Explores the relationship between patterns of discourse in teacher-led discussions of literature and in the small-group discussions that follow them. Finds that teachers who model interpretive procedures without teaching students how to employ them do not appear to empower students to lead themselves in fruitful discussions. (SR)

Suggests that schools cannot supply the reading background and then do nothing to assist their potential poor readers to climb the first step in the development of reading. Suggests that teachers need to devote more energy toward the maintenance of the social and cultural security of possible poor readers than toward the immersion of these pupils…

Recounts the difficult and humiliating experiences of one junior high school English teacher's return to the classroom as a student in a computer course. Shows how this experience affected her subsequent activities as a teacher. (HB)

Investigates the relationship between teacher immediacy and student state motivation and the combined impact of these factors on learning. Reveals significant relationships between learning and both immediacy and motivation--immediacy appears to modify motivation which leads to increased learning. (SR)

Presents an interview with Richard Lanham, Professor of English at UCLA, about his wide-ranging career, which has included work in rhetoric and style, composition theory and the teaching of writing, the implications of electronic text, and copyright law in the entertainment business. (SR)

Discusses, from the point of view of a leader in the whole language movement, the role and the importance of teachers in whole language literacy instruction. (SR)

Provides the responses of 11 practicing English teachers to the question "What has been the most significant change in your approach to teaching since 1987?" (HB)

Finds that experienced high school teachers become freer in the ways they use their content area textbooks, and that they are more likely to teach students how to use the text. Shows that in schools where teachers choose the textbooks, teachers make the most use of the textbook for assigned reading. (SR)

Proposes a model as a theoretical framework for assessing the transformative impact of aesthetic education programs on participating teachers. Categorizes teachers developmentally from six teacher perspectives: their perceptions of artists, children, and art forms; their interactions with and communication about art forms; and their integration of…

Discusses a number of ways teachers can educate students toward being more responsible. (SR)

Discusses five reasons why so many teachers teach badly. Offers examples of poor teaching. Suggests that good teachers are primarily translators who communicate basic principles to those who know little or nothing of the subject. (SR)

Using a story of horse training versus horse breaking and referring to Monty Roberts (the "horse whisperer"), this editorial draws three lessons: (1) resist the temptation to act out of fear and mistrust toward children; (2) focus on relationship building, allying with children rather than controlling them; and (3) recognize and admire those who…

Surveys teachers nationwide to determine their level of commitment as readers, as well as to establish their use of recommended literacy instructional practices. Finds a significant linear relationship between teachers who read personally and their use of recommended literacy practices in their classrooms; and significant results regarding…

Examines 19 preservice teachers' perceptions of themselves as readers. Finds that students with negative views of themselves as readers worked diligently to facilitate student engagement with text, while some of the self-proclaimed avid readers took a more traditional text-based approach to literature discussions. (SR)

Describes a study that analyzed the written grading policies used by teachers from a Midwestern high school to determine to what extent they matched grading practices generally recommended by assessment specialists. Supporting past findings, results showed that teachers' grading practices substantially departed from recommended practice. Contains…