Explores the strengths and limitations of the continuity perspective on aging. Delineates current usages of the concept. Reviews literature for evidence that continuity is, in fact, characteristic of the aging process and for indications that it is positively related to morale in old age. (Author)

Details nine tips for teachers assigned to take over a classroom in the middle of school year: be flexible; remember nervousness is natural; achieve effective classroom management; be prepared for paperwork; do not alter a lesson plan to fit that of the previous teacher; expect the unexpected; make friends on the staff; and keep a sense of humor.…

Presents results from a survey of 703 full-time college faculty from 35 2-year colleges, regarding their backgrounds, interests, professional activities, and perceptions. Finds job satisfaction related to influence at the college, perceptions of students, adverse institutional finances, colleges' intellectual quality, and perception of department…

Compares volunteers' and paid employees' attitudes toward their jobs and supervisors. Finds that volunteers are higher in intrinsic motivation and are more satisfied with their supervisors' decision-making. Suggests that supervisors of volunteers should use participative decision-making tactics and employ compliance-gaining behavior strategies…

Discusses three approaches to help teachers of alienated students ward off despair: (1) separating soluble from insoluble problems; (2) finding curriculum content that is interesting and involving to teachers and students; and (3) acknowledging within themselves some of the feelings and behaviors teachers find so appalling in their most difficult…

Eight papers discuss research into career progression in teaching. Topics include: teachers' satisfaction and stress, historical research on teachers, English primary teachers' careers, studying teachers' knowledge using collaborative autobiography, methodological issues in analyzing teacher career path data, attitude and perceptual change in…

The extent to which sources of stress, coping resources, background variables, and different ways of coping determined teacher stress in the fall term was studied with 66 Finnish school teachers on 4 occasions. Results showed a clear accumulation of stress as the term advanced. (SLD)

The proposition that teacher perceptions of the fairness of their workloads are related to varying levels of commitment, job satisfaction, and morale was studied for 472 high school teachers. Results from the mail survey support the proposition. Implications for administrative practice are discussed. (SLD)

A questionnaire was completed by 463 special educators and 493 general educators in Virginia. Analysis indicated that work-related variables, such as leadership support, role conflict, role ambiguity, and stress, are better predictors of commitment and job satisfaction than are demographic variables. Findings were similar for general and special…

Analyzes teachers' and students' perceptions of how participants became empowered in shared governance schools belonging to the Georgia-based League of Professional Schools. Includes descriptions of principals' related leadership practices. Participants reported increased communication quality and frequency both horizontally and vertically.…

This study of 750 teachers in 16 Australian secondary schools found that teachers working in different types of schools (government, nongovernment, low socioeconomic, or high socioeconomic) reported different levels of occupational stress. The salience of perceived stressors, levels of role conflict, role ambiguity, and social support differed…

Focuses attention on the experiences and needs of substitute caregivers in early childhood child care programs. Personal experiences and insights of several substitute caregivers highlight the discussion. (BB)

A longtime teacher in the United Kingdom uses his own work experiences and those of his colleagues to describe teachers' attitudes regarding teaching terms and conditions. He examines the Secretary of State for Education's "Terms and Conditions of Service" document and its implications for teacher supply and quality. (SM)

Reports on a study of 4,000 teachers in the German states that comprised the former Federal Republic of Germany. Finds that the feminization of the teaching profession is not as far advanced as is often assumed. Calls for more research into teacher placement and whether or not it affects teacher effectiveness or morale. (CFR)

Accounts of the experiences of 22 student teachers completing a final 10-week training practice in secondary schools were obtained through ethnographic interviewing. Developing a sense of belonging to the school's teaching community was a dominant theme. Recognition by teachers as colleagues and confirmation of teacher status by pupils were very…