Describes a graduate seminar for in-service elementary school teachers which provided opportunities for meeting and observing peer teachers and deliberating on their teaching. (CM)

The concerns of first-year home economics teachers were identified on a month-by-month basis in relationship to selected situational factors in the school and community (e.g. class size, number of daily lesson preparations, living conditions, and friends). Number of lesson preparations and reaction to administration were found to be significantly…

Working conditions of teachers were studied in two large urban areas. These five categories of stressors were identified in the work environments: (1) governance/leadership; (2) budget cuts; (3) security; (4) staff relations; and (5) student issues. The issues of "no respect" and "nonteaching functions" for teachers need to be addressed before…

Reviews life cycle theories of developmental psychology and examines their applications in addressing the needs of adults who work in schools. Structural changes are needed if schools are to be responsive to the developmental needs of adults. (BJV)

Mature teachers become dissatisfied with their profession because it often retards their developmental growth. Teachers can be revitalized through the development of mentor programs, which promote adult growth. An empirically proven model for a mentor training program is described. (BJV)

The impact of stress burnout and on the educational organization is discussed. Observations include the need for clarity on the part of special educators concerning expectations of self and others. (JW)

The current agenda for school reform expresses the wish of elites to support traditional American values and social stratification, negating pluralism. The agenda has misconceptualized excellence, the necessary means to attain it, and the actors who will create it. An alternative is proposed based on teacher professionalism and local initiative.…

Argues that effective teaching is becoming progressively obsolete because of declining faculty involvement with teaching/learning. Identifies social change conditions affecting the teaching effectiveness of community college faculty. Discusses dimensions of alienation (i.e., powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, isolation, and…

A new Carnegie Foundation survey of faculty is discussed. Faculty attitudes toward their profession and their department morale, teaching, and their current position are reported, and general faculty characteristics are identified. (MLW)

Teachers can gain strength to continue in their profession by consciously forging links--personal, parental, professional, promotional, and practitioner--that bind them to various constituencies. (MLF)

Current efforts to reform education may result in deskilled teachers who instruct through teacher-proof programs. The importance of interpretive, normative, and critical skills found in the social foundations of education are discussed as a solution to the problems found in education. (DF)

Describes an oral history project in which students at an inner city school in Boston produced a book about the history of their school and its neighborhood, thereby recreating a sense of community in an institution that has undergone profound changes during recent years. (GC)

Analysis of three English schools indicates that "low morale" is a diffuse phenomenon used by teachers to describe important aspects of their response to working life. It is always better management practice to accept this perception of reality than to take on defensive postures or deny its existence. (MLF)

Impressions regarding the teaching of history culled from classroom observations and implications for change that derive from these observations are discussed. Changes must include smaller classes, a reeducation of teachers to increase their knowledge and enthusiasm, and better teaching methods. (RM)

Surveyed part-time faculty and full-time, nontenure track faculty (N=119) at Montana State University and found a pool of experienced individuals generally dissatisfied with their work situation, particularly appropriateness of compensation and policies. Gender differences were noted in dependence upon the income from part-time teaching,…