School administrators have some tough hiring decisions to make, and an interview to select the most highly qualified applicants is critically important. Even before the mandates of No Child Left Behind, school administrators strove to hire the best new teachers. Competent, caring, qualified teachers are the keys to enhanced student achievement.…

Teacher quality has become a hot topic. Everyone wants to measure it, reward it, or improve it. One reason for this interest is the evidence that teachers differ dramatically in their ability to raise student test scores. Another reason for the current interest in teacher quality is that recent No Child Left Behind requirements focus on highly…

Recent studies indicate that experienced teachers may not be more proficient than people off the street" in causing behavior changes in learners. (Author/LR)

Describes a four-part audiovisual portfolio that beginning teachers could use to demonstrate their teaching skills. (IRT)

Argues that the principal of a school should be a master teacher who, by daily work, exemplifies the whole purpose of schooling. (Author/WD)

Traditionally, the doctorate has been the major criterion for initial employment in higher education, not familiarity with learning theory, teaching strategies, or assessment of learning. Medical education is now breaking the mold by recruiting into a contest field professionals from psychology and education who have specialized in the improvement…

Reports on a study that asked elementary, junior high, and high school teachers to rate the importance of 23 teaching competencies. (IRT)

Teaching is not an activity directly producing the learning of some specific matter (which is inadequate as a definition of teaching and incapable of being guaranteed), but an activity intentionally directed toward, and potentially capable of, improving the student's general intellectual functioning or "cognitive competence" in whatever…

Describes a pilot project in the schools of Edmonton, Alberta (Canada), where the model of teachers-as-researchers encourages teachers to explore aspects of their own teaching and question their practices. It is seen as a form of professional development allowing teachers to develop their own theories and enhance their teaching skills. (MD)

Self-paced instructional packages have replaced course credit for nearly 2,000 junior and senior teacher education students at Illinois State University. The team mainly responsible for this transformation describes advantages and problems. (Author)

Describes seven features of effective summer schools from recent Southern Regional Education Board report with examples of state legislation in support of each of these features. For example, summer school should be an integral part of a year-round program of extra time and extra help. Includes description of relevant Kentucky, California,…

Argues that experimental and field research can now demonstrate causal relationships between teaching techniques and learning, and that effective teaching practices can be taught. Urges, therefore, that improving teacher education be given high priority. (MCG)

One of the most hotly contested issues in mathematics education today is the use of calculators in elementary schools. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has gone on record recommending the use of calculators in the earliest grades. NCTM's recommendation that calculators be introduced under the guidance of skilled teachers is…

In satirical verse the author affirms the value of merit pay proposals and laments the lack of action on such proposals that has resulted from indecisiveness concerning criteria for merit pay implementation. (JBM)

Teaching should be thought of not as a science but as a performing art. Teachers should learn their craft through classroom apprenticeships in teaching studios/schools under the supervision of master teachers coupled with the study of pedagogical theory. Rewards should correspond to the quality of performance. (JBM)