A number of forces steer talented undergraduates away from the choice of teaching as a profession. Both liberal arts colleges and professional educators have helped their brightest students to view precollege teaching as a career that is legitimate only for those who can't aspire to more prosperous fields. (KH)

Presents vignettes from high school classrooms which illustrate teaching problems related to limited time, discipline, bureaucratic tasks, and nonacademic interruptions. Holds that successful teaching consists of a combinaion of careful plannng, daily educational goals, proper pacing, love of the subject matter, and respect for the students. (GC)

Since teaching is a creative endeavor, there are no infallible guides to success. Good instruction, however, typically involves four elements: motivation, organization, clarification, and generalization. Furthermore, a great teacher is one who projects a vision of excellence. (Author/GC)

Teachers must not provide a platform for any student or outside speaker to ventilate racist, anti-Semitic, or totalitarian sentiments. In the classroom, democratic values should be obvious from the outset. Toward this end, a curriculum entitled "Extremist Groups" has been developed by the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith.…

The only way to deal with the inevitable failures involved in teaching is to acknowledge them and attempt to work within the limits of the situation. (Author/GC)

Despite the controversy over standardized testing, a 1970 survey indicates that teachers still need and want to use tests as diagnostic tools. Because of problems and abuses, however, changes need to be made so that more accurate and useful information can be derived for educational purposes. (Author/GC)

Reports on a study that examined teacher attitudes and behaviors in the community the classroom, and the school. Concludes that teachers, although active in their communities, are reluctant to assume a critical stance in relation to school authorities and tend to pass this lesson in conformity on to their students. (Author/GC)

Four groups' ratings of students on 15 attributes seen as key to performance on the job and in higher education indicate a wide gap between what students and their parents think of students' preparedness for jobs and college versus what their employers, college professors, and admissions officers think. (RLC)

Lists 10 lies commonly told about educational quality and reform. Not recognizing that a problem exists is the main reason why educational reform is pursued casually. Meaningful change requires time, restructuring, and the active participation of teachers, but schools alone cannot provide all that children need. (SLD)

Contrasts the author's experiences teaching mathematics in Russia and as an immigrant to the United States. The author is particularly critical of the emphasis on grades and formal records in American higher education. American education is often guilty of confusing good grades or a degree with competence. (SLD)