A high school special education teacher by day, who also prepares future regular education teachers at a college at night, provides her perspective on special education and regular education teacher collaboration. The need to prepare regular education teachers to work with special educators and students with disabilities is discussed. (CR)

Describes the Teacher Educator Institute, a program in the context of Jewish education that is designed to develop educational leaders as teacher educators, those who plan and provide professional development for classroom teachers. The program strives to develop a leadership cadre that is generally missing within the North American system of…

Analyzed the collaboration of a first-grade novice teacher and her mentor teacher while the novice learned to teach mathematics in China. Found that the mentor contributed to novice teacher's progress by implementing a clear, consistent focus; modeling, analyzing, and reflecting on mathematics teachers; and defining and refining the zones of the…

Describes the experiences of a successful high school English department that illustrate how teacher collaboration and interdependence can support teacher-driven growth and new instructional behaviors. Some of the department's guiding principals include destratifying, empowering, collaborating, unfettering, and recognizing. Important elements that…

Peer coaching empowers teachers as change agents when integrating innovative practices. This paper describes a model for peer coaching that encourages collegial interaction. Strategies for application include the following: selecting coaching teams, observing, describing implementation procedures, designing an observational instrument, monitoring…

One school district, the Ipswich (MA) Public Schools, has adopted a culture of collaborative leadership that recognizes the strengths of teamwork and commitment. This article looks at some of the history and philosophy, followed by the application of those two elements, and provides a snapshot of a district operating in a unique and innovative…

"Transformational Professional Learning" is a periodically published e-newsletter designed to influence what educational leaders think, say, and do to improve teaching and learning by promoting deep understanding of important issues, the transformation of beliefs and assumptions, and a stream of powerful goal-focused actions. There are two…

A lesson study initiative was implemented in 25 high schools/learning centers in the Jefferson County, Kentucky, school district. The lesson study initiative is a professional development process in which teachers collaborate to systematically examine their practice and to improve the effectiveness of the experiences they provide to their…

This book presents a set of stories that focus on what teachers learn from talking to one another about their practice, presenting a case for how the ordinary talk among teachers is a potent medium for teacher learning and professional development. Drawing from the work of eight groups of teachers in the United States and Israel who met in…

This paper shares ideas from a research project involving more than 75 teachers in five states. The teachers participated in groups of 12-18. They received support as part of the research project. The groups met with a facilitator every 2-3 weeks to have conversations about teaching and learning. They learned from and with each other as they…

This paper describes a self-study research collaborative involving college faculty members. It began when members of a dissertation writing group decided to continue working together, focusing on self-study as a way of teaching and learning. In 1999, the group experimented with using teaching portfolios in their graduate education classes to…

This paper discusses how experienced teachers can keep their teaching fresh. Though professional development can help teachers stay current with educational techniques and practices, it is often not prioritized. Instructional changes that can recharge teachers so they provide students with optimal learning include: providing regular teacher…

Reports a case study in which Hong Kong elementary teachers were introduced to a new curriculum approach for designing and teaching General Studies. This collaborative approach to professional development emphasized teacher participation in the change process. Overall, this professional development strategy was feasible, and teachers conducted…

Describes the experiences of four veteran teachers who came to teach in a residential high school for gifted adolescents and participated in peer coaching, study groups, and mentoring. This faculty development exposed them to advanced content and higher order thinking strategies, which were the very same skills they were encouraged to use to…

Discussions with 13 teachers nationwide examined what they thought about their roles as teacher leaders, highlighting benefits of teacher leadership, necessary supports, finding time, who to talk to for support, and what has been helpful in their role as teacher leaders. Respondents were genuinely concerned about their students, eager to…