Giving a school's best teachers the challenge of supervision will empower them to assume greater responsibility, decision making, accountability, and professionalism. Suggested guidelines for supervising teachers include holding an annual meeting with student teachers, preparing classes for student teachers, demonstrating good teaching and…

The primary reason for failure of merit pay systems is teacher dissatisfaction. A recent study examined trends in teacher attitudes toward the career ladder program of a large metropolitan school district in Arizona. Developed at the state level in response to declining student achievement indicators and failing academic standards, the Career…

Offers a narrative based on a real event, in the form of a "docustory," describing that moment when teaching worked--when, in an instructional setting, communication was "perfect,""best," or "excellent." Describes how the decision to make teaching his profession crept up on and seduced an unwary student who had other plans. (SR)

Examined effect of teaching experience on school counselor performance by comparing principals' ratings of counselors with previous teaching experience to counselors certified without classroom teaching experience. Although some principals commented about need for school counselors to have prior teaching experience, no differences were present…

Veteran teachers do not have to be official mentors to help their new colleagues. Experienced educators can be lifesavers for isolated novices by reaching out informally. The most practical opportunities occur through chance meetings in hallways and scheduled discussions during common preparation times. (MLH)

Examines processes and relationships among four secondary mathematics teachers as they established a discourse as part of their professional development. Findings suggest that more effective mentoring programs would depend on experienced teachers who are already engaging in a paradigmatic shift toward a more constructive teaching and learning…

Describes application of a faculty salary model at Portland State University (Oregon) in which faculty rank is endogenous to data on 351 faculty, and compares results with those obtained from a conventional specification that treats rank as exogenous. The primary consequence of endogenizing rank was to disentangle the confounding effects of rank…

Presents experiences of teaching anthropology as opportunities to apply anthropology as well as to perform research. Collaborating with K-12 teachers to improve the education of all students would move the field into the mainstream and provide a forum for obtaining detailed descriptions and analyses of the teaching. (MMU)

This study investigated the effects of subject and teaching experience on confidence in computing among teachers in Lebanese schools when using common computer software applications. Results showed significantly different levels of confidence depending on subject, and teachers with more experience had lower levels of confidence. (Author/LRW)

When carefully conceived, portfolios can significantly advance a teacher's professional growth and preserve evidence of exemplary teaching. More than a scrapbook or steamer trunk of eye-catching materials, a teaching portfolio is an ongoing, collaborative process that carefully and thoughtfully documents a set of accomplishments attained over an…

The nature of collaboration and collaborative relationships in professional development research is reviewed, and an alternative conceptualization of the role of collaboration in professional development is offered. Stories of 10 collaborators, presented as Readers' Theatre, highlight differences in collaborative experiences and challenge…

Secondary vocational teachers in Georgia (n=219) completed the Attributional Style Questionnaire. Both males and females had predominantly optimistic explanatory styles. Teachers with 11-20 years of experience were more optimistic overall and regarding negative events than were those who had taught for over 20 years. (SK)

Describes an elective clerkship rotation in pharmacy education for PharmD students designed to develop their skills and stimulate their interest in the teaching and service aspects of academic life. Student feedback and evaluations of the rotation were very positive. (EV)

Presents essays entitled "Safe Spaces,""This Is Our Part,""Theatre and Community,""Real People Performing in Real Time,""Express One's Heart,""The Lessons of Popular Culture,""The Context of a Play,""The Human Condition,""A Need for New Tools,""Defiantly…

Discusses teacher attrition rates and reveals that foreign language teachers leave the classroom if they are unable to cope with unexpected workplace realities, often as a result of having spent little time in the field prior to full-time teaching. (Author/VWL)