As a teacher educator, the author believes that he must prepare teachers to go forth into schools with a deep understanding of the subjects they will teach, an appreciation for how students learn, and a repertoire of instructional strategies that will help them make learning come alive for their students. As they develop these skills, they must…

Beginning teachers experience problems in moving from a traditional classroom environment to a constructivist classroom, especially in their use of traditional language. Traditional language not only does not work in a constructivist classroom, but hinders the creating and sustaining of such. Teachers can change the language they use in the…

A model of teacher behavior and interaction with students was designed using the results of the Questionnaire for Interactional Teacher-behavior (QUIT). Responses were obtained from 91 teachers and 2407 secondary school students. The questionnaire measured teacher behavior, as seen by the teacher and by the students, on scales that ranged from…

This checklist is intended for beginning teachers, transfer teachers, school administrators, mentors, teacher educators, and student teachers. Seven sections focus on "Getting Acquainted" (instructional resources; community facilities and resources; the school district; school rules, procedures, and policies; school personnel, services,…

This checklist for beginning teachers is based on information gathered from surveys of school administrators which asked them to discuss common difficulties experienced by beginning teachers. Four sections focus on: "Becoming a Professional" (applying for a job, the cover letter, the resume, the interview, frequently asked interview…

Offers a variety of specific techniques which will help the beginning teacher to implement reflective methodology and create an inquiry-centered classroom atmosphere, at the same time meeting the many more pressing demands of first-year teaching. (JES)

Described is the adaptation to the educational setting of a family therapy-based systems approach to communications, intended to improve classroom atmospheres of both beginning and experienced teachers who were experiencing difficulty in creating and maintaining a good working atmosphere. (CB)

As a beginning teacher, the author did not recognize that knowing her students was as important as knowing her subject. Teachers should personalize assignments and ask students to write a letter about themselves, write notes explaining tardiness or late homework, create learning logs, and help solve classroom problems. (MLH)

Described are two methods of classroom management that attempt to optimize the first few moments of the class period. One method focuses on using the prior day's homework, and the other uses new problems presented to the students to work on as they enter the classroom. (MDH)

New teachers often enter the profession expecting to accomplish what the veteran teacher has been doing for years, with equal success and equal lack of support. A survey of South Carolina school districts shows that curriculum, instruction, and classroom management techniques are omitted from many teacher induction programs. Ameliorative…

This article shares the results of a study that explored the need, and consequential birth, of a new teacher support group for newly graduated elementary education majors. Constructed of a university supervisor and five newly graduated novice teacher's, this study examines their first semester as classroom teachers. Research related to the…

Over recent decades, there has been compelling evidence describing the powerful effects of teachers' sense of efficacy on their instructional activities as well as student outcomes. The present study explored the change of efficacy of prospective teachers over the student teaching period and the factors that might contribute to the change. Data…

This project grew out of concerns expressed by several novice teachers about their lack of preparation to deal with common problems in the classroom. Several trends were evident with the teachers involved in this study. They all came to recognize the importance of effective, organized instruction during the term of the study, along with the…

This study investigated whether there were differences between classrooms of expert and novice elementary teachers, examining whether teaching experience would affect flexibility in the clasroom, whether teaching experience would influence communications between all members of the classroom, and whether teaching experience would affect the degree…