Reviews the literature for empirical support of the use of humor in classroom teaching. Concludes that the judicious use of humor by a teacher can facilitate student learning, and offers guidelines for its use. (FMW)

Describes a method to chart a teacher's visual contact with students in the classroom. Reports that this approach helps teachers locate students who needed to become more involved in classroom participation. (RS)

Argues that "talk around the edges," informal exchanges between children in the classroom, are important moments for the enhancement of language facility, at least as important as formal language lessons. Provides approaches to incorporating "talk around the edges" or talk much like "talk around the edges" into lessons. (TB)

A technique for provoking thought and discussion about a new subject in the college classroom involves having each student write facts they know about the subject on an index card, then reading cards at random to begin discussion. Content of the cards reveals significant concepts, concerns, and misinformation helpful in approaching the topic. (MSE)

Examines how students in a bilingual third-grade classroom coconstruct knowledge through oral and written discourse. Explains that, by analyzing the various interactional patterns of the class, the multiple opportunities for learning become visible. Demonstrates how a group of students achieved the common task of writing a "planet story." (PA)

Examines the roles and relationships involved as a first-grade teacher and her students built a classroom community that supported the children's acquisition of literacy. Shows how the teacher helped the children and how she got out of their way to allow them to take control of their own learning and curriculum. (SR)

Describes the use of formal writing and speaking in upper level geometry and analysis courses. Includes student journals, students reviewing written proofs with a student writing associate, and simulated conferences. Includes a 16-item list of possible topics. (Author/MKR)

Proposes that the writing of proofs in geometry class can be a vehicle for attaining the goals of problem solving, reasoning, and communication in the mathematics classroom. Presents a student-teacher dialogue illustrating this process. (11 references) (MKR)

This article examines Vygotsky's and Bakhtin's work as it relates to moral reflection. A sociocultural approach based on Vygotsky's and Bakhtin's work provides the theoretical underpinnings for engaging children in authentic, critical, and reflective discourse. It is through such communicative exchanges that teachers help children develop…

Describes how classroom quality circles can empower students to take a more active role in the teaching/learning process. (SR)

Describes a series of instructional episodes in an 11th-grade classroom discussing J.D. Salinger's short story "The Laughing Man." Presents and discusses the "Text and Context" model for the negotiation of interpretations in classroom contexts. Offers suggestions for developing interpretive classroom communities. (SR)

Optometry educators can be assisted in making complex concepts understandable to students by using rhetorical devices such as metaphors, similes, analogies, parables, and allegories. As an example, the difficulties in communicating everyday but complex clinical concepts regarding inflammatory disorders are discussed and use of rhetorical devices…

Reexamines the notion of "teaching." Drawing on data from a range of classrooms, as well as from recently published teaching texts, particular attention is focused on the question: "What do we mean by teaching/instruction?" (eight references) (Author/JL)

Discusses the dynamics of the language lesson. It is argued that the lesson represents at least four types of events: a curricular event, an implementation of a method, a social event, and an arena of human interaction. (3 references) (GLR)

Provides a synthesis and extension of research on teacher clarity conducted since 1971. Examines the conceptualization of teacher clarity and research approaches to it. Supports the thesis that clarity is a relational variable. (SR)