTAS), which evaluates teachers for career ladder placement, is compared with Hunter's model of effective teaching behaviors in this report. Teaching behaviors set forth in each model include encouraging student participation, providing feedback, efficiently managing instructional time, effectively organizing…

In response to criticism of methods courses, this paper takes the position that the development of a body of knowledge concerning professional practices is central to the education of professional teachers. Focusing on the complexity of the teaching situation, a discussion is presented on the importance of mastering methods and models of teaching.…

This final report presents a set of linked investigations of the effects of training teachers in effective classroom management practices in a series of school-based workshops. A previous study led to the development of descriptive models of effective management and instruction. These "models-in-use" provided interpretations of how what teachers…

As part of an investigation of effective first grade reading group instruction, teacher interviews were conducted and analyzed to determine differences between control and treatment group teachers, the relation between interview responses and adjusted student achievement, and the relation between teacher self-ratings and observed behaviors. Ten…

Offers 10 principles of classroom discipline that can serve as general guidelines for teachers. These are: focusing, direct instruction, monitoring, modeling, cuing, environmental control, low-profile intervention, assertive discipline, I-message, and positive reinforcement. (IW)