This narrative considers how well equipped today's teacher education students and faculty are to meet the demands of the new Common Core State Standards. Data from the Teacher Education Accreditation Council's national evaluation of teacher education programs gives a mixed picture that, while mostly encouraging, also reveals that some…

In this article, the author's share some ways that voters--and specifically educators--can advocate for their views on an ongoing basis and make those views known to the elected officials who make decisions that directly affect teachers. These policymakers generally are not educators by training and, consequently, lack the in-depth knowledge…

What are acute poverty challenges for culturally disadvantaged school communities across the United States? How do practicing teacher-researchers, pursuing advanced degrees, view this issue and the 21st century skills and dispositions classroom teachers need to foster change? Curious about this topic from the viewpoints of teachers who are…

On their way to a state English board meeting, Susan Kelly, a curriculum director, and Louisa Kramer-Vida, a university professor, used their travel time as an opportunity to converse about pedagogy (McAdamis 2010). Specifically, they reflected about enhancing K-12 writing in a suburban, middle class school district. "We need to introduce a…

Much of what gets in the way of learning in elementary, middle, and high schools has to do with lessons missed, skills undeveloped, and experiences in the world that have shaped the early development of the brain. Neuroscience tells people that early experience, even experience in the womb, is the soil in which the young brain grows and that early…

In this article, the author shares his thoughts about who he is as a teacher and what his goals as a teacher turn out to be. The author describes his role as researcher, teacher, and educator. He begins with his take on mathematics teaching and learning, because the question of which mathematics educators teach and how they teach it is really…

Young children's beliefs about what is right and wrong traditionally have been strongly influenced by their families. However, in today's American family and current culture, children often are coming to school with problematic behaviors and attitudes. Therefore, character education has become a necessity in schools. As children enter school,…

Teacher education programs in Vietnam, like their counterparts in most multicultural societies, struggle to address the issues of access, equity, and excellence. The nation's minority groups, about 13 percent of the population, traditionally have not gained admission to educational opportunities on a par with members of the majority group,…

Those aspiring to develop their careers beyond classroom teaching will discover that their choices are somewhat limited. Aside from pursuing teaching options at different levels of education, serving as private consultants, or working in the private or for-profit school sectors, career advancement opportunities can be found primarily in school…

Some people view bullying as a normal aspect of childhood; teachers who prevent bullying know that this is not true. Bullying is a deliberate act that hurts young victims, both emotionally and physically. Aside from the victims, bullying affects people around them by distracting, intimidating, and upsetting them. Basically, bullying in the…

As China charges forward into modernity, the nation is confronted with major economic and social changes. China's one-child policy and economic growth, for example, have altered the values and attitudes of parents, thereby creating new challenges for Chinese teachers. In addition, nontraditional ways of thinking in China's youth have led to a…

Despite overall trends toward increasing student diversity, geographic areas in the United States vary widely in their ethnic composition. In areas where the population is predominately European American, grasping a realistic meaning of "multiculturalism" can be difficult. Often, interpretations of the concept result in a mix of classroom…

As societal and classroom demands for accountability increase, teacher educators are challenged to prepare and support new teachers for the realities of today's classrooms. Sometimes the preparation and the realities appear to be in conflict. University-based teacher educators may stress critical thinking and active learning. School-based teacher…

Today, one out of four American children attends school in an urban district; one out of every six American children lives in poverty; and, in urban schools where most of the students are poor, two-thirds or more of the children fail to reach even the "basic" level of achievement on national tests. Urban schools are where most states face the…

The role of the mentor is critical to the success of Professional Development Schools (PDS) programs. In her analysis of 20 case studies on the collaborative processes involved in PDS programs, Rice (2002) identified 12 themes as being important to the success of the PDS; nearly half of these focused on the mentor teacher and his or her capacity…