Working closely with others often gives rise to conflicts as each individual is driven by different and usually conflicting preoccupations and concerns. This article discusses the 3,000 year old 9-sided star-shaped paradigm known as Enneagram and how it is advantageous to early childhood professionals. This personality inventory purports that…

A study group from a Wyoming school and nearby university delve into the Japanese process of lesson study, learning the differences between the Japanese and U.S. education systems and how the process can work--and does not work--in an American context. The group's understandings highlight ways that lesson study can be adapted for use in the United…

In this article, the authors describe how the quest for continual growth has taken its root at Vestal Central School district. Located at the heart of upstate New York, educators at Vestal Central School district have created a spirit of "kaizen," a Japanese word meaning the relentless quest for continual improvement and higher-quality…

In this article, the authors illustrate the three fundamental elements of school leadership: academic focus, shared beliefs and values, and productive professional relationships. These three elements purportedly produce strong organizational cultures, more teaching expertise, and better student achievement and more thoughtful and caring citizens.…

One of the most comprehensive studies to highlight the achievement gap between students in the United States and those in many other countries is the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS showed that a handful of countries (with Japan near the top) consistently outperformed the others studied (including the United…

This volume of Collaborative Partnerships between ESL and Classroom Teachers gives emphasis to collaborative partnerships in the middle and high school levels. Editors Faridah Pawan and Ginger Sietman gather expert authors who present us with models of classroom-based and school-based collaborative partnerships from middle and high schools across…

This paper first clarifies the role of "jugyou kenkyuu" for creating an effective environment in schools for teachers to learn from each other and for developing more learning-centered education that focuses on the real needs of students. Secondly, it examines various practical strategies used by both professors and teachers through…

Although researchers and educators agree that small group collaboration is an essential part of teacher education, not much attention had been paid to examining the dynamics, characteristics, and processes of online group collaboration involving teachers in a peer-led context. Yet, understanding how online teacher learning groups evolve and what…

A correlated science lesson is characterized as an integrated science lesson in that it may incorporate traditionally integrated activities and use math as a tool. However, a correlated math-science lesson also: (1) has the pertinent math and science objectives aligned with state standards; and (2) teaches parallel science and math ideas equally.…

Mentoring has evolved to become a crucial aspect of support for new teachers and has become the dominant form of teacher induction. However, limited scholarly effort has compared the perceptions of dyad members for congruence and differences. The purpose of the study was to examine and compare the perceptions of novice teachers and formal mentors…

Filling the Gap with Innovations is a study of a higher education professional development model used to infuse a teacher education program with technology innovations in order to address curriculum gaps. Professional educators at the university level are not traditionally collaborative. Yet, when an assessment of program alignment to state…

The authors describe the premises, processes used, and outcomes of a K-16 simultaneous renewal model, as implemented through the Kansas State University Professional Development School Partnership Project. The goal of this partnership is to improve K-12 teaching and learning while improving a university teacher-preparation program through…

This article describes a lesson study project that explored the impact of using storybooks to teach mathematics in three kindergarten classrooms. The study involved three kindergarten teachers and three university educators, who collaborated to plan, design, implement revise, and reflect on a unit of mathematics that focused on the concept of…

This article aims to increase understanding and knowledge concerning teachers' competence enhancement. Models used in industrial contexts are analysed in order to elaborate a framework relevant to understand teachers' learning. This specifies components of the work environment that are mobilised by teachers in order to achieve their goals. It is…

Currently in the United States, an estimated 30% of new teachers leave the profession within three years. One way to increase the retention rate is to train constituents involved in the student teaching experience, a crucial experience wherein a cooperating teacher mentors the intern who ostensibly learns to navigate all facets of the teaching…