Discusses findings from a two-year study of high school physics classes, showing definite gender disparity in discussions and instructional activities. Offers four suggestions for ways teachers can foster gender equity and address interactions among students that promote gender inequities. (SR)

Finds that the association between likelihood-of-use ratings and the perceived politeness of Behavior Alteration Techniques checklist items was significantly smaller in the experimental condition than the control condition; respondents in the experimental condition endorsed fewer polite items and more impolite items than those in the control…

Uses case studies to explore how academic activities and discourse work together in classrooms to shape learning and instruction. Theories of social constructivism predict that the discourse arising before, during, and after activities can explain variability in students' social and academic participation in curriculum events, as can the nature of…

Teachers are encouraged to participate personally in the curriculum development process by drawing on experience and consulting with colleagues in creating curricula specifically for their classes. The underlying concept and one practical strategy are outlined. Dialectic processes of curriculum development are viewed as conducive to spontaneous…

Describes how teachers can demonstrate love for their students. Relates anecdotes showing loving interactions between students and teachers. (MM)

Describes the history of Pennsylvania State University's "Speech Communication Teacher Workshop Program," an in-service program for classroom teachers that has provided hundreds of workshops and credit courses in communication content and methods. Provides a perspective on the relationship between communication and instruction. (SR)

Finds that lower teaching assistant (TA) argumentativeness is positively associated with student affective learning and vice versa and that lower TA argumentativeness is associated with higher levels of power use and vice versa. Suggests that, although high argumentative TAs may be "social specialists" in power use, their high levels of…

Respecting students as citizens in the classroom can foster a sense of responsibility applicable beyond school life. Teachers can facilitate this by helping children see purpose and meaning in performing classroom chores. Developing a job chart can help children understand what needs to be done and give them a chance to select their…

Deals with the problem of the proper interpretation of discourse between students and teachers in classrooms. Presents several interpretations of a concrete classroom protocol in terms of misconceptions. Draws on Davidson's principle of charity and distinguishes between belief and meaning to present an analysis that interprets the discourse…

Relates one teacher's experiences at a correctional facility for male offenders ages 13-17. Points out that although she bases her classroom on democratic principles, there are still conflicts to be resolved. Discusses the concept of a win-win situation as seen by the teacher and by the students. Concludes that there is hope for those raised in a…

Observations of classroom practices of 2 teachers teaching the concept of square root in classrooms of 14- to 15-year olds found that the work that really took place in the classroom was often concentrated on different knowledge than that which the teacher wished to convey. (22 references) (MKR)

Uses classroom stories to reflect on "emergent occasions" (sudden, insightful, unexpected turns in classroom routine): what they are, how they happen, and how they can be invited. (SR)

Offers a narrative based on a real event, in the form of a "docustory," describing that moment when teaching worked--when, in an instructional setting, communication was "perfect,""best," or "excellent." Describes a university teacher's perspectives, generated while creating a teaching portfolio, on his teaching philosophy and on the worst and…

Discusses a classroom where children from many cultures use talk to share and discover the "big" questions in their lives and where the teacher discovers what the critical issues for her and her students really are. (RS)

Presents a consumer's viewpoint of problems inherent in the use of interpretation to get deaf class members into the stream of vocally expressed communication, focusing on the kinds of misunderstandings that can arise when one language is expressed in the three dimensions of space and the other has only the dimensions of speech. (38 references)…