Effective principals realize that learning support-teachers can provide job-embedded staff development for general-education teachers. They build schedules allowing the kind of cooperative planning that makes inclusive block scheduling successful. Principals must also share control of the master schedule and support major changes in teaching…

Recent research emphasizes the context-specific nature of professional knowledge and expertise, implying that developing novel practices in authentic environments is a prerequisite for teachers' professional development. The aim of this study was to find out how teachers develop their practical knowledge and expertise through shared planning and…

Three faculty used action research to address concerns with student learning but in the process also learned of its value for their own professional development. Through semi-structured interviews, multiple case vignettes, and peer collaboration, they addressed student cognitive and affective learning concerns, made adjustments in their…

This article will present a case study of an unrequited teacher-learning collaboration, an attempt to work with an experienced teacher to redesign his practice in consonance with Fostering a Community of Learners (FCL) principles and practices. The author's purpose in presenting this case will be threefold: first, to provide a coherent account of…

This article is about conflict in an educational workplace setting. It reports on a case study investigating the emergence, development, and management of conflict among diverse native English speakers working as language instructors within a Japanese university. The example of conflict presented, which deals with divergent assumptions about the…

Drawing on current research and best practices, this second part of the three-part resource, "Supporting Positive Behaviour in Alberta Schools," provides information and strategies for systematically teaching, supporting and reinforcing positive behaviour in the classroom. A proactive approach to classroom management is designed to…

In the fall of 2007, Education Resource Strategies (ERS) was invited by Philadelphia's School Reform Commission to conduct a Strategic Professional Development Review for the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). ERS is a nonprofit organization that is nationally recognized for its extensive work in partnering with urban school districts to make…

How should district and school leaders improve education for students traditionally underserved by public education: by increasing control over teaching and curriculum, or by empowering groups of teachers to have more collective autonomy, responsibility, and opportunities for professional learning? The second approach--promoting multiple…

This study investigated McREL's Rural Technology Initiative (RTI), an online professional development intervention that provides opportunities for teacher collaboration while delivering training to teachers and administrators on instructional improvement, including the use of technology for teaching and learning. The purposes of the study were:…

Interviews were conducted with parents of 18 students with learning disabilities or behavior disorders following the first year of a junior high inclusion program based on teacher and student collaborative teams. Program aspects parents identified included personal attention for students, positive attributes of teachers, and improved student…

Examines effects of the 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act from a caring, innovative elementary teacher's viewpoint. A court required KERA, the legislature created it, state officials regulate it, but teachers are directly responsible for working together to make reforms work. Unfortunately, the state has not provided enough direction to…

This report describes implementation of the Combined Classroom Model to serve 28 students, including 3 with emotional/behavioral disorders (EBD) and 6 with learning disabilities. Staff included a general education teacher, a resource teacher, and three teaching assistants. Evaluation data indicated reduced problem behavior by EBD students and…

Describes the teachers-as-learners concept employed by Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound's extended workshop on the Cherokee Nation Trail of Tears. Journal excerpts describing one teacher's experience are provided, along with lessons learned from treaty negotiations with a federal judge and Cherokee tribal representatives. "Summit"…

In the literature, discussions of staff development (as a top-down decision-making model) have shifted to teacher-centered professional growth. Components include teachers as learners, reflective decisionmakers, collaborators, and accountability experts. Creating a culture of learning and involving teachers in strategic decision making are…

A Quaker who rejects the imposition of religion in public education advocates ways to explore the spiritual dimension of teaching, learning, and living. Spiritual questions are embedded in every discipline. Spiritual mentoring helps students find questions worth asking. Teachers may gather to discuss the deepest questions of their teaching lives.…