It is no secret that the student attending university classes today is different from the learner of several years ago (Blakefield, 2013). Educators have been recently encouraged to shift the paradigm of traditional lecture-style education to incorporate service-learning and experiential activities involving media and technology whenever possible…

In May, we noted that the percentage of women among physics faculty members reached 14% in 2010. The 14% is a new high--the continuation of a trend seen since we began measuring these data in 1998 when it was 8%. This growth in women's representation is seen at all levels of the professoriate--from instructors through full professors. In…

In this article the author describes virtual coaching and why it is so effective. The following six points of virtual coaching are explained: (1) Also known as bug-in-ear coaching, virtual coaching is not new; (2) Virtual coaching can save money and time; (3) Bug-in-ear coaching increases the frequency of observations for novice teachers; (4) It…

This article describes the challenges associated with outcomes-based education reform as experienced by two novice elementary teachers. Interviews with the teachers provide insights into the tensions between their teaching beliefs and the practices employed in their local contexts. Specifically, pressures to both focus on standardized measures of…

New teachers of students with significant disabilities are expected to use evidence-based practices that build academic and functional skills from their first day on the job. Yet, these teachers may struggle with applying information learned in their preservice coursework to their daily instructional practices. One widely accepted means of…

Induction support programs for beginning teachers is an education reform whose time has come. The national data indicate that over the past couple of decades the number of beginning teachers has ballooned in the U.S. Simultaneously, there has been a large increase in the number of states, districts, and schools offering induction programs.…

This Study Snapshot highlights key findings from a study that identified supports implemented by local education agencies (traditional school districts and charter schools) that are associated with teacher retention. Statewide teacher shortages are hindering Michigan's efforts to ensure that all students have equitable access to qualified…

The Eurydice report 'Teaching careers in Europe: access, progression and support' provides a comparative overview of national policies on teacher careers across Europe. It maps existing regulations and policy recommendations at primary and general secondary levels, and covers all the countries of the European Union as well as Albania, Bosnia and…

A teacher's first year of teaching can feel like a sink-or-swim experience. Instead of making steady progress toward becoming a great teacher, in their first year, many teachers become overwhelmed by the daily demands of their own classrooms. As founder and CEO of New Teacher Center, an organization focused on understanding and meeting the…

At different stages of her career, the author has experienced, supported, and facilitated professional learning efforts. As an assistant principal, she finds that she has learned something of value at each stage. In this article, as the author reflects on her career, she realizes that it is important to learn and grow rather than just try to…

State and local education agencies across the country face challenges related to understanding and managing their teaching staff to best help students learn. Statewide longitudinal data systems (SLDSs) offer valuable information about teacher labor markets that can be used to analyze supply and demand, inform budget and staffing decisions, and…

Recent media reports of teacher shortages across the country are confirmed by the analysis of several national datasets reported in this brief. Shortages are particularly severe in special education, mathematics, science, and bilingual/English learner education, and in locations with lower wages and poorer working conditions. Shortages are…

Narrative enquiry has become increasingly popular in recent decades. Although James Wertsch has developed a well-theorized model of narrative as a sociocultural tool, his work has not been as influential on this narrative enquiry as it might have been. This may be, in part, because Wertsch has mostly applied his model to the collective memory of…

Although it is possible to cite general trends about the concerns of beginning teachers, each beginner will have specific needs and questions. Clearly, mentoring matters, and mentors are especially helpful when they recognize and attend to the beginners' specific needs. Here, Erinn Bentley describes a "Wish List" she developed as a…

University educators work with preservice teachers who often feel overwhelmed when facing high school science classrooms full of reluctant readers. These struggling students often have various special-education modifications or are English language learners (ELLs) with different degrees of language proficiency. Teachers report that these students…