Teachers actively engaged in responding to their students' written narratives should be mindful of the many influences on their students' writing, including the abuses of the language by government bureaucracies and the media. Examples of these abuses are (1) the lack of density and direction or purpose in bureaucratic writing, (2) the disjointed,…

This curriculum bulletin provides a medical perspective on factors which influence learning. The relationship of nutrition to learning and interactions between stress, discipline and learning are probed in question and answer format. The influence of sugar on learning readiness is discussed along with the beneficial effects of protein. Positive…

This paper describes writing as an exploration through unknown terrain by which student writers find out what they are really thinking. It offers teachers the following ground rules to help the difficult process whenever their students are writing in any subject: (1) do not ask students to regurgitate what they already know; (2) give students time…

Data is reported on observations made in high and low socioeconomic status (SES) classrooms of second- and third-grade teachers' feedback to students on their replies to questions posed by the teacher. Teachers in the study were chosen due to consistent effectiveness in producing student achievement gains. Interactions (teacher's question, pupil's…

A study was made to validate the Annehurst Curriculum Classification System (ACCS--a means of classifying, organizing, storing, and retrieving curriculum materials in terms of human characteristics) as a practical and feasible means of identifying gifted/talented (GT) students. Sixty elementary teachers, both from districts with and without…

Classroom process data indicate that teacher praise cannot be equated with reinforcement. Often it is not even intended as reinforcement, and when it is, it frequently has some other function. The meanings and functions of behaviors typically included under the category of teacher praise are determined by the degree of congruence between verbal…

The essays in this volume have been collected to provide classroom teachers with materials from leading theorists in the United States and Great Britian which deals with the teaching of written composition in the elementary school (grades 1-8). These essays are presented in one of five categories: theories of written discourse and theories on the…

The Washington Principal Evaluation Inventory provides a measure of principal effectiveness. Not only does the inventory yield a total measure of overall principal effectiveness, but also meaningful scores for each of seven dimensions of administrator behavior. The inventory consists of 64 statements of principal behavior on which teachers and…

This is the evaluation report of the Afro-American Experience Program which consisted of a summer institute for secondary school teachers, and a follow-up academic year in Washington, D.C. high schools. The program sought to provide formal instruction in teaching the black experience to teachers designated to conduct classes in Negro history or…

This study provided an assessment of the effectiveness of simulation in developing attitudes, values and cognitive understanding in a teacher education program. The experimental participants were 24 undergraduates enrolled in a course on learning and development. The course consisted of demonstrations of problems faced by the teacher in the inner…

The objective of this report is that teachers need to be heard more. They need to have the chance to express their frustrations and air their anger, and to do so in a way that will get the message beyond the protective custody of officialdom to the audience that really needs to hear it (parents and the general public). This book is a summary and…

Illustrates use of self-control procedures to modify teacher instructional behavior. A teacher wanted to increase the frequency of approval statements and decrease the frequency of disapproval statements. She followed a plan that included a card self-recording system, cues, and overt rewards. (Author)

Examines effect of facilitative communication training on quality of teacher response to various student problems and to accompanying emotional states of anger, joy, or depression. Results indicated significant differences between trained and untrained groups. (Author)

The trends toward competency-based teacher education (CBTE) and its basic characteristics are described. The meaning of CBTE to the foreign language profession as a whole, to secondary school foreign language teachers, students preparing to be teachers, and college faculty is discussed. A model for program development is presented. (SW)

Teachers rated responsibility and expected performance of first and second grade students. Actual classroom interaction was observed; high or low expectation was related to teacher praise or criticism. Other relationships between teacher expectation, perceived personal responsibility, teacher rating of responsibility, and teacher feedback behavior…