In this article it is argued that the effects of an education system that normalises and perpetuates heterosexuality as natural, by positioning lesbian and gay teachers as the "natural others", reduces attempts at equitable visibility through inclusive practice to marginalised silence. Manifestations of the pressure on lesbian and gay teachers to…

In this essay, the author discusses her journey from her first year of the PhD program at USC, and the work she is doing now for a company that builds infrastructure in Afghanistan. She explores the ways in which studies for her 1985 PhD in Rhetoric, Linguistics and Literature did and did not prepare her for the work she does now. Her memoir…

Historically, faculty of color have been woefully underrepresented in higher education. Since the 1980s, though, numbers for these academics have begun to increase. To bring attention to the some of the struggles that faculty of color face, the authors created a counternarrative by drawing on their collective experience to deconstruct and…

As anyone who has ever defended a thesis or been on a tenure track must know, American institutions of higher education have rigorous and finely calibrated ways of according respect to those who work in them. What they do not have enough of is respect from those beyond their gates. The author argues that the system that created the two-tiered…

Federal policy directed to teaching and teachers is the subject of this review, which is organized around: (1) recruitment; (2) training; (3) accountability; (4) incentives; (5) qualifications; (6) class size reduction; (teacher working conditions; and (8) human resource management and the overall coordination of teacher policy. For each theme,…

The author works as a developmental writing instructor and tutor at a community college. She loves to write, to carve out some time to do what she spends her days teaching others to do. The author states that her becoming a teacher has made her life less her own. For her, teacher is all-absorbing. Yet, her life is not depleted by teaching; rather,…

When the author read the Australian Association for the Teaching of English (AATE) "Statements of Belief", he was surprised to see that heading the list was "We respect the enduring values and traditions of Australia's cultural heritage." It struck him as odd, that here was a statement very much of these Kemp/Nelson/Bishop…

With both high retirement and high attrition rates among educators and a nationwide increasing student population, more teachers are needed. With the impact of a teacher shortage, educational systems began to examine the alternative certification methods. Alternative routes to teacher education profoundly impact the teaching force. The "Ways…

Six suggestions for improving education in the country are offered. The case is made first that unless children's health care is improved, educational achievement among the poor will not improve. The second point is that poverty limits school achievement as well. Without work on these two issues, neither the nation nor the nation's schools will be…

Presents 10 reasons why teaching stands out as an enviable profession. Maintains that teachers have more fun than other professionals, have a different relationship to time, are constantly renewed, have power, have freedom, have opportunities for team-building, can be philosophical, can be eccentric, work within important relationships, and have a…

The image of the schools and the teaching profession according to the media is usually negative. The negative picture is one reflecting the social problems of society and the failure of schools to educate, that is, drop-outs, teenage pregnancies, substance abuse, guns, knives, and attacks on students and teachers. Occasionally, the positive…

Recounts several comically stressful situations commonly encountered by high school English teachers. (MM)

Offers suggestions for minimizing classroom interruptions, such as suggesting to the principal that announcements not be read over the intercom during class time and arranging desks and chairs so as to minimize visual distractions. Contains a school interruption survey form. (JC)

Discusses the causes and problems of teacher burnout and suggests some solutions. Indicates that teachers can enhance their work atmosphere by evaluating how they react to stimuli encountered in the school setting. (JOW)

Teachers must deal with lights that turn off on their own, toilet paper rationing and hot water shortages in the bathrooms, and not enough books for their classes. In this article, the author argues that asking teachers to work in these conditions while holding them accountable for dramatic improvements in student performance threatens to drive…