Argues in defense of preobservation conferences in teacher evaluations. They place teaching episodes in context and enhance the supervisor's supportive role. (MD)

Reviews recent advances in linguistic analysis and how they relate to providing a sound foundation for spelling instruction. Presents the four stages of understanding of the structure of words that children should go through. Points out that spelling programs should focus on the logic of spelling. Includes an extensive list of references. (MD)

A professor of educational psychology describes the goals of research in progress on the personal characteristics of expert teachers, compares classroom management techniques of expert teachers with those of beginning and student teachers, and criticizes existing teacher evaluation systems for their lack of uniform standards and experienced…

Describes how a high school teacher successfuly organized, funded, and involved students and community members in an archaeological dig under the school's front lawn. (IW)

A study of 221 teachers in 50 exemplary science programs shows that teachers in these programs are unlike science teachers in general. This report offers a general profile of exemplary science teachers and summarizes data about their goals, expectations, strategies, and the results they obtain with students. (IW)

Describes how teachers manage multitask classroom activities by defining teacher and student work cycles, sorting students into attention categories by assessing their work daily, and providing assistance to students according to need. Includes figures illustrating student's and teacher's work cycles and the three levels of classroom decision…

A professor of education returns to the elementary classroom as a teacher's aide and learns that administrators can support teachers by (1) working to eliminate fragmentation in daily routines, (2) protecting teachers from overextension, (3) focusing more on individual students, (4) promoting teacher collegiality, and (5) fashioning a school…

Describes the success of an experienced middle school teacher in balancing her professional and personal values with organizational obligations and responsibilites to students. Encourages administrators to support teachers in the construction, evaluation, and revision of the classroom curriculum and to provide more collegial exchange opportunities…

Recommends the frame of reference method in helping students learn to recognize bias in the questions an author asks, the evidence gathered, and the conclusions drawn. Describes a high school writing-anthropology unit on the Kung San society. Discusses the potentials, problems, and school-linked constraints in using frame of reference models. (IW)

Even in schools termed "outstanding" by local and state reviews, few teachers demonstrate artful, inspired classroom instruction. Probable causes include (1) the emphasis in schools on order, competency, and basics, (2) random minilectures, (3) teachers' growing old in place, and (4) the dearth of younger career teachers. (IW)

Instead of employing a wide variety of teaching methods in the classroom, teachers should use only a few compatible methods. To choose these methods, teachers must clarify their own beliefs about basic elements of education and must assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of various methods in particular settings. (IW)

Distinguishing between teaching "styles" and teaching "strategies" is important in effective implementation of staff development programs. New strategies--specific techniques for enhancing learning--can provide teachers with (1) new visions of their content areas, their students, and themselves and (2) opportunities for creativity and autonomy in…

Compares and contrasts the composition of the Carnegie Task Force and the Holmes Group, their reports on teacher education, and their effect on the reform movement. Both groups recommend abolishing undergraduate degrees in education, raising teachers' salaries, increasing the number of minority teachers, and other improvements in the teaching…

Reviews the research on the effectiveness of five thinking skills training programs: Instrumental Enrichment, Philosophy for Children, Structure-of-Intellect (SOI), Problem Solving and Comprehension: A Short Course in Analytical Reasoning, and Odyssey. Compares and contrasts the content of each program and describes the relative lack of adequate…

Elaborates on the article "Synthesis of Research on the Effectiveness of Intellectual Skills Programs: Snake-Oil Remedies or Miracle Cures?" by Sternberg and Bhana. Encourages the development of a theory that could provide a guide to the infusion of thinking instruction into any area of inquiry. (IW)