Discusses the issue of staff turnover in the child care profession. Focuses on characteristics of child care centers that provide a high quality learning environment for young children and in which employees choose to stay. (GLR)

Suggests the use of timely communication through feedback for the purpose of boosting staff morale. Managers can cause employees to motivate themselves by restructuring jobs to satisfy employees' needs, by using artful criticism, and by asking employees about morale. Includes a list of key ingredients of a satisfying job. (SH)

Longitudinal study of newly admitted nursing home residents (n=50) revealed that perceived control over relocation decision had positive effects on health during first month of residency but negative effects on health and morale between second and fourth months. Acceptance of relocation had positive effects on health and morale between second and…

Surveyed nursing home administrators (n=124) to determine mental health problems of residents, mental health issues of staff, mental health professionals used as consultants, and intervention programs to improve mental health environment of facilities. Results identified combative and demanding behaviors, depression, and confusion as difficult…

"Schools and Businesses Need to Work together to Close the 'Job Skills Gap'" (Cortina) discusses Los Angeles efforts to implement recommendations of the Secretary's Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills. "Employer-Sponsored Education Is a Win-Win Situation for Both Businesses and Employees" (Lipshutz) describes a…

Argues that change has become so much a part of school culture that it has become the constant. Presents four considerations for school administrators: (1) teachers work hard; (2) change requires much additional time and energy; (3) support the people implementing the change; and (4) teacher and principal autonomy and authority will foster change.…

Evidence from the field of evolutionary psychology suggests inherent reasons for the promotion process triggering negative emotions and behaviors among unsuccessful candidates. To reduce interpersonal casualties related to promotion, camp administration should educate staff about these reactions, provide extra supervisory time for successful…

Summarizes a survey of 239 New Zealand elementary school educators. New Zealand's experience shows that national policymaking, which largely excludes school staff, still substantially influences everyday school operations. When site-based management occurs in a vacuum, devoid of interest, support, initiatives, and well-grounded information, school…

Research indicates significant levels of burnout in academic teaching librarians. This article describes parallels with other "helping professions" and examines characteristics, causes, and solutions of burnout, inside and outside the classroom. Solutions should be sought in research on similar professions and their effectiveness should…

Suggests positive ways to deal with camp staff: reduce precamp jitters and first-session doubts, personalize paycheck envelopes, schedule breaks and parties, rotate staff, permit use of facilities, keep in touch off-season, develop an interstaff "buddy" system, post a thank-you board, and celebrate staff accomplishments. Sidebars offer…

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards[R] (NBPTS) has always welcomed scrutiny of the National Board Certification[R] process and the impact that National Board Certified Teachers[R] (NBCTs) have on teaching and learning. As a result, in the 20 years since NBPTS was founded, National Board Certification has become one of the most…

Recent reform initiatives, especially the No Child Left Behind Act, tend to rely on a variety of highly debatable assumptions that fail to reflect the diversity of today's classrooms and also place pressure on educators in a manner we characterize as accountability by assumption. Such reform initiatives have become so political, complex, and…

It is imperative that educational administrators continually examine the issues that confront teachers on a day-to-day basis, keeping in mind how they can best assist their faculty in maintaining the focus on their students and the overall instructional process. The issues presented in the following discussion are provided as a sampling of…

Most practitioners teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL) will agree that students come with some expectations about course content and teaching methodology and that these expectations play a vital role in student motivation and learning. However, the study of student expectations has been a surprising omission from Second…

Purpose: The aim of this study was to measure the impact of professionally conducted community-based cultural programs on the physical health, mental health, and social activities of individuals aged 65 and older. Design and Methods: Participants in the study were 166 healthy, ambulatory older adults from the Washington, DC, area. We assigned them…