As a teacher educator, the author believes that he must prepare teachers to go forth into schools with a deep understanding of the subjects they will teach, an appreciation for how students learn, and a repertoire of instructional strategies that will help them make learning come alive for their students. As they develop these skills, they must…

What knowledge, skills and experiences combine to support leadership potential and desire? Are rich sources of human potential remaining untapped and untrained to the detriment of student learning, site-based effectiveness and renewal of the profession? A four-phase model of leadership development for teachers is proposed in this paper. (Contains…

It has now become commonplace to state that foreign language learning should be viewed in an intercultural perspective. The main objective of foreign language education is no longer defined strictly in terms of the acquisition of communicative competence. Teachers are now required to teach intercultural communicative competence. The aim of the…

This study assesses the impact of professional development schools (PDSs) on preservice teachers, comparing PDS and non-PDS candidates at the point of licensure. Data sources include student teaching evaluations and portfolio presentations. Statistical analyses reveal PDS candidates scored significantly higher than non-PDS candidates on aspects of…

Many teacher education programs are working at a feverish pitch to ensure that their graduates are considered "highly qualified" in light of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, which reduces teacher competency to proof of subject matter knowledge as demonstrated by passing a state test and completing requisite number of courses in the…

This paper presents the findings of a small-scale research project about student teachers' perceptions and experiences of environmental education. The context of this study is a pre-service teacher education faculty in rural New South Wales, Australia. A combined methods approach was applied, with a survey designed from rich data elicited through…

Conceptual physical education (CPE) courses are typically included in university course work to provide students knowledge and skills to engage in physical activity for life. The purpose of this study was to identify CPE course characteristics that contributed to positive and negative student perceptions. Participants included 157 undergraduates…

With all the focus on accountability, test scores, and school restructuring, educators may lose sight of the ultimate goal of education: empowering all students to attain personal and professional success when they leave school. As such, educators should equip their students, not simply fill them with data. Educators should make their classrooms…

In spring of 1999, as the centerpiece of a school-wide evaluation of the credential programs of the School of Education at Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, California, the school of education faculty conducted a self-study involving graduates of the credential programs. To assess how well students were prepared for the reality of teaching,…

The internship, a culminating program experience for aspiring building-level administrators, affords university faculty and mentors rich insight into the transition that occurs when interns pedagogically shift from teacher to building administrator; a transition that intimately connects classroom learning with authentic experience. Grounded in…

The academic and political arguments about teacher quality affect how secondary principals do their jobs. Educational research provides useful guidance about which teacher candidates may be most likely to increase student achievement, but it must be used critically and cautiously. When individuals with varying political agendas interpret the same…

White teachers in Indian schools often find themselves unprepared for their task. They do not understand the history, culture, communities, and learning needs of their students. In this article, the author challenges these educators to become better teachers of Indian children and shares some of the lessons she learned about becoming a better…

Since 1999 all newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in England have been required to complete a statutory induction year. In Wales the induction year became statutory in 2003. This article reports on the experiences of NQTs during the year 2000-2001. All of the NQTs received their initial training in Wales, but some obtained employment in England and…

Character education in American schools is experiencing a revival. Although the teaching of character waned from the 1960s through the 1980s, the rise in violent crime and a general feeling by the public that American children suffered a crisis in morals led to a resurgence of character education programs across the nation, with most states either…

Teaching in an online environment can present new challenges and opportunities for instructors. Instructors must shift from the role of content provider to content facilitator, gain comfort and proficiency in using the Web as the primary teacher-student link, and learn to teach effectively without the visual control provided by direct eye contact.…