The verbal and nonverbal behaviors of 16 first-grade teachers were examined to assess differences based on sex and race of child and race of teacher. Results indicated that the White teachers directed more verbal praise and criticism and nonverbal praise toward males and more nonverbal criticism toward Black males. (Author/LC)

Reports on a study to validate the use of the Picture Potency Formula for predicting the extent to which pictures will stimulate story production. Twenty-four children were asked to tell stories about pictures rated by the formula as being high, medium, and low potency pictures. Discusses potential uses for the formula. (FL)

College faculty and freshmen program participated in a study of the effect of teachers' preference for complexity and tolerance to ambiguity. Teachers who preferred high complexity classroom interaction maintained significantly more verbal responses in the higher levels of cognition, thereby challenging student thinking. (PP)

The traditional practice of having students read or respond to questions in turn is questioned. Research suggests that teacher effectiveness improves when teachers clearly explain the task at hand before children respond. (PP)

Peer relationships greatly influence how students form opinions of books and of reading in general. Students in a class can be seen as a community of readers. Their discussions, both formal and informal, can be a means of developing an awareness of literature and how to enjoy it. (PP)

A music education course for teachers was taught by telephone to 36 students in 16 University of Wisconsin listening centers throughout the state. Problems of sound fidelity and student reticence to interact were resolved without difficulty, and the second course offering included contributions by guest speakers from their homes. (MSE)

Reports on a study in which attempts were made to instantiate the same task in a series of classroom lessons and activities and which used two process coding systems to evaluate teacher performance. Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each type of coding system. (FL)

Notes the difficulties of getting students to respond to literature. Outlines an idealized conversation about a literary work, with some excerpts of the kinds of student-teacher exchanges that can occur. Offers a guide sheet for conducting such literary conversations. (RL)

Analyzed the following teacher communication behaviors: nonverbal immediacy, interpersonal solidarity, and communicator style. Studies suggest that perceptions of instructor communication variables differentiate effective and less effective instructors. (PD)

Investigated perceived personality and behavioral correlates of the ideal interpersonal communication instructor. Results indicated there was a two-dimensional structure underlying students' judgments: an evaluative dimension and a less well-defined activity factor. (PD)

Three strategies can be used by health educators to respond to students' questions about the instructor's personal life: (1) answer honestly; (2) refuse to answer; and (3) equivocate or lie. In deciding how to respond, instructors should try to ensure educational value and be as truthful as possible. (JN)

To heighten teachers' observational awareness, outlines the behavioral characteristics that are symptomatic of learning disabled adolescents and suggests for each category of general, visual, and auditory symptoms, classroom methods for circumventing learning problems. (AYC)

The view of Etzioni, that member socialization and communication tend to define orientations toward consensus (and in turn role performance) was tested using students in a college classroom. The Etzioni model was moderately predictive of role performance, while addition of a cost-benefits factor boosted explained variation. (Author/GDC)

Suggests that the teacher-student relationship is the most important aspect of successful school desegregation. Reviews literature which focuses on teacher attitudes toward Black students in desegregated schools. (Author/GC)

This review examines the reasoning behind court decisions in selected cases that define the specific conditions under which restrictions may be imposed on a teacher's right to freedom of speech in the classroom and in the selection of instructional materials. From this review, guidelines are drawn for formulating district policy. (Author/SJL)