To paraphrase a quote by Thomas Jefferson, "there is nothing so unfair as the equal treatment of unequal children." Teachers cannot use a one-size-fits-all model of instruction to successfully reach all children. This "Focus On"--an update of our popular 2004 edition--is designed to help teachers assess and improve their own…

Many teacher-development models posit teacher learning as a linear process in which teachers build skills and knowledge while progressing through different stages of expertise. Although this model is attractive for many reasons and often does seem to shed light on some of the aspects of teacher development, this author's own experience largely…

Middle school is a crucial transition period for students as they move from concrete to algebraic ways of thinking. This article describes a sequence of instruction geared toward helping prospective middle school instructors teach the topic of percentages.

There is no standard via which to measure the "qualified" English language teacher in a way that is meaningful to institutions seeking to employ teaching staff. This is significant given that candidates may differ markedly in their language competence, knowledge about language, methodological skills and ability to explain and justify their praxis…

Most classrooms in the U.S. are composed of students with different learning styles and experiences as well as different achievement levels (Ferguson, 2001). Personalized learning is a unique way of students' learning determined by their own learning style, pace, and needs. Focusing on individual differences, personalized instruction aims to…

This article has emerged from a research and development project, The Baby Room, which was designed to examine how babies are cared for in daycare settings. Within the project, a form of professional development was created which designated a central space for dialogic encounter, primarily to enable the baby room practitioners who participated in…

Because early childhood education sets the stage for children's academic trajectory, it is important to think carefully about how schools treat, position, and instruct young children of immigrants as well as immigrant parents and teachers. The relational and pedagogical imperatives shared in this article are meant to extend an invitation to…

Coaching is one of the highest profile positions that schools and colleges employ. At the collegiate level, these individuals can even be the highest paid public employees in their states, and successful coaches are often the highest paid individuals in their school districts. But successful coaches can be defined in a number of ways, and…

Educators need to know the professional standards in their field to maintain high levels of professional competence. This article focuses on four sets of teacher preparation standards in gifted education. They address initial and advanced preparation of educators who teach students with gifts and talents. Initial preparation standards include the…

"JISE" has a lengthy history of inviting the submission of Teaching Tips for publication consideration in the journal. Past submission guidance for Teaching Tips has consisted of asking contributors to document the teaching experience and indicate what has worked, and not worked, in its execution within a journal page constraint of one to five…

As a new teacher, the best lesson the author learned from a veteran teacher was to get feedback from students regularly. Unfortunately, many teachers are afraid to ask students what's working and what's not. Perhaps it's because they're alone with kids in a room; perhaps because (especially as new teachers) they don't want to seem weak by asking…

During the past few years, interest in shifting at least a portion of what teachers are paid away from a reliance on a traditional salary schedule to one that incorporates a pay for performance component has reached a new high. Proponents of the approach view it as a way to improve teacher quality by both motivating teachers and--through higher…

The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) recognizes the importance of special education teachers in the education of all children and youth. Special educators have always believed that children's individual learning needs should drive instruction; indeed, pedagogy is the heart of special education practice. One way to judge a special education…

Dispositions are the engine of performance in teaching, linking inner values and commitments with action in the context of practice. This article presents a theoretical conception in conjunction with an individual case study of the process by which dispositions develop and function in teaching. Focusing on teaching that is ambitious both in its…

Over the last few decades, developments have taken place at international, national and local levels that have encouraged more inclusive forms of educational provision. However, many practising teachers remain concerned that they lack the knowledge, skills and expertise necessary to support an increasingly diverse range of learners in their…