Young women, who have many options today, must want to teach, and they must be prepared to do so. Higher standards for beginning teachers and fewer jobs have made teaching as a career more competitive. As any experienced teacher knows, however, there is no way one can be fully prepared for dealing with the complexities of teaching. Translating…

This paper explores how exemplary teachers integrate three forms of knowledge in order to help student learn. This triad of knowledge is composed of professional knowledge (subject matter, curricular, and pedagogical knowledge), interpersonal knowledge (relationship with students, the education community and the local community), and intrapersonal…

Much of the school reform and restructuring literature has focused on the need to improve or totally restructure teaching practice in order to create schools that effectively prepare children for the future. Recent literature on learning in the workplace and teacher learning and change provide some insight into the reasons why many teacher change…

This study examined preservice activities that could maximize growth in technical expertise, teaching artistry, and reflective thinking in beginning teachers. The study was part of a broader project involving 42 elementary school teachers. The 42 participants represented three very different undergraduate academic institutions and a variety of…

This paper seeks to contribute to construction of a theory which makes explicit the relationship between the concept of reflection and fundamental views on good teaching. The discussion draws on empirical data gathered in 10 years of research focusing on a teacher education program that seeks to promote reflective teaching. Results are reported…

This study was conducted to describe the process of reflective coaching as a means of assisting a kindergarten teacher in developing her own kindergarten program in which she stated she wished to begin to incorporate new strategies based on emergent literacy research. A kindergarten teacher and a teacher educator/researcher participated in the…

This paper examines how people reflect, individually and collaboratively, in different cultural contexts, discussing the consequences for teacher education. The paper suggests that the ways in which people reflect individually are shared across cultures, but the ways in which people reflect together are structured differently by their varied…

Describes the use of a faculty-focused assessment pilot project by six Germanna Community College faculty members, which provides immediate feedback to faculty on what is working in the classroom and what is not. Provides an overview of the project, its results, and recommendations. Includes background on Cross and Angelo's Classroom Assessment…

Service learning adds instructional value to any curriculum area, and it is especially appropriate for education courses. Its benefits include development of critical thinking, deeper processing of course content, and practical related experience. Using action research, this article examines the impact of service learning on preservice teachers'…

This article arises from an initiative set up by four Beacon Schools to enhance the professional development of teachers and hence raise pupil attainment in all schools in the local education authority. The initiative provided opportunities for teachers to work in cross-institutional interest groups, with the aim of sharing good practice and…

This study analyzed differences in perception of "critical incidents" in classroom teaching among inexperienced, experienced, and award-winning university professors. In past research, expert and novice differences in teaching have been attributed to differences in teacher knowledge, but the teachers were almost entirely at the…

The study described in this report investigated the effects of field-based reflective practice on preservice teachers' sense of self-efficacy. Subjects in the study were 24 senior elementary majors participating in a 4-week field experience. Twelve students were assigned to the experimental school and 12 were assigned to two control schools. Each…

Documentation is a process of observing, collecting, and organizing evidence of children's knowledge, skills, and dispositions. Noting that documentation can be used as an effective method for assessing children's growth and development over time, this 20 minute videotape discusses characteristics of documentation in the early childhood classroom.…

A case study of an elementary teacher who received preservice preparation at a small liberal arts college assessed teaching effectiveness and its relationship to liberal arts curriculum goals. Qualitative and quantifiable data supported the value of preservice programs at similar institutions and provided evidence of the teacher's inquiring,…

Examines student art teachers' perceptions of their progress during their first teaching experiences through a reflective writing format. Reveals that they learned about instructional strategies and student learning and needed to learn more about teaching strategies, art content, classroom management, and student learning in order to become…