Awareness of how perceived roles shape how people see themselves and how others see them prompted Cheryl McLean to question how her new label of "teaching assistant" helped or hurt the teaching and learning process. As a teaching assistant, she moved into the dual role of teacher and student. She believes that the labels she adopts…

The environmental and interdisciplinary nature of environmental education presents extraordinary challenges to individuals' abilities as a field to clearly conceptualize, theorize and communicate findings about what they have learned about practice, research and theory in environmental learning (Disinger, 2001). Unfortunately, these factors also…

The concept of reflective practice and teaching people to be reflective practitioners is examined. The document begins with a look at professional knowledge according to three prominent professionals in the educational administration field: Schon, Schein, and Achilles. "Reflective" strategies that could be incorporated into courses and…

Discusses developmental stages of teachers' careers and corresponding concerns, focusing on consolidation and renewal. Suggests goals relative to the consolidation and renewal stages and notes the importance of developmentally sensitive supervision, including observation, feedback, collaborative strategies, and reflective journals. Recommends that…

Considers how the process of efoliation, the peeling back of layers of learning and presenting it in an organized electronic format, holds tremendous promise. Believes that developing an electronic teaching portfolio can be an experience that supports and encourages the developing preservice teacher--an experience that combines reflection and…

Explains the benefits of using "robust reasoning" to discover what works in English-as-a-Foreign-Language classrooms. (Author/VWL)

Revisits the author's efforts to deliberately craft words that surfaced in conversations with others. Reflects on the writing of "What Difference Does Difference Make," which won the author the Emig Award. Emphasizes two qualities of pedagogical storytelling that are critically important when that talk is about "difference."…

Describes a visit with an educational leader, Louise Rosenblatt. Notes that Rosenblatt is a teacher, and from her teaching, both in the classroom and in other forums, she has led educators to think about teaching, and about what is valuable. Notes that for secondary teachers, the National Council of Teachers of English's Secondary Section offers a…

Outlines various ways of looking at and thinking about curriculum in order to help classroom teachers reflect on and place themselves within a particular paradigm. Suggests that through reflection teachers can better understand and position them within a particular discourse, thereby empowering themselves and ultimately improving their teaching.…

Presents four images of teachers as the basis of a conceptual framework for a teacher education program to develop teachers as leaders (including teacher as scholar, reflective practitioner, partner in learning, and fully functioning person). Teacher education programs must propose an image of teaching as a rich, complex lifelong journey. (SM)

Defines a pedagogical strategy that provides opportunities for prospective teachers to critically take up and reflect on the role of the teacher, a strategy called "situated performance." Describes situated performances in detail to illustrate their potential for educative experience. Shows how situated performances can complement current…

Considers how self-critique is difficult and is often accompanied by an acute form of self-doubt that leads writers/educators to believe that many of their kind may be more ambivalent about their pedagogies than they let on. Concludes that reflective practices are valid goals for teachers, and they should not ignore the problems and doubts…

Examines the range of meanings evoked by a particular photograph as a means of challenging readers to consider the complexity of teacher research. (SR)

Suggests that rather than establish normative criteria, it may be more fruitful to find ways to engage teachers in critical reflection on their own practice and teaching. Constructs a series of questions to create conditions for such reflection. (Author/CCM)

Presents a continuing conversation about the meaning of the term "environment" as it appeared in a newly-released environmental-education-policy statement. Studies how writing plays an important role in getting at the core assumptions and values of reflective teachers and researchers, and representing such thinking to the reader. (Author/CCM)