This paper addresses the organization of classrooms in which the teacher is the center of control of all activities. Ten anecdotes are presented to illustrate the diversity of teaching methods used. The issue of poor teaching is addressed. (SD)

Offers three simple strategies for storing and managing hands-on learning materials in the classroom. The strategies include a checklist of storage solutions for the materials, a description of creative hands-on learning centers, and a list of strategies for managing students' use of hands-on materials. (SM)

Reviews 11 recent books and materials on the subject of literacy development. Groups the reviews into the subjects of overall classroom organization, organizing around literature, organizing around writing, and instructional materials. Notes a greater availability of works designed for use in primary grades than for upper elementary grades. (SG)

Uses a diary format to describe the author's development as a teacher between May 1982 and Spring 1993, focusing on personal experiences affecting her delivery of composition and literature courses. Describes the author's shift from a text-centered to a student-centered curriculum and efforts to include women writers in the curriculum. Includes…

This article examines cluster grouping as a viable option for meeting the needs of gifted and talented students. It also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of cluster grouping from the perspective of conclusions obtained through the implementation of cluster grouping in an elementary school district. (Contains references.) (CR)

The author shares three strategies to increase student participation in class discussions. These can be easily applied to any science content area and have proven to be effective in stimulating student participation by allowing students to communicate their ideas and consider alternative explanations using nontraditional classroom arrangements.…

This workshop, designed for Chapter 1 compensatory education teachers, administrators, and staff, offers alternatives to the widespread use of worksheets. Four strategies for alternative classroom methods are explored: cooperative learning, peer tutoring, reciprocal teaching, and theme-based instruction. The following elements are included in the…

Lesson planning can be divided into three types--content, process, and context. Each type helps to organize classroom activities, and together they establish the ambiance of the learners' journey. Content plans focus on information students should know. Instructional strategies designed to introduce or elaborate the content presentation should be…

In response to criticism of methods courses, this paper takes the position that the development of a body of knowledge concerning professional practices is central to the education of professional teachers. Focusing on the complexity of the teaching situation, a discussion is presented on the importance of mastering methods and models of teaching.…

A mainstreaming project was carried out in Toronto, Canada, in which four deaf students, ages 5 through 8, were integrated into a classroom of hearing students in grades 1 and 2, for 1 hour, 5 days a week, to participate in a writing program adapting the Graves-Giacobbe process writing model outlined in Donald Graves'"Writing Teachers and…

In order to discover how teachers structure the school day, this study examined the relationship between the sequencing, number, and duration of Gump's (1969) "activity segments" and the transitions between them. Detailed notes were written by an observer in 96 hours of observations of four primary and four intermediate classrooms. The…

Focusing on class organization, this publication reports on ideas that might improve reading skills by providing better opportunities for all children. The various articles deal with the use of reading consultants in classrooms as an alternative to "pull-out" reading programs, flexible grouping for individualized instruction, and reading…

This report presents a synthesis of a day-and-a-half interactive conference on research and development in reading attended by a group of reading specialists from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas representing their state departments of education. It includes the two presentations "A Sampling of Research Within Reach"…

Before they attempt to organize their classrooms to meet varying student needs, secondary teachers should establish a comprehensive framework for their instructional program, based on a diagnostic plan and on an instructional plan. Many different organizational strategies have been found successful by secondary teachers, both for teaching reading…

The authors place emphasis on the opportunity for active learning on the part of the student in a discussion of the advantages, conditions, and uses of small group instruction in contrast to the lecturing or tutoring methods of teaching mathematics. (MN)