Teacher stress takes a measurable toll on the teaching workforce, as many teachers become burned out and decide to leave the profession. Christopher McCarthy explains that stress is a psychological process that results from how teachers appraise the balance between the demands in their classrooms and the resources they have to meet those demands.…

The BRIDGE Alternative Middle School in Lowell, Massachusetts, serves students ages 12-16 who have exhibited behavioral problems in traditional school settings, including problems such as truancy, multiple suspensions, mental health issues, peer conflicts, family dysfunction, academic problems, and gang involvement. Students referred to BRIDGE are…

There is no definitive research on how many students display sexualized behavior in schools. Sexually inappropriate behavior includes using sexual language, gestures, or noises, engaging in pretend play that simulates sex, making sexual invitations to others, inappropriately touching another person, or masturbating in the classroom. These…

Dealing with difficult behavior is a matter of awareness of the factors involved in prediction, prevention, and instruction. This means three things: Teachers know, or can be assisted in thinking through the environmental events and contexts that are associated with higher probabilities of problem behavior. Second, teachers can actively manipulate…

Profiles teachers' everyday experiences at a southeastern Texas middle school that mainstreams most of its special needs students. Classroom observations, accompanied by teacher and student survey data, showed that mainstreaming had deleterious effects. Since teachers spent a disproportionate amount of time serving special education students,…

Explains proper and improper interpretations of the author's assertive discipline program. Teachers need to communicate clear rules for the classroom, teach students how to follow them, employ positive reinforcement, and use firm and consistent negative consequences for rule-breakers as a last resort. Includes five references. (MLH)

Herbert L. Foster has written a new book about teaching black youngsters in the inner city. A Kappan interviewer extracts some of his success secrets, among them the rules for life-or-death contests. (Editor)