This essay outlines the skills and qualities that an alternative, open, elementary school teacher should possess. These criteria are based on the PACER model of 30 students, age 4 to 12, learning in an ungraded, unstructured environment. (The PACER model adheres to the idea that all experiences and all learning situations are of equal importance.)…

The use of discourse analysis in examining the classroom language interactions between English teachers and their students builds on the basic concepts of language function and language sequence. The four language functions are eliciting, informing, directing, and boundary marking (marking the divisions of discourse units). The three language…

Two research papers focusing on approaches and methods for discovering cues used by teachers in making judgments in the classroom are presented here. The approaches described in the first paper are: review of empirical and theoretical literature concerning the objects to be judged and the behavior of judges; interview of judges to determine what…

Focusing primarily on the humanistic components of the educator's role, this document was developed as a resource to assist educators with the process of self-evaluation for use as a basis when planning professional development goals. The three major categories included are interpersonal relations, intrapersonal relations, and management. The…

Using a specific teaching model as the criterion, three groups of elementary school teachers with differing levels of teaching experience were observed with a microcomputer recorder while teaching in their classroom settings. A step-wise discriminant analysis isolated specific motivational and instructional techniques from the model which produced…

This volume of abstracts of research papers includes authors' abstracts of 147 original research papers scheduled for presentation at the Kansas City, Missouri, Convention of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, April 7-11, 1978. The papers are grouped by topic for each session. The name and address of the author…

This study, carried out in connection with the 1971-72 field test of the "Developing Mathematical Processes" program, was an investigation of relationships among the teacher characteristics, teaching behaviors, and criterion-referenced student performance in mathematics. Students in 15 class samples of size six, along with their…

Data on 17 first grade teachers and 305 students in 45 reading groups were used to examine the relationships between teacher behaviors, their classification of their students, and student reading achievement. The teachers were asked to rank their students on six characteristics: confidence, obedience, extroversion, good seatwork habits, teacher…

For most student teachers, practice teaching is a difficult and anxiety-provoking experience. Anxiety arises when feelings of self-adequacy and security are threatened. A survey of 84 teacher education majors shows that anxiety levels are often high immediately prior to the internship; however, the anxiety level gradually declines by the middle of…

Professional development center programs present the opportunity for both practitioners and researchers to gain valuable insights into the teaching profession and the mental lives of teachers. Evaluation of these programs informs educational researchers and is responsive to the needs and expectations of funding agencies. It would be useful to…

Two sessions of a kindergarten show and tell (spaced 18 days apart) were observed to compare the participant structure and the content of this shared time. Participant structure was examined in terms of turn taking, spatial arrangement, and teacher management of the event. Content was analyzed in terms of topic and cognitive level. The changes in…

A study was conducted to determine if teachers' use of transitions and additional unexplained content influenced student achievement and perception of lesson effectiveness. One hundred eleventh grade English students were randomly assigned to one of four groups defined by possible combinations of two teacher transition conditions (transitions or…

The Spaulding Teacher Activity Rating Schedule (STARS) describes twenty-five teaching styles. In the "Story Teller" teaching pattern, children listen while the teacher narrates, explains, or reads. The teacher motivates the students to contribute. In the "Lecturer" style, the teacher explains, describes, or illustrates but does…

The distinguishing feature of the secondary level language arts methods course at the University of North Florida is that all readings, assignments, and class activities are designed to promote the highest possible degree of student participation in and responsibility for the learning process. Underlying all course activities is the premise that…

A study was conducted to provide an understanding of teacher decision making as it shaped the course of reading instruction. Specifically, through an analytical description of the patterns of teacher decision making, the study sought to identify and classify the decisions four teachers made and to describe how those decisions were reflected in…