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…

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…