Richard Sterling, executive director of nation's largest inservice training project, discusses his plans to enlarge the scope of the National Writing Project and place it at center of school reform. With 160 sites in 45 states and Puerto Rico, this 25-year-old project brings together expert teachers for extended summer training. Teachers…

Behaviors of effective experienced teachers, including their cognitive processes, were studied through a two-round modified Delphi study that involved 51 Connecticut educators. Delphi results led to construction of two Likert-type questionnaires completed by 1,837 teachers. The importance of 70 teaching behaviors was ranked with good content…

This study of the experiences of four beginning teachers of learning-disabled students examines teachers' pedagogical concerns (such as discipline and locating materials); concerns about special education (mainstreaming and consultation with classroom teachers); concerns about organization and time; amount and type of assistance received; and…

A study of 78 graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) found that those with exposure to prior training and higher amounts of teaching experience demonstrated higher self-efficacy than those with less training and experience. It is suggested that these factors may increase teaching assistant effectiveness and that both formal and on-the-job training of…

Differences between Teachers of the Year and inservice teachers and the effect of teachers' gender, years of teaching, grade level taught, and highest degree earned were evaluated using the Teacher Belief Questionnaire. Results indicated that Teachers of the Year were significantly more humanistic in their student control beliefs than were matched…

Responds to Floden and Klinzing's article, "What Can Research on Teacher Thinking Contribute to Teacher Preparation? A Second Opinion." Agrees with it, but discusses questions raised but not answered. Questions what expertise in teaching is, how this expertise is communicated, and who these experts are. (JS)

Through teacher and colleague interviews, presents experiences of first-year teacher in a poor, urban elementary school and his attempts to enact a social reconstructionist curriculum. Describes student resistance to the teacher's practices and his ability to help students adjust to a new way of learning. (LBT)

The purpose of this study was to examine preservice and experienced teachers' ratings and comments on teacher effectiveness and student learning after observing videotaped music classes. Comparisons were made among experience levels of observers and between focus of attention of observation. Subjects for the study included college junior and…

Mentoring is proposed as an effective strategy for helping novice teachers develop professional knowledge. However, a recent analysis of mentor-novice conversations in the United States about teaching reveals that they may not be important to the development of teachers' reform-minded practice. While this might be the case involving student…

Recent debates about the utility of teacher education have raised questions about whether certified teachers are, in general, more effective than those who have not met the testing and training requirements for certification, and whether some candidates with strong liberal arts backgrounds might be at least as effective as teacher education…

Reflecting on past experiences is an important problem-solving technique when teachers face new situations. In fact, teachers' attitudes and practices are highly influenced by their prior experiences as both learners and teachers. This paper is based on the premise that growth as an effective teacher is enhanced when one reflects more deeply about…

Pay for performance (PFP) is once again gaining popularity within education. This study examines teacher attitudes toward PFP policies, and how these views vary by teacher experience, subject area specialization, grade level(s) taught, educational background, personality characteristics, risk and time preferences, and feelings of efficacy. Data…

Data in this report reveals that collectively bargaining agreements are not the source of the teacher quality problem in urban school districts. The data shows that collective bargaining agreements are associated with reduced teacher transfer activity, especially in high-poverty schools, and less reliance on first-year teachers to staff…

Beliefs regarding classroom management vary among teachers and play an important role in effective instruction. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the differences between the beliefs of experienced teachers and novice teachers regarding classroom management styles. Within this study, classroom management is defined as a…

This publication looks at approaches and strategies available to beginning and experienced teachers to increase their effectiveness in the classroom setting. The book highlights ways in which a classroom may be organized and curriculum decisions made to encourage students to achieve their academic potential. Chapters cover the following topics:…