Lifewriting is a form of autobiographical composition in which the non-expert, or even the beginning writer, tries to capture on paper the raw experiences of a lifetime. The intersections between family history and social or political events provide one set of starting points for the lifewriter who sets out on the neverending journey to capture a…

The advantages of using journals in the college classroom are their versatility and their transferability to teaching at every level. Three types of journal writing are very effective in engaging students in purposeful, repeated writing: individual journals in which student and teacher maintain a written dialogue throughout the course; class…

Based on the idea that drama infuses the classroom with activity, imagination, language, and powerful learning experiences, this journal offers commentary and suggestions on classroom drama practices at the elementary level. The first section argues that drama motivates self-active learning and promotes language development, learning across the…

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of the Junior Self-Monitoring Scale (JSMS) for use with elementary school children. Subjects were 28 first, 30 third, and 24 fifth graders attending an elementary school in Corvallis (Oregon). The JSMS consists of 24 yes/no items and is scored in the direction of high…

Creative dramatics can be used effectively by the elementary teacher to help motivate students to become involved in various language arts activities. Dramatic play, pantomime, story dramatization, imagination exercises, creative movement, improvisation, and other structured activities encourage students to relate new experiences to old. As they…

The Action-Communication-Expression program, an extension of a speech communication class in a Houston (Texas) high school, involves visual and concrete communication, such as photography, script writing, and filmmaking. Students in two speech classes work in small groups of four or five, independently of the teacher, after receiving initial…

The authors of this report comment on several aspects of the relationships between the experiences, educational philosophy, leadership style, and professional behavior of a reform-minded urban school principal in Ontario (Canada). The paper discusses a number of observed and reported activities of the principal, including his behavior when…

The structure of inquiry in art is a set of behavioral stages, comparable with creative process stages, in which persons think in and about the visual mode of perception. The stages include behaviors identified by Dewey as factors or phases of reflective thought and as stages in the pattern of inquiry. The stages also show relatedness to problem…

The full power of drama as both a teaching and learning medium can be realized only when the inner world of meaning is harnessed to the outer world of expressive action. The teacher has available a number of techniques that can involve the students in the vital interaction of both frames. To involve the students in the expressive frame, the…

This is one of a series of "Awareness Units" aimed at developing self concept and self esteem in junior high school students. In the student introduction sheet to the unit, various aspects of self awareness are mentioned. Students are encouraged to examine their feelings and behavior. Accompanying guides for teachers of the unit are also included.…

This monograph, one in a series, describes ways in which elementary teachers have brought arts to the classroom. Descriptions of what teachers are doing are organized by themes. The first theme is the use of the arts in basic skill development. One teacher in Casper, Wyoming, produces rebus books for her students. These books offer a means of…

Children will enjoy creative writing in the primary grades if they are given inspiration, time to write, and the opportunity to share their work with classmates. A second-grade class began a creative writing project by listening to poetry and selecting poems to memorize and recite. This stimulated and encouraged them to evaluate and to write…

This collection of seven significant articles on higher thought processes stresses the important relationship of these processes to the teaching of language skills. The articles are: (1) "Language and the Habit of Credulity" by Russell G. Stauffer. (2) "Research on the Processes of Thinking with Some Applications to Reading " by David H. Russell,…

The purpose of this project was to initiate a classroom journal-writing program that would provide children with an opportunity to express themselves freely, and that would offer useful information for improving relationships within the classroom. Both students and teacher kept daily journals for a year. Four simple rules governed the procedure,…

A teacher must confront the issue of whether or not he should disclose his beliefs, and if so, to what extent. Disclosure can easily become advocacy. A review of the literature reveals that self-disclosure quickens learning, but the literature is divided on whether a religion teacher in tax-supported schools should advocate personal teacher…