This article explores a fundamental indicator missing from current assessments of preservice teacher effectiveness, namely the importance of competencies central to professionalism and to impact on student learning. Drawing from her classroom experiences and relevant research, the author makes the case that evaluation of English teacher…

This essay seeks to establish a metaphor of the professional practice of teaching to the attributes and training of an offensive lineman in the game of American football. Effective classroom instruction does not rely exclusively on a rare set of talents but rather rests on the commitment to the work of teaching. Like the position of offensive…

Universities and schools are struggling with the critical issues surrounding teacher quality, student learning, and the gap between research and practice. This study employed a collective case-study design to explore the impact of leadership teams and school-university partnerships on teacher leadership, professional development, and overall…

The arrival of underprepared freshmen to a high school presents a host of challenges for all stakeholders. West High School in Bakersfield, California, responded to a problem of academic failure of a significant number of freshmen by developing and implementing a Freshman Academy for underprepared students entering the 9th grade. During two years…

Learning theories are essential for effective teaching in that they shed light on different aspects of the learning process. The spectrum of learning theories can be categorized into three main areas: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. "Behaviorism" as a teacher-centered instructional framework for a long time dominated educational…

Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, contemporary behavioral scientists contend that exceptional educators provide students with a contextual sense of their intrinsic worth by creating academic environments that engage three overarching human needs: "autonomy," the freedom to make choices and determine one's future;…

Special educators are uniquely challenged to be content experts in all curricular areas, including mathematics, because students in their caseloads may require academic instruction in any area. However, special educators with math phobia may be limited in their ability to provide effective instruction to their students with mathematical deficits…

The author reflects on his experiences with standardized tests, emphasizing the dreadful consequences of our continued allegiance to them. In doing so, the author expounds on how public schools have kowtowed to a harmful societal preference for results regardless of processes, decision-makers' desires to quantify learning, and the desires of…

Teachers contribute to the success of all students, in part, by understanding and being responsive to the legal context of teaching. Simply stated, a teacher's success is increasingly dependent on a sound awareness and prudent application of education law. Although several excellent resources are available for informing the preservice and…

Research supports several factors related to student success. Darling-Hammond (2000) indicated that the quality of teachers, as measured by whether the teachers were fully certified and had a major in their teaching field, was related to student performance. Measures of teacher preparation and certification were the strongest predictors of student…

Learning objects are instructional materials found on the Internet that can be used to illustrate, support, supplement, or assess student learning. Small in size, they can provide instruction that is just enough, just in time, just for you. Is it time to move your classroom into the twenty-first century? In this article, the author explores what…

Ensuring a qualified teacher in every classroom is a central part of the latest agenda to strengthen public education and maximize student achievement. Effective teaching and delivering quality instruction are lifelong and critical goals of professional development of teachers. High-quality induction programs support qualified teachers for every…

Beginning secondary school teachers need support. Although no panacea is available for assuring successful classroom practice, the authors provide suggestions resulting from thirty plus years experience as classroom teachers, school administrators, and university professors. These suggestions focus on classroom management, and they include helping…

The authors have been engaged in research focused on students' depth of learning as well as teachers' efforts to foster deep learning. Findings from a study examining the teaching practices and student learning outcomes of sixty-four teachers in seventeen different states (Smith et al. 2005) indicated that most of the learning in these classrooms…

The decisions evaluators make regarding how to work with teachers through the annual evaluation process can have a positive impact on teacher growth and student learning. In this article, the author examines the quality of feedback and how administrators use and provide this feedback to teachers through the evaluation process. What constitutes…