This article describes the role of the advisor in a staff development project and how advisors facilitate projects by providing support, clarification, materials, creative ideas, and structure. Recommendations regarding the use of advisors are made. (MT)

The question of whether teachers should train other teachers is discussed from the perspective of the literature and the opinions of classroom teachers. Several cautions for using teachers as staff developers are given. (MT)

One person's experience as the first building-level staff developer in her school is examined. Tasks of the job, experiences, personal insights, and recommendations for other building-level staff developers are described. (Author/MT)

The implementation of a school-based program in which specially trained teachers served as staff developers to introduce a writing-across-the-curriculum program is described from the perspectives of the teacher/staff developer, the principal, and the district director of staff development. (Author/MT)

Discusses the effect of resistance on educational change, offering three steps for managing resistance (being aware of resistance, identifying sources and types of resistance, and developing and applying proactive strategies for managing resistance). Two sidebars describe 10 techniques to turn resistance into productive effort and discuss how to…

Describes the results from a recent study of school professional-development programs nationwide, which found that schools with effective programs consistently devoted time and energy to ensuring readiness among staff members by fostering five types of readiness: cultural, conceptual, personal, political, and resource readiness. A sidebar presents…

How educators think about and use time is woven into school cultures. School leaders must learn to read the culture and focus staff development on cultural issues affecting how people use time. This paper discusses cultures that nurture and wound and describes how to shape more nurturing cultures (read the school's culture, assess views of time,…

Developing a model to improve student academic learning time and achievement and to develop local resources to continue the program after the funding period required a staff development program that enabled teachers to use specific direct instruction teaching behaviors. The staff development program is described and recommendations are made. (MT)

Differences between novice teachers and experienced newcomers are explored, and objectives are presented for staff development programs in which principals facilitate the induction of experienced newcomers. (Author)

A description is given of a mentor-protege program which promoted growth, recognition, experience-enhancing roles, and collegiality for mid- to late-career teachers who served as mentors. (Author/IAH)

Presents strategies to help staff developers and classroom teachers work through the transition phase of a paradigm shift in educational practice, highlighting traditional assessment and grading models and noting the importance of allowing teachers time to reframe and integrate the new model, meeting in small groups to understand the transition.…

This article provides a rationale for new types of teacher induction programs, a description of an innovative small-group process that provides beginning teachers with peer support, and a brief summary of quantitative and qualitative results obtained from implementing support groups for novice teachers. (IAH)

Distinguishes between training and facilitation, examines the belief system of a facilitator, and shares a process for moving from the familiar mind-set of the trainer to the zen (the practice of seeking the truth) of facilitation. (GLR)

Presents a model for educational change based on the assumption that education requires personal transformation and improved collegial relationships. There are two realities about educational change: many aspects of classroom operation are under teacher control, and teachers have feelings about what they do. The article makes recommendations for…

Methods staff developers used to improve the reading program at a Greenwich, Connecticut, elementary school are discussed. The entire staff of the school was involved in developing the new reading program, which focused on increasing teachers' expectations of student learning, use of diagnostic teaching, and other techniques. (PP)