At some point in their career, most teachers wonder whether administration might be right for them. Some quickly reject the idea; they like what they do and don't want to be too far removed from the children. Some teachers decide not to enter administration because they don't want what they perceive as the additional stress or responsibility that…

Secretary of Education William Bennett discusses the importance of elementary education and elementary school teachers and what he hopes "First Lessons: A Report on Elementary Education in America" will accomplish. (MT)

Discusses how educational practice is influenced by economic, political, and social forces that reside outside the schools or school district. (CM)

Responding to critics of testing, the author presents an argument in its favor--that testing is one of the ways in which a teacher may gather information necessary for student monitoring and instructional decision-making. (SJL)

Discusses how teachers can choose quality inservice workshops to suit their needs. The guide explains quality inservice in action, five ways to select a great inservice, questions to ask before and after the inservice, how to win $1,000 for the next inservice, and where to go for more information. (SM)

The article reviews elementary level books that help students deal with life's unpleasant moments. Stories focus on self-centeredness, making excuses, first day of school, bossiness, cultural differences, adjusting to seventh grade, completing assignments, and being different. Teaching tips for presenting the stories to the class are included. (SM)

Discusses how teachers can intervene to help elementary students make thoughtful decisions about their writing topics, noting that advocating student choice does not mean abdicating the role as classroom manager. The article describes choices that writers make and explains how to handle difficult situations. (SM)

This article identifies and discusses schoolwide staff development which differs from the traditional model and is based on three principles: shared responsibility, teacher empowerment, and community growth. A model teacher-run faculty development program is described. The 10-component program operates at the McCallie School (TN). (IAH)

Provides a list of read-aloud books that are designed to help children make their own discoveries and choices in life. Books are offered under the categories of accepting responsibility, honesty and self-respect, and helping others. (GLR)

In an experimental study, K-4 teachers were trained to foster supportive teacher-student relations and provide occasions for students to work cooperatively. Results indicate that students in experimental classes demonstrated significantly higher supportive, friendly, and spontaneous prosocial behavior. Guidelines are provided for creating…

Eleven specific thinking skills are discussed, along with activities to help teachers develop each skill in their students. The skills are: (1) observing; (2) comparing; (3) classifying; (4) imagining; (5) hypothesizing; (6) looking for assumptions; (7) collecting and organizing data; (8) summarizing; (9) interpreting; (10) problem solving; and…

This article provides an overview of several major themes in the reform movement and how changes brought about by school restructuring affect practicing teachers. Topics include teacher empowerment, site-based management, knowledge-work enterprise, school-university collaboration, professional development schools, whole-language instruction, and…

Describes an interdisciplinary survival project that piques middle school students' imaginations as it tests their problem solving and critical thinking skills in a survival setting. The futuristic time travel project integrates subject areas and fosters skills in communication, cooperation, and group decision making. (SM)