Reviews the concerns of the increasing number of teachers who are over 50: retirement decisions, retrospective career assessment, and societal and value changes. (JM)

Outlines the objectives and the rationale of a pilot intervention program in Sydney, Australia, that responds to teacher burnout. Addresses the causes of burnout and implements strategies to assist in the reduction and ultimate prevention of burnout using invitational theory as a foundation to create a better school climate. (RJM)

Although U.S. public schools now possess 5.8 million computers, roughly one for every nine students, they are not widely used in classroom instruction. Industry leaders have neglected teachers' central role in instruction and have grossly oversimplified schools' complexities. Computers will become more commonplace when they are used to make…

Discusses how teaching middle school deepened and broadened a former high school teacher's notion of what it is to be a teacher. Describes the teacher's changing teaching strategies. Suggests that the teacher had faced up to an immensely difficult challenge--the opportunity to teach middle school students. (RS)

Examined how intergroup differences within suburban schools affected African American teachers' experiences. Organizational culture strongly influenced how whites treated their minority counterparts. Because the majority established norms, minorities were expected to comply with uniform sets of rules and regulations. Intergroup conflict arose…

A study of the recently established private training sector in New Zealand identified issues related to accreditation, funding, equity, and teacher working conditions. It concluded that the government's focus on "perpetual training" neglects the social, cultural, and political context and emphasizes behaviorism. It also increases…

Summarizes rural teachers' problems and needs related to teaching conditions, scarce or outdated materials and equipment, cultural differences, and geographic isolation. Demonstrates that the Foxfire approach's core practices are more effective than Miller's "core teaching skills in teacher preparation programs" in preparing teachers to…

A survey of 411 agriculture teachers in 13 western states received 344 responses indicating that teachers perceive their teacher education program as the most significant factor associated with teacher effectiveness. Local community setting, the school environment, and teaching environment were other important factors. (SK)

Teaching is a trade that hasn't yet discovered the power of self-transformation and self-rejuvenation. To become empowered, teachers must stop seeing themselves as victims of bureaucrats, citizens, and recalcitrant children. Only by restructuring their jobs from the ground up (by determining to serve children better) can teachers emerge as…

A properly structured job-enrichment program can help motivate classroom teachers and encourage them to remain in the classroom. Offers examples of programs for enhancing the professional lives of teachers and cites pitfalls to avoid in designing a program. (MLF)

Analysis of the responses of 100 Israeli teachers to the Teacher Study Questionnaire revealed that, although the teachers represented diverse groups and had different characteristics, they had remarkably similar views about the nature of the teaching job and important conditions for successful teaching. (Author/CB)

Analyzing a sample of 42 elementary schools and 45 secondary schools in the state of New York, this article investigates the organizational work characteristics that predict teachers' career dissatisfaction in order to establish a basis for changing the work environment of schools. (Author/TE)

Most of the 550 educators polled on corporate punishment oppose it. Supporters use corporal punishment because "it works," and out of frustration. Opponents consider it abusive, ineffective, and reinforcement for the strong bullying the weak. Included are comments from teachers and students, and a summary of state regulations. (IAH)

Two Dutch studies examined the relationship between classroom climate, student learning outcomes (attitude and achievement), and school climate (operationalized by teachers' job satisfaction). Results suggest that classroom climate as a variable could be productively incorporated into instructional and curricular design theories because of its…

In the push for excellence in education, administrators may forget that dissatisfied teachers may weaken the educational program. Basic public relations principles and techniques can help administrators meet teachers' needs. (Author/TE)