The following essay explores aspects of my professional identity as a teacher of English, presenting a focus on "the reflexive project of the self" (Goodson, 1998). I argue for the way rich professional learning can occur by keying into a discourse that values penetrating reflection on classroom practice, teacher identity, self and…

Fifty years ago poetry was a key element in the English programme in most secondary schools in New Zealand. Today many teachers avoid teaching poetry for several reasons, one of these being the nature of the assessment of the subject, English, by the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) set up by the New Zealand Qualifications…

A design for a completely revised professional section of the National Teacher Examinations Common Examinations is proposed. These exams must be designed to assess the central competency that a teacher must acquire and maintain: skill in professional problem-solving. Professional problems are not all soluble, and the solutions to many of those…

Nine secondary school libraries in New Zealand were examined to determine how often and how well students and teachers were using the library resources available to them. Both teachers and students were surveyed concerning their use of the library, the library skills they thought to be important, and their perceptions of the function of the…

Secondary school teachers' personal relationships with students is a crucial issue. However, it is rarely the subject of research or of materials for preservice teachers, partly because of the delicacy of the subject, as well as the difficulty of the researcher's obtaining highly guarded personal information. A five-year study with 11 beginning…

Reviews recent research which indicates the need for a variety of field-based learning experiences which are closely integrated with teacher preparation. Examines a program at the University of Iowa (Ames) in which the social studies methods course was moved to a high school so that students observed high school classes and received instruction…

Narrative research creates such political issues as validation of narrative knowledge, relationships of power and authority, and distinction between the public and private domains. Issues examined are the politics of research in a "narrative" mode, which challenges traditional research; issues of power in collaborative research…

Examines the problems of "truth" in the use of narratives to study teaching, highlighting the themes of universality and control that have dominated the study of teaching and conceptions of relationships between research and social policy. The paper examines issues underlying debates over proper understanding of narrative to promote…

Discusses research on teacher beliefs, highlighting teacher attitudes toward mainstreaming students with disabilities. It proposes a conceptualized approach to teacher preparation and suggests drawing methods from the counseling education discipline, for example, clarifying processes and bibliotherapy. (SM)

The authors argue that stability and change are in a dialectical relationship in the schools. The voices of stability, policymakers, administrators, and some teacher educators, focus on products of education; but the voices of teachers, heard throughout the book, call out for change and recognition of the hardships of teaching. (SLD)

Interviews with 11th-grade students about their most effective teachers indicated that their best teachers cared about their students as well as the subject matter. They integrated the cognitive and affective domains of teaching and learning and were interested in their students as people, acting as positive role models. (SM)

The dominant model of teacher evaluation is inadequate. Formative evaluation should be emphasized over summative evaluation, and new approaches must use legal procedures, design content-valid instruments, develop reliable indicators, and use effective conferencing techniques. Motivation and development must become the focus of teacher evaluation.…

This anthology of 30 stories, poems, and personal essays on diversity grew out of a writers' retreat for teachers. It features: reflections on diversity--how it can be a positive, strengthening force in teaching and learning; effective strategies for teaching and learning within a diverse population; and practical information about running a…

Offering glimpses into an English teacher's unorthodox teaching style, this book presents the story of one woman's dedication to her energetic, unruly students and challenges teachers to find their own unique genius within personal and institutional limitations. The book discusses how the teacher (who has spent her entire career at one school)…

Higher salaries and improved working conditions have combined to make teaching a more attractive profession and to reduce teacher turnover rates. At the same time, however, the teaching work force has aged and faces problems in retirement programs. All levels of government should work with interested groups to find solutions to six major problems…