A new teacher's mindset may have more to do with her success than her natural teaching talent. When she feels overwhelmed, her mindset will determine whether she gives up or sticks with it. This article includes insights from a new teacher about how her mindset helped her through the tough days of her first year.

Students and teachers predict technology's impact on the future of education. What will classrooms look like in 20 years?

This paper presents a conversation with Carol Dweck, the author of "Mindset: The New Psychology of Success" (Random House, 2006). She serves as the Lewis and Virginia Eaton Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Science and is the recipient of…

Building a strong partnership with students' families will help the student succeed. At Parents for Public Schools, the author and her staff work to bring parents and guardians into a positive relationship with their children's teachers and schools, and they have gathered feedback from parents about how they think that can happen. This article…

Students know what good teaching looks like--but educators rarely ask them. See what these high school students, who are members of the Future Educators Association[R] and want to be teachers themselves, said. FEA is a part of the PDK family of education associations, which includes Pi Lambda Theta. Get insider advice on good teaching from some…

The three generations--Baby Boomer (born between 1946 and 1965), Generation X (born between 1967 and 1975), and Generation Y (born between 1976 and 2000)--have different styles of communication, yet teachers of all ages still have to work together effectively. Teachers can improve their relationships with their colleagues if they understand more…

Children learn both verbal and nonverbal communication strategies by imitating parents, teachers, and other significant people in their lives. However, most American parents converse with their children for only about 38 minutes per week. In contrast, teachers might communicate with children for up to seven hours each weekday. Each day, teachers…

Achievement gaps concern educators at all levels today. Educators recognize the threats these gaps pose to education quality and equity, and they are working hard to close them--but an equally threatening gap in education with consequences just as serious is largely ignored. It influences every educational-improvement effort and seriously…

For fifteen years, the presenter has engaged college students in discussions and writing assignments that pertain to the outstanding characteristics of their most effective teachers--"effective" meaning that these teachers made the most significant impact on their lives. Based on those recurring themes, the conclusion is that effective teachers…

In this article, the author first sets forth theoretical reasons for African American males' location in national disciplinary trends. Special emphasis is placed on the role of culture as a key factor in why Black boys lead the most measures of behavioral sanctions. Next, she analyzes how research findings centered on African American and boys'…

Principals in the information age need to be information driven, committed to shared leadership and relentless about continuous improvement. They must reshape the processes, norms, and behaviors of teaching and learning around aggregating and interpreting shared information. In this article, the authors discuss the role of a principal in shaping…

A few years ago the National School Reform Faculty (NSRF) revised its mission statement to include language about working to "foster educational and social equity." The revision makes sense to the author as a graduate student in urban education and a former Philadelphia middle school teacher, as well as in her role as a facilitator of Critical…

Discusses how teachers can develop attitudes that are oriented toward student achievement and learning, especially for students who are linguistically and culturally diverse. (Contains 21 references.) (JOW)

Although surveys indicate that teachers recognize the value of standards and high expectations, they also reveal that reforms such as standardized tests influence instructional practices in negative ways. Debate should not focus on whether to have standards but on the way standards-based reform is implemented in practice. (SK)

Although there are forces teachers cannot control, a holistic approach can create a positive learning environment to prepare African-American students for college. Elements include teacher attitudes, understanding of institutional racism, multiculturalism, critical thinking, and advocacy. (Contains 52 references.) (SK)