This "Fastback" focuses on avoiding boredom in schools. Following an introduction that explains the importance of teachers breathing life into subject matter, the booklet includes five sections. Section one, "The Nature of Boredom," defines boredom and explains that both teachers and students are responsible for beating…

The report presents results of a study of elementary and secondary school two-way bilingual immersion programs that focused on the program and contextual factors affecting student learning, student and teacher language use in the classroom, and teaching strategies used to promote target language use and increase language proficiency. The study…

This paper examines, through the eyes of Benjamin, a troubled Hispanic high school student in the Bronx, how the character of the school is reflected in the way that it flows around, or evades, its more troubled students. The paper discusses a relatively new school's attempt to understand itself and to define its point of intersection in the life…

This report contends that public school administrators no longer rely on literal interpretations of states' and districts' zero tolerance policies and overzealously promote safety, inventing creative interpretations of the laws and using them to suspend and expel children based on relatively minor offenses. Minority students are disproportionately…

This book presents a collection of papers on the lives of urban youths in and out of school. There are 17 chapters in 4 parts. Part 1, "Spaces for Identity Work," includes: (1) "Writing on the Bias" (Linda Brodkey); (2) "Learning to Speak Out in an Abstinence-Based Sex Education Group: Gender and Race Work in an Urban…

This document presents standards for professional teaching practice in California. The standards were developed to facilitate the induction of beginning teachers into their professional roles and responsibilities. The standards are organized around six interrelated categories of teaching practice: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning;…

This guide is designed to help teachers use various teacher-directed and student-centered strategies to increase students' involvement in and responsibility for their own learning, focusing on: "Introduction"; "Planning for Instruction" (e.g,. good instructional planning is aligned to course standards, students are actively…

This document, the fourth in a series on diversity in the classroom, supports the belief that challenges faced by teachers working with diverse students can only be met through teacher practices that increase levels of positive teacher-student interaction and that create, in each student, effective social and problem solving skills. Section 1,…

This book presents a teacher's responses to various real questions asked by student teachers and beginning teachers. The nine chapters are: (1) "It Don't Mean a Thing if It Ain't Got That Swing: Teacher Attitude"; (2) "Who, What, When, Where, and Why, Oh Why, Me?: Organization"; (3) "A Little Song, A Little Dance, A Little Quiz Tomorrow: Delivery…

This study examined preservice teachers' responses to a survey that assessed their tolerance of difference in race, gender, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, and sexual preference. It also investigated their perspectives concerning welfare recipients and non-English speaking people. During the fall 1998 semester, 117…

Realizing the difficulty of teaching morals and manners, subjects which the laws of many States require to be taught, this bulletin on good manners has prepared as a help to elementary teachers. Though written for the teachers, it is addressed to the children and may be used in various way: It may be read silently by the teacher and discussed with…

This study examined how a beginning teacher's autonomous teaching beliefs were translated into classroom practice. Observations and interviews indicated that she had an overarching belief in autonomy as an avenue for participation in democratic society. However, she encountered extreme pressure to conform to the school's existing teacher-oriented…

Over 100,000 teachers and 200,000 students are physically assaulted each year. Teachers must be prepared to deal with school violence. Suggestions for defusing potentially violent situations include appear calm, observe closely, speak carefully, don't lie, ask appropriate questions, avoid confrontational language and actions, and separate the…

Illustrates the need for values and morals education to bridge the gap between what students know and how they behave. The paper discusses the decay of American morals and values, suggesting how they can be incorporated into health education and noting what is required for that to happen. (SM)

This study evaluated the association between middle school students' perceived risk of fighting and actual fighting behavior, examining the effects of race, gender, and grade. Surveys indicated that perceived risk of fighting was high, and one in five students fought regularly. There were associations between race, gender, grade, and fighting. (SM)