A joint committee of a local teachers' association and the Tacoma Public Schools studied stress conditions for classroom teachers. Teachers estimated the magnitude of stress for forty-four events and noted those which they had actually experienced. "Involuntary transfer" was perceived as the most stressful event; seventeen per cent of the teachers…

Secondary and college teachers from the Northeast Conference on Foreign Language Teaching responded to a survey to investigate the status of foreign language instruction in the United States. The morale of the profession was found to be high, in spite of the demands made on language teachers, reduced job mobility, and a high average age. The…

This is a report of oversight hearings held in Washington, D.C., on January 23 and 24 and February 5, 6, and 7, 1980, to provide the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Elementary, Secondary, and Vocational Education of the Committee of Education and Labor, with a general picture of the current state of American secondary education. The focus…

This description of the Partners in Encouragement (PIE) program and the methods used to implement the program provide a model for school counselors to combat teacher burnout and improve morale. A discussion of the preliminary planning needs focuses on ways to inform prospective participants of the program, and outlines the introduction to be…

A questionnaire was administered to samples of staff from 22 desegregated middle schools in Detroit, Michigan, to evaluate the impact of desegregation on staff attitudes. The questions focused on a number of areas including desegregation and busing, student achievement, student-staff relations, student racial relations, and staff relations and…

The question of the viability of tenure for college faculty is considered in three papers. In "The History of Tenure," Walter P. Metzger considers the history of academic tenure and the history of opposition to this practice. It is concluded that tenure continues to be a vital institution and has provided a better quality faculty. Its…

Siena Heights College conducted a number of projects designed to enhance institutional vitality through support from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. Institutional vitality is viewed as involving: a clearly designed and accepted mission for the unit in question; direction, attainable goals, and programs that enable…

A leader's handbook is presented for a course designed for the continuing education of professional librarians at the level of middle or upper management who find that they need understanding about human resources in the library system beyond that acquired on the job or in previous library education. The course has four units: (1) Management: A…

Draws on 13 years experience teaching behavior-disordered students to identify effective teaching methods. Discusses the importance of honesty, fairness, consistency, persistence, intuition, praise, and humor in the teacher-student relationship. Provides eight guidelines for developing a workable and suitable classroom reward system. (JHZ)

Scott Thomson, executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), is interviewed about his expectations for education during the 1980s. He expresses an optimistic attitude and feels that education will continue to be one of the major priorities in the nation through the 1990s. (MD)

This article describes a British program for new teachers during their probationary first year of teaching. The program established courses at teacher centers and provided teacher-tutors in a system that formerly gave no support to beginning teachers. (SB)

Americans have concluded that the achievement gap is the fault of "failing schools" because it makes no common sense that it could be otherwise. After all, how much money a family has, or a child's skin color, should not influence how well that child learns to read. If teachers know how to teach and if schools permit no distractions,…

A series of 10 seminars on teaching and learning across the curriculum were offered at Burlington College (Vermont) to improve faculty morale and to provide faculty development at this college which relies on an all-adjunct faculty. These interdisciplinary seminars focused on local context and culture. The 32 participants, who were paid an…

Examines the low level of teacher morale at inner city schools and finds "ethical" stressors such as racial tension among faculty, falsifying of school records, and sexual harassment by school officials emerging as factors contributing to teacher exit and absenteeism. (AOS)

Stress and burnout are normal occurences that are common and predictable in all professions, including teaching. Strategies should be devised and implemented to reduce at least the intensity of the phenomena so that job satisfaction can increase while commitment to work remains high. (JD)