Teachers more often speak of professionalism in terms of environmental conditions than in terms of standards and dispositions. In 1989, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards devised a certification process that recognizes teachers for subject area expertise and for demonstrating what they know about students in early childhood or…

Interviews with 400 high school teachers nominated by colleagues suggest teacher leaders seek challenge, change, growth; are supportive of colleagues; serve as role models for students but not for other teachers. Interviewees felt their influence in the high school was curtailed by school-culture and professional norms, as well as self-imposed…

Education professor's intimate look at teaching through two high school teachers' eyes revealed gap between theory and practice. Instead of using student-centered pedagogical strategies they learned at University of Alabama, teachers ran traditional teacher-centered classrooms. Both taught to standardized tests and used mandated curricula. Felt…

While reminiscing over wine and granola bars, some elementary teacher-survivors from the sixties pondered timeless teaching truths newly "discovered" by education reformers, including authentic assessment, cooperative learning, a national curriculum, and brain-compatible learning. Reformers are insensitive to realistic classroom contexts when…

Middle School Math Project at Education Development Center in Newton, Massachusetts, puts industry representatives into classroom to free teachers for professional development and to show students real-life applications of science and math. Although the program is no magic bullet for achieving teacher professionalism, this innovative approach buys…

Thinking Mathematics is an American Federation of Teachers program that united teachers and researchers in face-to-face dialogue aimed at translating mathematics research into professional development material for teachers. Teachers played an increasingly prominent role, evolving into the primary decision makers about content, style, and the…

In the American Federation of Teachers' Thinking Mathematics collaboration, teachers have become equal partners with researchers to create staff development aimed at mathematics instruction. Researchers and 5 visiting practitioners have cooperated to create mathematics foundations materials conceptualized in 10 guiding principles for mathematics…

Supreme Court has delineated three-step test to First Amendment cases brought by public employees, including tenured and nontenured teachers' academic freedom cases. Is teacher's conduct "protected expression" that concerns public issue without unduly rocking boat? If so, is protected expression the motivation behind district's adverse action? If…

A survey of 360 teachers showed that many teachers are voluntarily using their own money to support their classroom work. On average, the teachers surveyed spent $444 annually; teachers nationwide may be spending more than $1 billion annually. Respondents' comments ranged from outrage and frustration with lack of available funds to acceptance of…

From his early work to establish teacher's union to involvement with civil rights issues, Al Shanker has earned reputation as education profession's moral conscience. Under Shanker's leadership, United Federation of Teachers has grown from 2,500 to 110,000 members. American Federation of Teachers has doubled membership to 796,000. Shanker…

South Carolina high school teacher became newly inspired when asked to implement Teacher Cadet Program to help bright seniors consider teaching profession. She took four steps to professionalism by developing a strong commitment to the profession, gaining a sense of group power and purpose, recognizing the need for continued growth and learning,…

South Carolina Center for Teacher Recruitment created the Teacher-in-Residence fellowship in 1986, when a classroom teacher and counselor became the first representative to the South Carolina Teacher Cadet Program--a project encouraging bright high school students to consider education careers. The representative helped plan curriculum training…

A third grader describes Ms. Gonzalez, his favorite teacher, who left to accept a more lucrative teaching assignment. Ms. Gonzalez' butterflies unit covered everything from songs about social butterflies to paintings of butterfly wings, anatomy studies, and student haiku poems and biographies. Students studied biology by growing popcorn plants…

In October 1992 issue of "Educational Leadership," Marian Matthews communicates several misunderstandings about cooperative learning. Interview data from 15 middle schoolers in a wealthy district are not generalizable to all cooperative-learning situations. A cooperative-learning group is neither a seating arrangement nor individualistic learning…

Marian Matthews' article in the October 1992 issue of "Educational Leadership" reports that many gifted students are resentful of cooperative learning structures. Cooperative learning is not just a teaching technique but involves learning to respect and appreciate others' differences. Much of Matthews' criticism actually addresses limited,…