A large majority of teachers experience high daily stress. Over time this stress can lead to teacher burnout, which can manifest itself psychologically, emotionally, and physically. While stress and its effects are unavoidable, these pressures can be mitigated if appropriate action is taken. When teachers have professional development…

Teaming--when done well--can make all the difference. Yet where can teachers and leaders learn how to be effective team members? What common challenges do teams face? And how can a developmental approach help teams thrive? In this article, the authors address the painful challenges many adults encounter when working in teams. They discuss how…

Alan B. Knox writes in this article that the systemic lens for his practice perspective is focused on five related issues that have animated his previous engagement as a practitioner and scholar, and that shape his views of alternative futures for educators of adults. They are: (1) creative connections: intentions, diversity; (2) sustained…

COVID-19 forced a rapid shift from in-person to online learning in both K-12 and postsecondary schools. Some teachers and students adapted well to the shift while others continue to struggle. Common complaints from teachers who struggle in the new distance learning environment are feelings of isolation and burnout. One of the most significant…

Hobbs and Coiro describe a new approach to the professional development of educators, librarians, and media professionals that emphasizes the value of collaborative, interdisciplinary relationships. The authors explore why creative collaboration using digital media texts, tools, and technologies is vital to support the professional development of…

"What is happening in education today?" and "What is most needed for the future of teaching, learning and leading?" This article presents a developmental approach to learning, leadership and advancing professional learning--one that takes into account adults' diverse meaning making processes--that can help educators build the…

As they write about the Learning Communities standard in "Reach the Highest Standard in Professional Learning: Learning Communities," authors Ann Lieberman and Lynne Miller consider why communities have gained widespread attention and support and summarize the established research base about them. They also describe three contexts in…

If we want talented young teachers to develop the capacity to get students excited about high-quality science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning, we must develop a network of STEM teachers who can support teachers in their continued learning about their work and enable them to collaborate with others. If we want teachers to…

Teacher quality largely determines student outcomes and many argue for high quality teacher training and professional development (PD). Much PD has been heavily critiqued and what constitutes effective provision for teachers remains contested. Disenfranchisement of teachers, through neglect of prior expertise and failure to acknowledge teachers'…

An athletic coach's focus is to develop individual skills as well as the collective capacity of the team to perform at the highest level. A coaching culture applies the same concept to schools. While coaching in schools is not new, what is fundamentally different in a culture of coaching is that all members of the school community see themselves…

One prominent feature of many ESP (English for Specific Purposes) courses, which make them rather different from EGP (English for General Purposes) courses, is the presence of adult learners, who are primary workers and secondary learners. As ESP is a highly learner-cantered approach, paying close attention to the multidimensional needs of…

Research on international relations at Northwestern University in the 1960s and 1970s revolved around Harold Guetzkow's pioneering work on the simulation of international processes. As a beginning faculty member, I benefited from the insights and excitement of that special time and place. As a participant in one of his events, I experienced the…

The author gives a personal account of his relationship with his graduate mentor, Allan Schnaiberg. He also describes a mentoring project that he created with a colleague. The mentoring project emerges as both a vehicle for and a window onto the intergenerational transmission of the mentoring disposition of Schnaiberg. It stands as but one of many…

Teachers can make better use of data when they work together than when they do it alone. Creating the conditions for such collaboration is a tall order. This article describes the idea behind the collaborative inquiry approach. It also mentions several studies that indicate its effectiveness. Tips on how collaborative inquiry can be implemented…

Improving systematic use of student data to inform the work of teachers, schools, and districts has become a hot topic in education reform. Learning Forward's Standards for Professional Learning stress better use of data, and particularly student performance data, within an integrated approach to improving practice. While better use of data by…