Debates regarding the qualities, skills, and dispositions of culturally relevant teachers and teaching have raged in teacher education for several decades. Ladson-Billings' (2009) "The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children" was a groundbreaking work that has become a foundational study that informs the work of…

"The Castle in the Classroom" describes a year in a kindergarten classroom as the children embark on literary exploration. Each child approaches the journey from a different perspective--some are self-sufficient, others more hesitant; some are literary adventurers, others shyly reluctant. The detailed focus lessons throughout the book…

Holocaust education requires teachers to carefully determine which instructional approaches ensure effective teaching of the subject while avoiding potential difficulties. The article identifies several complicating factors that must be considered when making pedagogical decisions. It then examines five methodological approaches that can be used…

The aim of this self-study research was to deepen my understanding of pedagogy for teacher education and the factors that enhanced and hindered my confidence and competence as a teacher educator. I recorded my impressions and descriptions of events, discussions, and interpretations as a result of studying my practice in an electronic journal.…

Textbooks can only provide a glimpse into the challenging profession of caring for young children. Stories generate new levels of personal understanding for differing perspectives in life, increasing teachers' ability to be of service as professionals in this field. In this article, the author discusses how storytelling can be a key to effective…

This series of case studies profiles six teachers thought by colleagues, students, and the rural Alaska communities they serve to be good teachers. The case studies reported here describe the techniques that make these teachers responsive and perceptive in their interactions with Alaska Native students. The names of the teachers and the villages…

This collection of essays on teaching is written from the perspective of a high school English teacher. The ideas for these essays are drawn from experiences, from debates in the faculty lounge, from confrontations with parents, and from crisis interventions with distraught students. Personal narratives and classroom vignettes are used to…

The intent of this book is to strengthen the professional role teachers play in curriculum planning and development, a process central to teacher activity and responsibility. Contextual narratives, document analysis, the use of metaphor, personal rules, principles, beliefs, images, and philosophy are all described for use in hands-on exercises.…

Understanding what teachers need to be more comfortable and confident in their profession is crucial to the future of effective teachers and scientific literacy in public schools. This study focuses on the experiences of Arizona biology teachers in teaching evolution, using a clinical model of stress to identify sources of pressure, the resulting…