For the art of teaching to have a future, we must enlarge our understanding of professionalism to include the artistic skills and judgment demanded by good teaching. This task will challenge educators, because teaching artistry is neither well understood nor readily mandated by the central office. Includes nine references. (MLH)

The international school system has unique stressors and a more limited support system than found elsewhere. This article summarizes a 1992 study that explores the nature of stress in the teaching profession, generally, and in one international school in particular. After examining various environmental, organizational, and individual stressors,…

A number of studies have found that teachers are prone to leave schools serving high proportions of low-achieving, low-income, and minority students for more economically and educationally advantaged schools. In schools with very high turnover rates, this can pose a number of challenges, including lack of continuity in instruction, lack of…

One of the ironies of teaching is that it is one of the most social occupations, but it is also one of the most isolating professions. Most schools are organized in an eggcrate manner, making professional collaborations difficult. In what other business would a professional not have easy access to a telephone? What other professional lives are…

In response to the ever-declining status of the teaching profession, and its adverse effects on the country's educational system, the Federal Ministry of Education in Ethiopia introduced a policy of the teachers' career ladder in 1994. While reformers believe that the introduction of the policy has improved the condition of the teaching…

A constant dilemma for teacher education in Australia and overseas is the difficulty of finding sufficient numbers of placements for preservice teachers to complete the professional experience/student teaching component of their course. Statements related to quantity of placements gain both public and professional attention while less attention is…

This study investigates the psychosocial environments of secondary schools from science teachers' perspectives, as well as associated variables. Using a sample of 900 secondary science teachers from 52 schools in Taiwan, the results attest to the validity and reliability of the instrument, the Science Teacher School Environment Questionnaire, and…

The research in this article examined an often neglected, but nevertheless equally important, factor in the burnout and attrition rate of special education teachers. This factor was a lack of school supplies, materials and resources. This shortage was largely due to a constant "tug-of-war" with regular education personnel for the same…

Globalization has not only created the conditions that have made such educational reforms necessary, but it has also provided market-based ideology to undergird reform efforts from Santiago to New York City. Although a neoliberal approach to education is clearly en vogue, many educators and critics nonetheless have questioned the premises behind…

The U.S. Department of Education predicts that more than 2.2 million teaching positions in kindergarten through 12th grade will need to be filled over the next 10 years. Given the demand for classroom teachers, 48 states and the District of Columbia have created alternate route (AR) teaching certification programs to recruit individuals who have…

This study examined the views of preschool teachers regarding integrated preschool settings for young children with and without special needs in Massachusetts. Teachers represented urban, rural, and suburban settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 teachers in such settings. Findings suggest that the conditions under which the…

After discussing the need for second-order (or structural) reform and Tennessee's leadership in "first wave" legislation, this paper describes selected aspects of Tennessee reform activities and recent events leading to client-centered control. Tennessee's Better Schools Program, consistent with "first-wave" proposals,…

The use of adjunct faculty members is largely dictated and controlled by institutional needs and policies that exist outside academic departments. Within those institutional frameworks, however, there exist substantial opportunities for departments to improve the working conditions of adjunct faculty members. Through the judicious use of…

Argues that elementary school improvement hinges upon bettering teaching quality by concentrating on pedagogy. This pedagogical emphasis is necessary not because teacher performance is weak, but because teaching demands are great and primary teachers' influence is high. Schools must become learning organizations, or workplaces that promote…

Examines the stress experienced by 10 teachers involved in a school merger in North England. Teachers were interviewed twice prior to the merger and once after. Results confirm the stressful nature of school mergers. The most acute stress probably stemmed from the uncertainty and lack of information provided, coupled with the threat of…