When it comes to professional practice, getting a clear picture of how you're teaching in the classroom is easier said than done. The instructional coaches and teachers whom the author interviewed as part of a study on using video in professional development were, in almost all cases, surprised by what they saw in a video of them teaching. In many…

In this wide-ranging interview with Educational Leadership, Stanford University Professor of Education Linda Darling-Hammond discusses the kind of preparation and support new teachers need to survive their critical first years in the classroom. Among her central recommendations are more intensive mentoring that lasts through the first year of…

Sylwester says education must begin relying more on biology than social and behavioral science. All brain systems move from a slow, awkward functional level to a fast, efficient level. Contributions of metacognition, self-regulation, emotions, reflective and reflexive responses, comparison, and classification to cognitive development are…

Congressman Quie of Minnesota addresses various educational issues, including the relationship between educational research and practice, curriculum development and national censorship, staff development, collective bargaining, and school integration legislation. (Author/JG)

Mandel interviewed both new teachers and veteran educators who had mentored first-year teachers in Los Angeles schools to ascertain what kind of information new teachers want during their initial year in the classroom. He discovered that few first-year teachers felt they needed guidance related to state standards and standardized tests. New…

In interviews with several hundred business, nonprofit, philanthropic, and education leaders, the author identified seven "survival skills" that 21st century students need to succeed as workers and citizens: (1) critical thinking and problem-solving; (2) collaboration and leadership; (3) ability and adaptability; (4) initiative and…

Teacher leaders do not fulfill their potential without the right kinds of support. Using the stories of two teacher leaders, Lattimer describes how school and district administrators succeed and fail at encouraging teachers to take on or withdraw from leadership roles. The two teachers profiled were more likely to assume leadership roles when…

Wide-ranging discussion about family structure, society and individuals, a curriculum for caring, and involving the school in the community. (MLF)

A conversation with James Stigler, professor of psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, about how to improve professional development for teachers. (PKP)

Hirsch believes it is vitally important to specify the "core knowledge" that all students must learn. Here, Hirsch explains elements of his K-8 core-knowledge sequence. Teachers should avoid canned lessons but should know where they are going. New English standards are unacceptable, since they omit Shakespeare's works. (MLH)

Discusses two related early education issues: providing public school programs for younger children and serving children who do not do well in kindergarten. Recommends ungraded, child-centered developmental programs for all children from birth to age 9 and prekindergarten summer enrichment programs for children assessed at certain devlopmental…

Discusses results of a longitudinal study comparing three models of preschool education for disadvantaged children: a teacher-oriented DISTAR program, a High/Scope collaborative model, and a traditional nursery school program. While all three programs improved IQ scores, participants in the DISTAR model reported twice as much delinquency as those…