Cultural context is examined to explain teacher response to attempts to socialize them to a new primary curriculum in recent years. It is recommended that future research on educational innovation concern itself with such issues in addition to the usual concern for academic consequences of change. (MSE)

The author examines some of the negative effects that budget cuts and resulting increases in class size can have on the elementary teacher's ability to provide adequate instruction. (SJL)

Presents ways for elementary school teachers to promote children's leadership capacities. The three methods discussed require teachers to (1) reflect upon their own leadership styles and attitudes toward expressions of student leadership; (2) provide educational environments which promote student leadership; and (3) build leadership skills in…

According to new projections, demand for elementary school teachers will increase in the 1980s while that for secondary school teachers will fall. (JOW)

This follow-up study investigated teacher attitude change over one preservice and three in-service years. The most significant finding was that professional preparation is a more critical variable affecting teacher attitudes than several years of post-graduate teaching experience. (Author/GK)

Describes an inservice elementary school teachers' training program that used the HyperCard-based "Laser Disc Made Easy" software for creating lessons. Grade-level team activities are described; the ease of use is discussed; and advantages of editing capabilities are considered. (LRW)

Describes the impact 1 creative first-grade teacher made on students over her 47 years of teaching and explains the importance of significant teachers on students' development and educational careers. The teacher made school a place of challenge and reward where students felt valued, comfortable, loved, and respected. (SM)

Explores problems in teacher recognition, teacher preparation, and professional development as obstacles that impede teachers from becoming the strong, educational leaders they can and should be. (HTH)

Reports that the cooperative program planning and teaching (CPPT) role of teacher-librarians is for the most part not taking place to any degree in the majority of primary schools in Australia. Reasons for the failure of CPPT to gain wide acceptance in Australian primary schools are analyzed and the benefits of CPPT are discussed. (six references)…

Letters spanning 1965-85 chronicle one teacher's continuing education and changing experiences. For each decade, an overview of the prevailing macro-culture and its influence on the micro-world of elementary education is given. (SK)

Discusses three aspects of mentoring practices revealed by research on how teachers work together in naturalistic elementary school settings: (1) mentoring is just one of several types of supportive behaviors needed and practiced by teachers; (2) support networks differ between male and female teachers; and (3) informal mentoring occurs in schools…

Describes a teacher's first year as elementary literacy coordinator, assisting teachers to find innovative ways to teach reading and helping primary students with their reading in a lab setting. Discusses her preparation and early challenges, colleagues' reactions and eventual willingness to ask for specific help, and how she met her principal's…

Many current criticisms of literature-based curriculum revolve around the use of balance in literacy instruction. This paper challenges these criticisms by sharing a personal history and proposing a curricular framework that provides an alternative view of balance, particularly in relation to the role of guided reading and literature discussion…

Describes a later-entry first grade teacher at a rural school in Indiana, who has continued to teach despite a number of hurdles that would impede many educators. Demonstrates her commitment to the profession and to her school, a commitment which has continued to grow through each career stage. (RS)

The perspective that the physical structure--the classroom, the building, the campus--in which one learns is irrelevant or, at best, ancillary to what transpires within the walls of the institution is troubling, especially for those concerned with educating individuals in the ways in which design and behavior interact. In this article, the authors…