Teaching in an impoverished Mexican village requires an inexhaustible will to help children learn. This article describes Felicitas Sanchez Ochoa's struggle to make education possible for children living in an isolated rural area of Mexico. (PP)

An elementary school teacher discusses what it was like to have a child with attention deficit disorder in her class. She describes the process of getting him diagnosed and notes strategies that helped her cope with the disorder at school. (SM)

For an end-of-the-school-year treat, students brought in gifts for their favorite characters from novels they had read during the year. Suggested lists of characters and books, and ways to organize and run the party, are provided. (JL)

Suggestions and tools for arranging an effective classroom are presented to help teachers reflect on how their classroom's "geography" and "climate" help or impede learning and teaching. (CB)

A tour of four elementary schools illustrates how antiques, plants, child-sized furniture, and other design elements can transform school lobbies and hallways into warm, welcoming places for students. School environments like these encourage children's interest and sense of responsibility, besides adding to their comfort. (PP)

A teacher describes how she managed to turn one student's disruptive behavior into an opportunity for all students to learn about conflict resolution. (JL)

Sex education must be sensitive to children's needs as well as parental concerns. When the program is planned properly and is appropriate for student needs, school is the ideal place for sex education to be taught. (CJ)

Ways in which teachers can help students face situations that make them tense, anxious, or fearful are suggested, including self-affirmation, relaxation techniques, problem solving, and role playing. (CB)

This article suggests ways for teachers to help students handle stress. Creating a comfortable, cheerful environment in which children are stimulated to accept challenges and take risks is one of the first steps in teaching children to cope with stress in the classroom. (FG)

This article describes a tense situation in which two middle school teachers had a fight in a public area on parent conference day. Another teacher and an educational psychologist present their views on how to handle such a situation, support teachers, and foster collegiality. (SM)

Teachers working with Asian refugee children describe their approaches to problems involving language acquisition, culture differences, and psychological adjustment. Tips are offered on peer teaching, creating a supportive atmosphere, and English language development. (FG)

A teacher draws upon personal experiences to argue that successful classroom discipline is the product of teaching competence and style rather than the result of behaviorist classroom management techniques. Emphasis is on keeping children involved in learning activities. (PP)