An analysis of the kinds and uses of laughter in five adult introductory foreign language classes is presented. The importance of this form of nonverbal communication in the teaching situation is examined in the context of classroom ritual's effects on learners' nonverbal behavior. (MSE)

In response to questions by the editors, Dr. Bell touches upon a few current issues and challenges facing the Nation's schools. (Editor)

A review of the literature in social sciences instruction which deals with developing student competence and increasing student motivation is presented. Tables identifying four teacher and student behavior models are included. (Author/DB)

This longitudinal study identified twenty-five K-6 teachers as high (H) or low (L) graders and tracked their students' deportment and absence rates for two successive years. Three behavior patterns were identified. (Editor)

Education reforms such as "A Nation at Risk" and "Goals 2000" have come and gone. However, educators can be confident that the goal of student improvement shall not pass if the core mission is student learning. The true mission of learning has prompted educators to ponder the following questions: (1) How should each student to…

"Facing History and Ourselves" aims to promote core character education values and to help middle and high school students develop moral reasoning skills. Students examine historical events, in particular the events that led to World War II and the Holocaust. Teachers participate in professional development seminars and apply the content…

This report examines how New York counties can systematically and programmatically improve approaches to managing persons in need of supervision (PINS), describing approaches to truancy prevention and diversion that have been instituted nationwide and may be applicable to the PINS operating system. Researchers surveyed truancy-specific programs…

This second edition of Behaviour Recovery puts emphasis on teaching behaviour concerning children with emotional and behavioural disorders (EBD). These children have many factors in their lives that affect their behaviour over which schools have limited control. This book acknowledges the challenge and explores the practical realities, options and…

This book came about as a result of working directly alongside teachers working with challenging children and children with emotional behavioural disorders. These teachers (from Australia and the UK) work with children in mainstream and special education settings. Teachers spend a third of their waking and working day with children. Most teachers…

This book highlights the natural challenges in teaching and provides the kind of skills and understandings that are essential to be a professional teacher. It provides accessible, realistic, honest and practical ways to address the natural challenges inherent in a multi-task profession like teaching. Each chapter addresses an essential facet of…

Schools are among the safest places in America, however, every year school children are affected by stressful events. Whether there is war in another country or death in the schoolyard, these events can interfere with learning and may have long-term effects on children and communities. "Crisis Prevention and Intervention in the Classroom" will…

After-school programs have grown rapidly in recent years, spurred by rising employment rates of mothers, pressure to increase academic achievement, and concerns about risks to children who are unsupervised during after-school hours. The percentage of public schools offering "extended day" programs (which include before- and after-school programs)…

Time spent on disciplining children in the classroom is time taken away from achieving the objectives of instruction. The classroom teacher needs to have appropriate guidelines to use in teaching as well as specific workable procedures which help students to achieve. This paper discusses various methods of classroom discipline. The paper first…

This publication is concerned with how to keep schools safe. The spring 2001 issue "New Study Reveals Prevalence, Harm of Bullying" (Ira Pollack) discusses a study about bullying based on data collected in 1998 by the World Health Organization's Health Behavior in School-Aged Children survey of 15,686 students in grades 6 through 10 and sheds…

This introductory packet provides an introduction to recent efforts to synthesize fundamental social and interpersonal areas of competence and problem functioning, while framing the discussion within the classification scheme developed by the American Pediatric Association. The range of interventions discussed is consistent with that framework,…