It is notoriously difficult to classify occupations as professions and to define professional work. Numerous authors have provided criteria for categorising occupations as professions but the judgement still remains a difficult one. Freidson (1991) is clear that professional work is Good Work. It has a moral purpose and arguably that sense of…

In this article, which is a response to William Cook and Bruce Joyce, the author acknowledges common ground but sticks to his position that the best way to improve instruction is to develop true learning communities in which teachers together examine and adjust their practices. In his generous response to the Schmoker's February 2004 Kappan…

Recently, many insights have been gained into the design of powerful learning environments. Teacher training must take account of this knowledge when educating the teachers of the future. This study investigates possible approaches within teacher training which could encourage student teachers towards learning-focused teaching activities. The main…

This article will discuss issues concerning the potential of videopapers, drawing on a research project investigating the use of videopapers as a tool for reflecting on practice and as an assignment in initial teacher education. Student teachers engaged in initial teacher education programmes often find it difficult to "see" what is…

Although teachers are engaged in many field-trips, they seldom have the pedagogical knowledge and experience to enact them. This article presents an effort to support reflective practice of teachers in the outdoors. The teaching experience of five pre- and in-service teachers included preparation for teaching in the outdoors, designing learning…

This article features an innovative project called the "Teacher Learning Center" (TLC) that is jointly funded by the South Dakota Department of Education, Black Hills State University (BHSU), and the Spearfish School District in Spearfish, South Dakota. The purpose of this project was to provide opportunities for preservice and new…

Educational researchers have recently suggested that Schon's influential model of the "reflective practitioner" lacks a prospective, or future, dimension. In this study, we examine instances of future-oriented talk produced by novice English as-a-second-language (ESL) teachers during mentoring meetings in one North American university…

This inquiry explores the educative meaning of interruptions or breaks in teacher's experiences by looking at their role in reflection and listening. Reflection and listening are not only two vital and distinct aspects of teaching, but are also interrelated and as such can serve to productively inform one another. In this context, I develop the…

In this article, the author shares her practicum experience in a nine-month English program and a gruelling assessment schedule for her other five subjects. During her practicum several incidents occurred that caused a shift in the way she perceives the role of an English teacher, and they have informed her English teaching practices. She reflects…

In the literature dealing with L2 teacher training and education numerous references are made to the concept of reflective teaching and teachers and teacher educators are encouraged to engage in reflective practices. The present paper, however, argues that in our attempt to empower teachers to become more efficient practitioners, we have lost…

Effective teaching is the art of getting information to the students' memory in an organized manner to facilitate later retrieval. Thanks to advances in cognitive science, one can talk of the science of teaching. A metaphor that captures the work of effective teachers is "teachers as knowledge engineers," which connotes that effective teachers…

This issue's column focuses on two practices that everyone has learned and utilized but possibly have forgotten. First, Michael offers a look into classroom management and what he needed to learn to be a more effective teacher. Second, Terry asks questions to remind himself and other writing teachers of the importance of helping students…

Despite the long history of the study of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), two facts remain obvious. First, there are almost as many conceptions regarding the definition of PCK as there are researchers interested in it. Second, it is largely unclear which methods enable teacher educators to best prepare teacher candidates to use PCK. Recently,…

Presents findings from an Australian study that examined experienced teachers' reflective practice by asking whether a new approach generated from aspects of poststructuralism can help teachers move to more critical reflection. While earlier research indicated that very few preservice teachers challenged assumptions on which their own visually and…

Summarizes themes in this issue on effective teaching of adults: acknowledging multiple valid teaching perspectives, reflecting on beliefs and practices, teaching responsively, and challenging the status quo. (Contains 28 references.) (SK)