In this article, Kim Marshall writes that as she has worked with numerous principals and faculties over her career, she is disheartened to see administrators spending most of their contact time with teachers on cumbersome bureaucratic processes. She believes the result of this is that teachers begin to shift to a defensive mode--worrying…

This article tells the story of transformation at Liberty High School in Eldersburg, Maryland. Feedback from teachers, both informal and formal, was largely negative. Teachers said there was little application to their daily interactions with students and felt that their engagement was limited to simply showing up. They expressed a desire to…

Teacher beliefs have a profound impact on instructional practice. According to Pajares (1992), beliefs determine how much effort a teacher puts forth and how long he or she will persist in the face of adversity. Many beliefs can be traced back to experiences teachers had when they were in school. Those early recollections of school events tend to…

If principals expect to reap the full benefits of having teacher leaders in coaching positions, they should create working conditions that encourage positive relationships, reduce risks, and provide leadership development. To take full advantage of school-based coaches, principals must provide them with appropriate support. This paper discusses…

The article describes the first phase of a school district project designed to change the teaching workplace and to improve student achievement and learning aptitude. Program design and implementation, including teachers' participation and roles, are discussed as well as the results of the first few months. (CB)

This report from Harvard University's Project on the Next Generation of Teachers examines why new some teachers remain in the profession despite difficult teaching conditions. Central to teachers' satisfaction is the belief that they are teaching their students effectively. Other factors include being granted novice status via reduced course…

Principals are well-positioned to cultivate their schools' cultures. They must remain vigilant in rooting out the beginnings of negative culture, including such teacher attitudes and behaviors as not feeling responsible for student learning, preferring to work alone, wanting to protect their territory, and focusing on activity rather than results.…

Studying one's profession, especially when done in community with others, where the learning is richer and deeper, has not been the norm in the education community. Educators typically have been physically isolated from each other because of the structure of school facilities and the schedules that dominate the school day. This physical isolation…

Examines the future of staff development, noting its inadequacy due to prevailing concepts of teaching. The article traces changes in concepts of teachers and their work, outlines implications of change for future staff development, and describes experiences of one school district in redefining staff development as suggested by conceptual change.…

As part of an effort to improve the quality of work life, an Employees Communication and Development Council was formed at the West Bloomfield School District of Orchard Lake, Michigan. The council concentrates on improving the district's internal communications and planning for staff development activities. (PP)

Effective professional development requires that the district take charge to develop a comprehensive strategy. Districts must be able to describe the strategy and organize to meet their goals. A balanced strategy includes compensation, planning time, teachers' job structure and responsibilities, and professional learning opportunities. Districts…

The article traces the path of change, over several years, in school culture through a school district's five-year Human Resource Development Program, presents formative evaluation data, reveals critical change decisions, and speculates on what might have been done differently. (CB)

What would a school look like if it were designed with teachers' needs in mind, a building created with the idea of fostering professional learning along with student learning? As more schools are being updated or replaced, the opportunity exists not only to ask the question, but also to make changes that foster teacher learning.

This article describes the Boston Teacher Leadership Certificate program created to expand teachers' capacity for teacher leadership roles. The professional learning was designed to strengthen teachers' leadership skills while also paying attention to whether and under what conditions they were more successful in their roles. To monitor the…