In this article, the author discusses the frustration he encounters when teaching his students about philosopher Henry David Thoreau's views, in particular, Thoreau's idea of simplified living. He finds that his students cannot imagine how anyone would want not more but fewer things, and the idea that the quality of life could actually be improved…

The last class of the semester is like a goodbye. It can be cold and perfunctory or warm and heartfelt. For many years, I erred on the side of "cold and perfunctory." No more. Now my last classes are a time of celebration and ritual as I invite students to focus on qualities such as acceptance and gratitude.

Qualitative research methods were employed to explore variations in teacher implementation of a research-based model of cooperative learning. Participants included five middle school math and science teachers who were trained in the Johnson, D.W. and Johnson, R.T. [Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1983). The socialization and achievement crisis:…

Literature on the related notions of 'teaching for understanding' and 'exemplary teaching' tends to be interpreted as prescribing certain classroom approaches. These are usually the strategies often identified with constructivist teaching, which involve a redefinition of the teacher's role: rather than being seen as a source of knowledge and…

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a programme providing cross-age peer-mediation on mediation teaching style of mediators and learners in a learning situation. A second objective was to investigate the effects of the mediators' and learners' cognitive level on different criteria of mediation.

Most professors realize that students receive and process information in different ways. Some professors are even capable of identifying how most students learn. If students' learning styles are compatible with the teaching style of their instructors, they tend to retain more information, effectively apply it, and have a better attitude toward the…

Setting goals and developing a sound set of principles will provide a great deal of stability and confidence as educators face teaching challenges. The authors of this article have a simple set of goals and principles that guide them in their efforts to teach. These goals worked for them, and they have had a positive effect on the students they…

In this article, the author reflects on the influence of Randolph Crump Miller (Randy) on himself and on the field of religious education. According to the author, his experience with Randy, who passed away because of cancer, was that of a partner, a thoughtful and gentle guide, and fellow learner, who was as interested in his subject and his…

In this article, the author describes how Mr. Morris Lerner taught his class and shares what he learns from the science teacher. The author says Mr. Lerner greatly influenced his life and was the greatest teacher he ever had. Mr. Lerner taught the basic principles of technology education before most folks could spell the term--and that has made…

Currently in the United States, an estimated 30% of new teachers leave the profession within three years. One way to increase the retention rate is to train constituents involved in the student teaching experience, a crucial experience wherein a cooperating teacher mentors the intern who ostensibly learns to navigate all facets of the teaching…

Monitoring the learning process in computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments is a key element for supporting the efficacy of tutor actions. This article proposes an approach for analysing learning processes in a CSCL environment to support tutors in their monitoring tasks. The approach entails tracking the interactions within…

This paper presents the major findings of a longitudinal study of teachers' professional identities in the early years of teaching. It analyzes key influences upon the ways in which new teachers' identities are shaped and reshaped over time. Through their own perceptions, analyses of the school cultures in which they work and their pupils' views…

The present research examines whether an interpersonal environment may exist in classrooms that are notoriously impersonal: large lecture-based freshman-level general psychology classes. The artificial categorization of teaching and learning styles, and the limits of those categories, is also addressed. Students evaluated the style of teaching in…

In this article, the author discusses how theories about the way teachers think and learn influence teachers' style of teaching. The author explains that if a teacher's theory of mind is essentially mechanical, then strategies based on reading mechanics will make sense to this teacher. He further expounds that teachers have an obligation to think…

This paper assesses the construct validity of the dimensions of teaching presence, one of three types of presence articulated in Garrison, Anderson, and Archer's [Garrison, D.R., Anderson, T., and Archer, W. (2000). "Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education." "The Internet and higher education", 2,…