Studied perspectives of 192 principals and 148 teachers in urban schools with regard to the challenges of urban teaching. Findings suggest that many of the challenge areas suggested in the literature on urban teachers were not ranked as very important by these educators, making the point that not all urban schools face the same challenges. (SLD)

The purpose of this investigation was to determine if there was a difference in the development of effective urban teacher characteristics between student interns placed in either an urban Professional Development School environment or an urban non-Professional Development School environment. Student interns in urban universities with partnerships…

This article considers the ways in which 17 novice teachers define and describe effective urban teaching and the stark contrasts that these teachers draw between effective urban teaching and effective teaching. The authors find that descriptions of students played a considerable role when participants made distinctions between effective teaching…

This article is a description of the perceptions of pre-service teachers who have chosen to study in a teacher education program designed specifically to prepare them to work in urban elementary schools. Twelve volunteer participants were interviewed in the spring following their admission into the program. Participants and the researcher also…

Analyzes why teachers leave urban schools and their subsequent employment, using the questionnaire responses of 50 of the 124 teachers who left the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) public schools in 1988. Finds that 90 percent of the "leavers" find teaching jobs in other schools. Suggests how the problems cited by the leavers could be ameliorated.…

A survey of 185 teachers and administrators in Chicago indicated some differences of opinion on a ruling that teachers must reside in the city. Minorities (blacks and Latinos) and those who lived in the city favored the residency ruling. These responses could be influenced by economic and social concerns. Teachers who lived in the suburbs…

This paper discusses two areas of knowledge that educational professionals must develop to help resolve the crisis in the city and the suburbs. One area concerns key urban economic factors affecting elementary and secondary education. Eight factors are discussed: (a) the flight to suburbia, including some implications of the flight of the middle…

The major purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a teacher's instructional behavior on black high school students' learning of standard English grammatical features. The study also aimed (a) to identify the subjects' deviations from standard English and to select the most socially stigmatizing items, (b) to prepare and evaluate…

PreK-12 teachers in an urban school district enrolled in a course designed to examine the complexities of teaching in urban schools. This course was part of a grant aimed at increasing math and science achievement of their students. Teachers critically examined local and national policies and conditions that added to the complexities of their…

A study was conducted to determine whether the Stallings Effective Teaching Practices inservice training program contributed to improved teacher performance in the Cincinnati, Ohio, Public Schools. The study had two major objectives: (1) to assess the degree of improvement in selected teacher practices after training; and (2) to investigate the…

Uses case-study methods to compare the urban field-teaching experience of two undergraduate teacher-education students. Identifies factors that contributed to one student teacher's success and the other's failure. The successful student teacher was much better at adapting to the needs of her students. (SLD)

Explored how the discourse of child-centered pedagogy both shapes and limits how teachers talk about issues of social difference in their teaching practice through the experiences of four inner-city elementary school teachers in Canada. Considers the concept of the child as a unique individual and the teacher as a neutral change agent in relation…

This paper describes a qualitative research study that investigated strategies used by urban teachers to build their personal resilience. Sixteen resilient teachers from four urban districts that reported student achievement equal to or higher than the state average on standard tests of reading and mathematics were interviewed. The definition of…

Portrays the beliefs and practices of four successful African American teachers in the context of existing research. The persistence of common themes across numerous studies suggests that African American pedagogy is not idiosyncratic. This interpretive study provides a way to recognize and understand such pedagogy. (SLD)

Examines the reasons why one-third of the teachers in a large urban school district rated the quality of their school highly but did not want their own children to attend the school where they taught. Finds the following explanations: (1) overall school quality; (2) disciplinary consistency; and (3) racial attitudes. Discusses policy implications.…