In this article, ethnic minority students describe teachers who helped them succeed in school. Data are drawn from interviews conducted in 1997 with successful students enrolled in a pre-service education program at Yunnan Normal University. Many of the interviewees are now mid-career teachers in schools throughout Yunnan Province. Plans…

Quality Physical Education (PE) school programs are imperative for the development of students' healthy lifestyles. While many factors impact the quality of PE programs, the effectiveness of the teacher plays an important part in the organization and advancement of a quality PE program. One way PE teachers can improve their effectiveness is by…

Professional educators--in the classroom, library, counseling center, or anywhere in between--share one overarching goal: ensuring all students receive the rich, well-rounded education they need to be productive, engaged citizens. In this article, a teacher of color in Baltimore discusses his career trajectory, and explains why teacher diversity…

Supercharged. High-performers. Leaders of the pack. This article presents "Training" magazine's 2012 Top Young Trainers--those high-potential training professionals who are on the fast track to success. For the fifth year, "Training" magazine is pleased to recognize the outstanding talents, accomplishments, and leadership exhibited by 40 learning…

Teaching assistants (TAs) comprise a quarter of the school workforce in England and Wales. There has been controversy over TAs' deployment and appropriate role regarding supporting learning and these debates have been transformed by findings from the largest study of school support staff (the DISS project), which show that TA support has a…

Boyer's call for the study of the "scholarship of teaching" has rekindled interest in outstanding teaching in higher education. However, most studies of teaching quality and student experiences in higher education have paid little attention to intense, meaningful key experiences and were limited in answering the pertinent question: Can…

Using quality children's literature with portrayals of characters that have communication impairments can be an effective teaching tool. Storybook characters with communication disorders can provide positive role models and promote understanding of diverse populations. Eighteen children's books were selected based on the following criteria:…

As many as four-fifths of high-school graduates will need some form of postsecondary education if they are to become self-sufficient and the nation is to remain economically competitive. At the same time, policy makers, business leaders, and national study groups say the quality of student learning is subpar and want measures of institutional and…

Reflecting back over a century ago to the small village of Menlo Park, New Jersey provides insight into a remarkable visionary and an exceptional role model for today's problem-solving and design-focused technology educator: Thomas A. Edison, inventor, innovator, and model technology educator. Since Edison could not simply apply existing knowledge…

In true David Letterman style, this article presents a Top Ten List for why and how it's important to get to know the beginning teacher next door or just down the hall and listen for call signals. What follows is the Top Ten List for becoming a mentor: (1) establish reciprocal collaboration through trust; (2) offer a shoulder of support; (3) share…

This book, which is based on the premise that teaching is basically a performing art, focuses on the issues involved in training teachers to become excellent performers. The book's 15 chapters describe how teacher can, through demonstration and coaching by other expert teachers, learn the generic skills and performing moves of exceptional…

Twelve cooperating teachers rated superior by their peers, administrators, and university supervisors were asked to study current literature and reflect and decide upon what makes them so effective in being highly successful with student teachers. These teachers divided the qualities of superior cooperating teachers into two categories: qualities…

Master teachers are the ones who stand out as individuals. They make the classroom hum with their independence, self-reliance, and individuality. They possess a personal center: an enviable sense of self that may not be keyed to the latest themes, fads, and procedures, but that works to bring community and learning to those they teach. Principals…

If educators are to bridge the black/white achievement gap, they must find a way to engage low-income and minority youth in academic learning. While ample evidence indicates that some teachers are highly effective in engaging students, the persistence of the achievement gap suggests that most are far less effective at engaging African American…

This paper, citing the gap that exists between the knowledge of best instructional practices and the modeling of those practices by college teachers, suggests a four-step plan for improvement. The first step is for the education unit on each campus to define the set of basic principles that underlie "good teaching." Step two is for each faculty…