This study examined advantages and disadvantages of team teaching and elements of successful teams from the perspective of eight teachers and a principal at one elementary school. The teachers were all participants in several types of school teams. During individual interviews, they discussed their thoughts and feelings about team teaching. Their…

This manual is designed to introduce problem-solving and conflict resolution skills to 8-13 year old students. Following an introductory section, eight lesson plans are given. The first three lessons present basic skills of conflict management. Lessons four through eight focus on the steps in the mediation process. Each lesson includes suggestions…

Storytelling with persona dolls (dolls that are given names, family histories, and other traits by teachers) is a powerful tool for teaching classroom and social skills, giving children words for and tools to manage their feelings, developing problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills, expanding children's comfort with difference, undoing…

This book serves as a call to action to anyone who works with young people. It discusses what it means to care for young people at all levels of social interaction: as individuals; in a professional capacity; within an organization; and as a society. It attempts to integrate theories and concepts of those who work with youth. It is intended to…

Noting the renewed attention given to community efforts supporting after-school activities to promote social competence in its youth, this book examines the concepts of play and rites of passage for youth. The book also discusses the contributions of various types of activities on youth social competency, presents a variety of perspectives for…

This paper describes a 1998 evaluation conducted by one Texas school district of its K-5 physical education (PE) program. The director of PE developed a plan for gathering information on scheduling; student performance (motor skills, fitness, and social skills); and teachers' use of best instructional practices. Teachers assessed student…

Group effectiveness skills, including interpersonal communication, negotiation, and teamwork, are essential in today's diverse classroom and workplace. Various ways have been identified to prepare learners to be effective in group situations and to aid teachers to prepare themselves to be skillful group facilitators. The following are some…

This paper discusses the findings from several interviews conducted with grandparents to ascertain the process of grief they experienced with the death of their grandchild. Typically, a grandparent's grief focuses on the dual loss aspect. In addition to the loss of a younger family member, grandparents must console their own child, the bereaved…

Understanding collaborative writing as a form of networking is useful in that it highlights the fact that composition students do not have the same type of networks or networking skills. Composition assignments should take into account the digital divide and should foster networking across social class divisions because invention is a social act.…

A longitudinal study was undertaken to determine whether interpersonal competence of teachers and students was related to coping strategies of students during an oral examination. The main research question was to find out whether expected supportive dyadic coping, the wish to delegate coping and interpersonal trust, assessed 8 weeks before an…

Beyond the Limits, a program of the Wicomico County school system (Maryland), conducts 1-day adventure experiences that use a challenge ropes course and classroom experiential activities to develop students' intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Before the experience, all participants agree to the "full value commitment," which is a…

This paper is intended as a discussion paper to open up talk in the literacy community on how literacy programs can account for the impact violence has on learning. It builds on the author's previous research on issues raised by literacy workers, educators, researchers, academics, therapists, and counselors concerning this impact. The current…

This report describes a project for teaching students to implement social skills in the classroom, playground, and lunchroom. The hope is to reduce the inappropriate behavior that occurs in these areas. The targeted population consisted of a middle to lower income elementary school in Illinois. After analyzing the data collected, it was revealed…

Research suggests that oral language development is directly related to literacy, and is crucial for success in learning to be literate. This topical bibliography and commentary discusses language acquisition theories, components of language, phonology in literacy, and a first-grade classroom study that explored "literate talk" in the classroom…

This paper looks at multicultural counseling competencies from a national sample of Canadian Guidance and Counseling Association members. The study investigated two questions: (1) How do counselors rate their multicultural competencies in the dimensions of self-awareness, knowledge, skills, and multicultural counseling relationships? and (2) What…