Suggests several ways that reference librarians can improve their skills beyond library school training. Reference interviews are discussed; effective methods of browsing the reference collection are described; opportunities for learning at the reference desk are suggested; and professional reading and study is discussed, including professional…

Principals who are transformative leaders consistently use three building blocks to promote school success: a clear, unified purpose; a common cultural perspective; and a constant push for improvement. In one study, an opinionated, assertive middle school principal; a nurturing, supportive principal; and a high-energy, charismatic principal all…

Identifies nine necessary ingredients for replacing tracking with heterogeneous grouping alternatives: a belief that all students can learn, an orientation to institutional change, high expectations for all students, a partnership of leaders and teachers, committed parents, a hospitable policy context, a multiyear plan, purposeful professional…

Provides an overview of the activities at the 1992 Special Libraries Association (SLA) Annual Conference. Professional development programs are described; division programs are summarized; SLA business activities are reviewed; and concerns and future plans of the association are discussed, including international membership, minority recruitment,…

Describes a formative and reciprocal partnership that can help librarians with similar experience and knowledge develop their instructional skills through peer coaching. A literature review; program guidelines; choosing partners; the process of classroom observation; and the provision of descriptive, nonevaluative feedback are covered. (23…

Examines how personal narratives contribute to professional development by giving teachers the opportunity to reflect upon teaching practice, engage in public discourse on teaching, make sense of teaching's complex nature, personalize their teaching, and connect with a professional community that values teaching. (TJQ)

Identifies institutional racism, encouraged assimilation, and ignorance of Hispanic values as barriers to the leadership development of Hispanics in higher education. Considers role of student personnel workers in promoting leadership development programs and activities for Hispanic college students. (Author/NB)

Describes a training program for principals who are mentors for other principals. After defining mentoring, the article considers fundamental assumptions about development of formal mentoring programs, then outlines a mentor training model. Evaluation indicates the program increased mentors' understanding of their mentor relationships and helped…

School administrators greeted the Texas legislature's 1984 mandate for professional growth plans with mixed reactions. The Management Profile, an instrument developed at the Texas A&M University Principals' Center, helps administrators assess their strengths and weaknesses and build growth plans addressing their own situations. This article…

Competency-based models such as Britain's National Vocational Qualifications should not be adopted for adult education professional development. The values underlying competency models are incompatible with the values of reflective practice, such as ownership of curriculum and entitlement to lifelong learning. (SK)

Describes how the profession of teaching has evolved in this century and how teachers of the next century will finally achieve true professional status. Lists the qualities and virtues that will mark the professional lives of successful teachers of the next century. (HB)

Teaching assistantships can be a help or hindrance to a student's completion of a graduate degree and preparation as a teacher-scholar. The way in which graduate students are introduced to pedagogical scholarship and enabled to use that knowledge is critical. Different models are in use to train and mentor graduate students. (Author/MSE)

Compares communication course offerings in four-year U.S. colleges and universities against a list of needed communication skills for communication professionals in business, education, social sciences, and the health sciences. Offers suggestions for appropriate communication curricula to meet the need of the four disciplines. (SR)

The papers in this special issue view teachers and their ongoing development as central to Canada's educational restructuring efforts. This introductory article presents snapshots of the Canadian educational system, teachers' professional lives and careers, and Canadian teacher education strategies and briefly examines the policy-making…

Reports on a study undertaken to determine whether or not the characteristics of effective inservice could be documented in an experimental study to have an effect on use of process-oriented vocabulary and reading comprehension strategies in the classroom. Finds that the study confirms initial expectations about the qualities of effective staff…