According to responses from 145 secondary agriculture teachers and 2,400 students, students thought instructional clarity increased when teachers actively involved them. Systematic differences between teachers' and students' perceptions (especially teachers rating themselves more highly than students did) indicate a need for teachers to reflect on…

Suggests that Ralph Waldo Emerson is one of the most important figures in American Literature, yet his writing can be too "lofty" for many modern students to grasp. Offers some examples of ways to bring Emerson down to earth, grounding his spiritualist musings in material illustrations and making him more accessible to students. (NB)

Inspired by Donald Schon's work "Educating the Reflective Practitioner" (1987), the authors create virtual worlds using an approach combining video technology and the case teaching method. This article describes two video series, "Mentoring the New Teacher" and "Becoming a Star Urban Teacher," aimed at enhancing the…

Presents five story telling strategies--inspired by the work of Vivian Paley--that teachers can use to discover children's perspectives in a classroom: share the story of our names, share favorite stories from childhood, pass the paper and find the different stories, act out the story with different communication styles, and see our work as making…

In this article, we examine the evolving influences and literacy beliefs of two elementary teachers during their second year of professional teaching. Interview and observational data indicated that teaching context and personal dispositions most influenced the participant?s literacy beliefs during this time. In particular, instructional decisions…

In this article, we examine the evolving influences and literacy beliefs of two elementary teachers during their second year of professional teaching. Interview and observational data indicated that teaching context and personal dispositions most influenced the participant's literacy beliefs during this time. In particular, instructional decisions…

The Strategy Toolbox is a concrete model developed to increase the academic achievement of students through increased teacher knowledge and expertise in teaching strategies. It is intended for implementation by individual teachers who share their ideas, classroom applications, and reflections in a group setting as an overall strategy for school…

A Los Angeles County middle school filled with students who bring a wide range of talents, languages, and cultures serves as the context for McGinnis's reflections on her teaching of multicultural literature through a critical pedagogy lens. With the realization that her teaching can transform students' lives, she focuses on building an atmosphere…

This article argues that discourse analysis can be utilized in conjunction with other forms of analysis to develop a more critical teaching and research agenda for Human Resource Development (HRD); in particular this article suggests that the introduction of a discourse analysis perspective can support and facilitate the development of critically…

Using an autobiographical approach for pedagogical reflection, the author raises questions about how to include "hospitable kinship" and "gift exchange" in teaching and learning. Her experience with a Zimbabwean community circle of hospitable kinship has prompted her to consider how this method of community formation might be…

Reflective practice, a popular item in current second-language teacher education and development programs, can help bridge the gap between a teacher's beliefs and classroom practices. This article outlines a case study, highlighting how one teacher of academic writing initiated the exploration of her teaching and how she used classroom…

This paper addresses issues linking research in student teacher learning with reflection on practice in mathematics teacher education. From a situated perspective on learning and practice, we explore our own practice as teacher educators while researching student teacher learning in our classrooms. We describe a study on student teacher learning,…

In this paper, I report the results of a 4-year study into how my students learn to become mathematics teachers during the combined 15-week methods and field placement course I teach. At the start of most weekly methods class meetings, groups of three or four students reported their critical incidents to each other, and then chose one incident to…

Middle school teachers are not unique in their lack of time to contemplate their profession in any systematic way. Educators could benefit from journal-keeping as a means to reflect on their practice, their attitudes towards what they do in the classroom, and the obstacles they all face in teaching. This article presents excerpt from a teacher's…

In this article, the author examines the effectiveness of reflective teaching in Kindergarten which promotes children's learning. Reflective teaching encourages kindergartners to extend their thinking by asking questions and by modeling their own use of reflection. Further, he emphasizes that it is possible for teachers to nurture reflective…