This book explores the concept of the "best-loved self" in teaching and teacher education, asserting that the best-loved self is foundational to the development of teacher identity, growth in context, and learning in community. Drawing on the work of Joseph Schwab, who was the first to name the "best-loved self," the editors…

Contemporary accountability frameworks position school leaders as being essential to improving school performance and driving innovation. Simultaneously, new accountability demands have forced the restructuring of school leadership, both in terms of form and function. In this paper, we look at the growing trend of distributed leadership among…

An estimated 17% to 30% of new teachers in the U.S. leave the profession within their first 5 years of teaching. Some challenges that prompt new teachers to leave the field include stress, lack of appropriate support, and feeling unprepared to handle behavioral and academic issues among their students. Research supports the finding that teachers…

This study examined the perceptions of mentors and teachers of "The Change-A-Life Mentoring Program" in the areas of student behavior and academic growth. The rationale for the study was to identify recurring themes that reflect the reported perceptions of the mentors and teachers. The research interview protocol examined components of…

Today's school leaders need to prioritize the development of leadership capacity in classroom teachers. Leadership development commonly involves either teachers expressing an interest in leadership or school leaders finding talent in those teachers whom they believe have the capacity to grow into formal leadership roles. School leaders must be…

The purpose of this study is to discover the experiences and supports that influenced the development of teaching effectiveness at different career stages of National University alumni who were identified as County Teachers of the Year in California. National University is the second largest private, nonprofit institution of higher learning in…

This study examined the perceptions of mentors and teachers of "The Change-A-Life Mentoring Program" in the areas of student behavior and academic growth. The rationale for the study was to identify recurring themes that reflect the reported perceptions of the mentors and teachers. The research interview protocol examined components of…

This study examines the impact of a federal Teacher Incentive Fund grant award that expanded a partnership between Cross County School District and the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) to create systems that support ongoing, continuous improvement for teachers. Through the implementation of the TAP System for Teacher and…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore teacher leadership practice in an effort to understand how the behaviors of teacher leaders, and interactions among them, contribute to teacher and collective efficacy for the purposes of increasing student achievement and closing student achievement gaps. Methodology: A grounded theory approach to…

How do educators learn to be teacher leaders? In this qualitative survey research study, we explored perceptions of 227 former induction program participants concerning teacher leadership (65% response rate). Methodologically, we conducted qualitative coding of open-ended survey data. Defined teacher leadership, participants often referred to…

In the attentive, targeted mentoring framework, mentors shift their focus from helping beginning teachers merely survive the first year to empowering them to thrive and impact student learning.

For the last 4 years, 10 leading education organizations have collaborated on a study series that includes teacher voice in conversations and research about educator effectiveness. Initially conceptualized by teacher leaders from the National Network of State Teachers of the Year (NNSTOY) and with their continued input, the "From Good to…

For well over a decade, teachers have been recognized as the single most important school-level factor influencing student achievement (Darling-Hammond, 2000; McCaffrey, Lockwood, Koretz, & Hamilton, 2003; Rivkin, Hanushek, & Kain, 2000; Rowan, Correnti & Miller, 2002; Wright, Horn, & Sanders, 1997). Tremendous public resources…

In the report "From Good to Great: Exemplary Teachers Share Perspectives on Increasing Teacher Effectiveness across the Career Continuum," (See full report in ERIC at ED555657) National and State Teachers of the Year shared their views on what helped them become great teachers. This accompanying "Discussion Starter Tool" builds…

In the summer of 2012, thousands of teachers across the United States attended several days of professional development workshops. The workshops, which focused on the Common Core State Standards, were part of a Tennessee Department of Education initiative in teacher leadership. The department recruited and trained 200 highly-effective teachers to…