This collection of papers delves into reflection as a concept and provides specific, replicable tools for professional practice. Each chapter draws on a particular school situation, demonstrating the value of teacher reflection and describing the nuts and bolts of the process, offering protocols for handling many different circumstances. After…

The "Pathways to Literacy" program was designed by teachers for teachers as a professional development activity to integrate standards with a reading and writing curriculum. It is intended as a how-to guide to help teachers learn to do a better job of implementing standards in their classrooms, or for related purposes such as improving…

This article describes four ways experienced co-teachers, especially regular and special educators, can maintain mature co-teaching relationships. Celebrating accomplishments, re-evaluating team goals, sustaining equitable practices, and maintaining continuous improvement are suggested as specific strategies for keeping the co-teaching…

An individualized time plan questionnaire and an individualized time plan were developed from a review of the literature concerning effective teaching and time management as well as personal experience. These tools can help teachers increase their efficiency in the areas of planning, paperwork, collaboration, and instruction. (DB)

An itinerant special education teacher talks about her changing role in the development of social skills in young children with disabilities. A continuum of social skills interventions is explained and the importance of matching types of interventions to children and settings is stressed. The special challenges of the itinerant teacher role are…

This article describes a 2-year study that examined the influence of collaborative inquiry on the professional growth of beginning teachers. Participants include 10 novice teachers and 2 university faculty members. Using qualitative methods, the university faculty collected data during the first 2 years of the group's progress in order to…

Accessible and user-friendly, this volume presents evidence-based practices for integrating language and literacy knowledge to enhance children's learning in today's standards-based classrooms. While grounded in theory and research, the book focuses on day-to-day concerns in instruction and intervention, identifying models for effective…

The international marketing of school education has gathered momentum in the Asia Pacific region, where an English medium education is prized by many parents. This paper investigates the responses of a group of teachers in Australia to the needs of international students in their school. The analysis of a 1 h professional discussion between four…

This brief suggests that vocational educators may be unclear as to whether they have accomplished integration of vocational and academic education because of the multistage nature of the process. The three stages suggest a continuum of professional growth, as vocational and academic educators first become aware of limitations of the status quo,…

It's true that students gain more from learning experiences when they're encouraged to plan their activities, share their knowledge with one another, and tailor material to their own needs. So why not create a professional development program that gives teachers the same range of options? This book provides the framework and steps to help…

This book includes step-by-step instructions to help experienced teachers become just as skilled at mentoring beginning teachers as they are at teaching. It describes how teacher mentors can: relate to their proteges in ways that establish good working rapport; assess how the mentoring is progressing and make necessary adjustments; coach proteges…

This book presents a set of stories that focus on what teachers learn from talking to one another about their practice, presenting a case for how the ordinary talk among teachers is a potent medium for teacher learning and professional development. Drawing from the work of eight groups of teachers in the United States and Israel who met in…

Uses a case study of the educational history of a gifted young man with severe visual impairments to show how principles of dialogic education can empower both students and teachers. Collaboration between Richard and his teachers and between regular and special educators led to his high school graduation as class valedictorian. (DB)

Describes several projects that have enabled teachers to leave the isolation of their own classrooms and think together about student work in the broader contexts of school improvement and professional development. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/MLF)

Explores what educators can do to facilitate effective collaboration with aides who are providing one-to-one support for mainstreamed children with such disabilities as autism and pervasive developmental disability. Emphasis is on the importance of effective planning, careful identification of roles and skill areas, and supervision. (DB)