This study determined whether nontraditional assessment factors (principal's gender, choice of subject matter for demonstrating competence, or years of teacher experience) would affect elementary teachers' scores when completing the Leon County (Florida) Teacher Assessment Process. Principal's gender and subject selected were significant…

Presents four areas of advanced mathematical research (fuzzy set theory, subjective probability, search theory, and Voronoi diagrams) that are proposed for introduction into teacher education programs from an elementary, survey perspective without the intention of accomplishing formal mathematical research, thereby challenging teachers' beliefs…

Describes a Teaching of Psychology course required for University of Alabama psychology doctoral students. Reports that graduate students take full responsibility for teaching an introductory psychology section and participate in a weekly seminar on practical and theoretical issues. Suggests that both faculty and graduate students are satisfied…

Discusses a study of relationships among secondary school teachers' occupational stress, personality type, and social support. Reports greater burnout among single and newer teachers, graduate status teachers, those undergoing more stress, and those lacking social support. Concludes that teachers with Type A personalities suffered less from…

Presents guideposts for thinking about teaching and teacher education in light of recent research on expertise in teaching, particularly teaching in physical education. The paper critiques the concept of expertise, suggesting the term virtuoso as a more appropriate term for teaching expertly. Implications of the redefinition are presented. (SM)

Because teachers teach who they are, teacher formation should encourage them to become whole by developing into wise, mature, competent, and humane adults. Training programs that focus on "teaching" teachers and the isolation and constraints of the teaching experience itself inhibit teachers from becoming whole human beings. (LP)

Recall of teaching events from a lesson is an important part of reflectivity for preservice teachers. Researchers examined questions about the differences between unaided and aided recall of deviations from planned lessons. Results indicated student teachers recalled less than half their deviations and were prone to forgetting student-initiated…

Reports a study that examined the types and amounts of assistance desired by beginning teachers. Surveys of beginning secondary teachers suggest that mentors must consider beginning teachers' desires when determining the types and amounts of assistance provided. Data support the need to vary the quantity and type of assistance for novices. (SM)

An elementary teacher reflects upon 18 years of experience teaching in Hawaii, moving from understanding her own culture to awareness of and sensitivity to her students' heritage. She considers her best teaching experiences the bridge building between herself and her culture and her students and their culture. (SM)

To examine professional knowledge and growth, experienced elementary teachers completed open-ended interviews that highlighted memorable experiences in their professional lives. Results indicated that teachers preserved and built a sense of their own competence by developing a knowledgeable, malleable concept of professional practice. Their…

Describes a study that examined elementary teachers' perceptions of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Researchers surveyed teachers with and without experience and training who were teaching students with ADHD. Results indicated teachers considered four barriers to providing effective instruction very important. Differences between…

Presents results of a study in which music teachers and students with varying levels of experience and expertise evaluated musical performances. Finds differences in subjects with high levels of expertise are a result of more than experience. Concludes that developing an accurate measure for expertise would aid in obtaining the best role models as…

Discusses how teachers learn to teach through direct experiences and participation as students and beginning teachers. Direct experience provides cause-and-effect inferences about what works; as time goes on, teachers use the knowledge acquired to improve their teaching. Strategies for school improvement work in much the same way. (SM)

Describes two kinds of relationships between the professional knowledge and personal practical knowledge of teachers and teacher educators, stating that (1) professional knowledge depends upon individual cognitive structures with the interaction between the two resulting in personal and idiosyncratic knowledge and (2) personal attributes affect…

Researchers compared thinking and decision making in expert and novice teachers. They analyzed audiotaped planning interviews, videotaped lessons, stimulated recall interviews, postteaching interviews, delayed self-reports, and printed materials and found striking differences between the mental representations of the two groups. The article…