The issue of teacher quality has emerged with special force recently; between 2000 and 2005, at least 15 reports addressing teacher quality from a public policy perspective have been produced (Cochran-Smith & Fries, 2005). The National Research Council has been charged by the U.S. Congress to do a national study of teacher preparation programs to…

It is argued that increasing pressure on graduate students and new doctorate recipients to publish is confusing entry-level faculty employment issues and stressing skills that may have little to do with the jobs available. Faculty are encouraged to protest the escalation of entry-level requirements and change unrealistic hiring practices. (MSE)

There is much discussion of the shortage of qualified teachers and the need for teacher recruitment, but punishment strategies legislated in many states to motivate teachers to do the extraordinary are also publicized. There are positive approaches that can be used to motivate teachers, including improving facilities and classroom conditions,…

Research supports several factors related to student success. Darling-Hammond (2000) indicated that the quality of teachers, as measured by whether the teachers were fully certified and had a major in their teaching field, was related to student performance. Measures of teacher preparation and certification were the strongest predictors of student…

This document is a summary of the collective product of a session at an adult education seminar. It lists first reasons why individuals attended the session. Next, characteristics of a good teacher are listed. Other lists cover these topics: techniques to improve teaching, characteristics of adult learners, reasons adults return to school, and…

Since American colleges and universities will need to hire about 500,000 faculty members in the next 25 years, it is important that speech communication graduate schools and current graduate students who will be in that labor pool think about the professional needs of small schools as potential employers of speech faculty. The academic background…

Discussed are two main concerns of Zoltan Kodaly, the developer of the Kodaly method of teaching music: the caliber of musical training and how professional musicians are trained. Kodaly felt strongly that only the best musicians should be teaching in the schools. (RM)

Discusses the move toward advanced professional certification in geography. Explains that the certification will be available for teachers in social studies generally and those who consciously infuse geography in other classes. Describes how the certification program will work, necessary qualifications for candidates, and possible benefits to the…

Arguing that boards of education, trustees, administrators, and faculty leaders can and should work together to ensure excellence in instruction, this book presents a comprehensive framework for an administrative faculty evaluation system. Chapter 1 suggests that the first step in evaluating for excellence is to develop a profile of the strengths…

Curriculum vitae for college faculty can be ambiguous and even misleading: they can obscure an individual's primary teaching and instructional achievements, tell less than they appear to, and convey an unintended message. Faculty should evaluate the clarity and force with which their vitae express their accomplishments and mirror their abilities.…

Application packets for a community college teaching position should be simple, concise, and provide just enough information about the applicant to interest the screening committee. Since many colleges utilize an official application form, screening committees and personnel officers will probably review these forms for the candidate information.…

Points to the essential ingredients of scholarship and an energetic, enthusiastic approach to teaching: imagination, curiosity, discipline, determination, and the resources to make one's work possible. Stresses the importance of fostering these qualities and providing the resources faculty members need. (AYC)

It is proposed that, in pharmaceutical education, less emphasis be placed on scientific research among pharmacy faculty and more be placed on linking education with community pharmacy practice needs. The praxis approach, in which theory and practice are integrated and faculty and practitioners work together, is recommended. (MSE)

The end of this year is going to bring something that even veteran teachers have never experienced: the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law's "highly qualified teacher" deadline. NCLB's "highly qualified teacher" (HQT) provision is an attempt to put a well-prepared and capable teacher in every classroom. Most parents and teachers…

Briefly summarizes two main themes raised at the 1987 seminar on library and information science at Loughborough University; i.e., the response of library schools to the professional image, and the response of the schools to the emerging employment market. (CLB)