The resource guide is intended to promote positive relationships among special and regular class teachers in rural areas. An introductory section reviews consultation in the educational setting, noting common practices and errors in the consultation process. Seven components of the consulting process are discussed: (1) identification of students…

The New Faculty Mentoring Program at the University of Albany (New York) began in the fall of 1986 and involved 52 participants (26 mentors, 26 new faculty). The objectives were to help the new faculty: get acquainted with the campus and its academic environment; build their teaching careers; and advance toward tenure by becoming involved in…

The problems and potential benefits of a term paper for an upper-division economics course are explored, and trends over 3 years are reported. The industrial organization course involves writing an industry case study term paper. Three concerns that are addressed in a term paper guide are discussed: topic selection, the organizational structure of…

Information about consulting projects and consultants is provided to help college administrators. It is noted that colleges are increasingly asking consultants for help with such diverse projects as database design, collection of new information, or the development of evaluative procedures. The stages of a successful consulting project and the…

The newsletter's function for foreign language teachers and administrators is as a cohesive force for readers within a geographic or language area, discussing their concerns, bringing timely items, and serving as a forum for political information and action. Newsletters take many forms. The objectives, contents, and production must be specifically…

The basis on which mentors select proteges was investigated, using suggestions found in the literature on mentoring. Actual and perceived similarity and contrast within the mentor pairs was examined. Attention was also directed to similarity to an imagined ideal pair opposite and the accuracy of interpersonal perception. Measured characteristics…

An optimal evaluation system should have five features if it is to both stimulate academic work and lead to fair decisions: clear expectations, feedback on performance, formative evaluation, summative evaluation, and differential rewards. Women and minorities were asked about their experiences in relation to these features. None had received…

Ways to promote the evaluation of teaching performance by peers are considered. It is suggested that the evaluator's task be extended to include counseling and coaching the instructor being evaluated in order to help him/her overcome deficiencies in classroom performance. The counselor/evaluator should start by scheduling a short meeting with the…

A professional social worker is employed for family counseling three mornings a week in a pediatrician's office. Results indicate that this team approach has been valuable in dealing with the many pediatric problems. (Author)

Suggests that peer involvement in job target setting and assessment can be an effective means of humanizing the assessment process resulting in improved instructional performance and higher staff morale. (Author)

Occasionally novice evaluators of educational products do not recognize the full scope of their jobs and may feel that there isn't much to do because a product prototype won't be ready for some time. This brief dialogue attempts to illustrate that there are many things an evaluator can do before he or she sees a product--perhaps even too much.…

Analysis of an informal subculture among school principals reveals the existence of norms and beliefs that may help them function in their jobs. Researchers interviewed all 28 principals in a medium-sized suburban Ohio school district to investigate their informal communications with each other. The norms identified forbid principals to be…

Cooperative arrangements between search service vendors, database producers, and teachers of online searching would recognize the needs of the latter while benefiting each group. A representative of an official organization of faculty specializing in teaching online searching, would speak for the group in discussions with search services, database…

The author suggests a cooperative model for school counselors and family physicians, since the unique capabilities of each profession, and the perspective of them held by parents and teachers, provide a basis for effectively influencing the well-being of the child. (ED/MJB)