The mentoring relationship is examined in terms of the stages in the process and the benefits to mentor, protege, and the organization. A four-step procedure to effectively foster mentoring in schools is presented. (MT)

The author considers some of the complexities in designing special education inservice programs. This article is part of a theme issue on mainstreaming. (SJL)

Many exciting and successful staff development programs with different goals and objectives and using varied techniques and approaches have been realized in recent years. Each was successful not only because of the unique approaches it utilized, but because of the careful planning and preparation that encompassed each program. A number of crucial…

Argues that school personnel should recognize and understand that the staff development process is a series of interrelated phases that should be followed and that these phases occur within the context of a particular social organization. (Author/IRT)

The "T-cubed: Teacher Teach Thinking" staff development model was developed by teachers, with their colleagues, for their own growth in teaching for effective thinking. The model builds on the cornerstones of the dignity of the teacher, the worth of the individual child, the importance of thorough integration of thinking skills in all subjects at…

The East Lansing Public Schools, Michigan, have improved faculty morale, improved instruction, and helped establish positive contacts with community members through a professional reading and discussion program for teachers. (Author/MT)

This digest describes teacher mentoring and its different applications. A list of 10 characteristics and activities inherent in any mentor-protege relationship is provided. A discussion is presented on the ways that mentoring, an essentally informal process, has been formalized in business firms and school systems. In considering the benefits that…

"Workparties," sponsored by the Teachers Centers' Exchange (Far West Laboratory), provide the time, support, resources, warmth, concreteness, and thought that productive meetings consist of. Descriptions of workparties planned for participants interested in staff development are provided. (CJ)

Human relations is an essential ingredient in education and teacher effectiveness. Suggests that since teachers have not received appropriate preservice training in human relations, such learning must come from in-service and staff development programs supported by and originated from the local school district. The elements of good in-service…

This handbook is designed to assist staff development committees in planning and conducting effective staff development programs. Administrative rules governing the establishment of staff development programs are set forth and clarified. A model for staff development describes the following steps for developing a program: (1) establish a board…

As an example of successful training in teacher coaching, this article describes a program conducted by the Santa Clara County, California, Educational Development Center. Aspects of the program discussed are its design, the selection of participants, the training process, the program's results, and the program's future. (MCG)

There are four elements which the author has found to be essential for success when designing and conducting staff development programs: awareness, application, implementation, and maintenance. Each of these elements is discussed in detail, followed by the warning that the four-phase model requires school board commitment to insure its success.…

A report is given of a study conducted on the nature and extent of support that local school systems in Maryland currently provide to new teachers. The study had two components: a statewide survey and case studies of promising programs. The survey polled Associate or Assistant Superintendents of Instruction in 23 of Maryland's 24 county school…

Describes Research In Teacher Education (RITE), a staff development model that uses school district staff to train teachers and that identifies effective teaching and staff development practices. Information is presented on the model's characteristics and implementation, research contributing to the model, a field test, and San Diego's adoption of…

Suggests that effective staff development involves a process that asks basic questions about the learner; about aims, goals, and objectives; about content; and about learning activities. (HOD)