Controversial topics may be uncomfortable for teachers to include in their in-class discussions. However, there are considerable cognitive and social-emotional benefits to engagement in controversial conversations, or classroom discussion about controversial topics. It is critical that teachers support students in respectful discussion to help…

Partnerships between students and faculty are increasingly established within higher education. Everyone's unique life story or background influences how they understand partnership praxis. Acknowledging individual understandings of student-faculty partnership matters because personal stories can influence how such partnerships form, function, and…

This paper examines how marginalisation of students in schools can be understood and addressed. Usually the term marginalisation is associated with existing categories, which mostly relate to policy formulations, and shape teachers' expectations of these groups as well as their practices. Using examples from the author's research, it is argued…

English language instructors regularly witness how various social, pedagogical and individual elements intersect and influence one another in their classrooms. Every language program is shaped by the characteristics of their local, regional and national contexts. On a similar vein, knowledge and skills are framed under particular linguistic goals…

A lot of people talk about the value of formative assessment, but Carol Ann Tomlinson points out that, too often, it is reduced to a mechanism for raising end-of-year-test scores when it should be an ongoing exchange between a teacher and his or her students designed to help students grow. When aligned with current content goals, it can help…

Attending to the academic and social/emotional developmental needs of students has and continues to be a significant challenge for teachers and relatively little research examining the impact of teacher empathy exists. Empathy is an important skill for educators to facilitate the creation of a positive learning environment with students and…

Instructors are constantly baffled by the fact that two students who are sitting in the same class, who have access to the same materials, can come to understand a particular chemistry concept differently. Variation theory offers a theoretical framework from which to explore possible variations in experience and the resulting differences in…

This article provides an overview of the seven principles of good practice with emphasis on the implementation of technology in an online healthcare research class in a southwest Georgia (United States) university. The seven principles are outlined using various elements of the online course. Historical and philosophical reasoning are applied to…

All good teachers try hard to treat each child fairly and kindly, with care and concern. Indeed, they are ethically obliged to do so (National Association for the Education of Young Children [NAEYC], 2005). As they are human, however, they may occasionally meet a child to whom they react negatively. It is not something to be proud of, but they…

Understanding factors associated with children's early behavioral difficulties is of vital importance to children's school success, and to the prevention of future behavior problems. Although biological factors can influence the expression of certain behaviors, the probability of children exhibiting classroom behavior problems is intensified when…

This article deals with the impact on Catholic teachers resulting from the inclusion of non-Catholic students in Catholic schools. Deriving findings from focus groups of Catholic teachers drawn from four urban Western Canadian Catholic high schools, this article proffers that although inclusion heightens Catholic teachers' uncertainty regarding…

The Process Communication Model is based on personality types (reactors, persisters, workaholics, dreamers, rebels, and promoters) denoting different sets of behaviors, perceptions, and motivators that influence individual learning and teaching styles. The model is comprehensive and process-oriented, covering interaction styles, communication…

Differentiated instruction adapts learning to the students' unique differences. It focuses on the diverse needs of the individual learners. It is stated, that the first step in developing a differentiated instructional program is to provide an introduction to the philosophy and an overview of the benefits for learners. After the introductory…

Teachers must learn to recognize and eliminate gender bias, because it can limit students' ambitions and accomplishments (Sanders, 2003). A gender-neutral position practiced by teachers recognizes individual and group differences, and believes that both girls and boys can reach their fullest potential if they are sensitive to the quality and level…

Discusses factors that contribute to powerful learning experiences based on the results of two studies that examined diverse groups and more coherent groups of individuals. Topics include the highly individual nature of learning; problems that can create for instructional designers; relevance of learning to life and/or work; active learning; and…