Learning about and learning from expert teachers

Emerging Perspectives on Learning, teaching, and technology

Research examining differences between expert and novice teachers is reviewed through the lens of cognition to outline and establish how features of the classroom are mentally represented. Studies are reviewed under Shulman's (1986b) framework characterizing knowledge bases necessary for teacher effectiveness, including content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and general pedagogical knowledge. Inferences are made as to how teachers, varying in experience level, represent classroom events including curriculum planning, instruction, management, and communication. Implications for teacher education and professional development programs are discussed.

Representation in Teaching: Inferences From Research of Expert and Novice Teachers

Israeli citizens have been exposed to intense and ongoing terrorism since September 2000. We previously studied the mental health impact of terrorism on the Israeli population (Bleich et al., 2002), however the long-term impact of ongoing terrorism has not yet been examined. The present study evaluated the psychological sequelae of 44 months of terrorism in Israel, and sought to identify factors that may contribute to vulnerability and resilience. This was a telephone survey using strata sampling of 828 households, which reached a representative sample of 702 adult Israeli residents (84.8% contact rate). In total, 501 people (60.5%) agreed to participate. The methodology was similar to that of our previous study. Exposure to terrorism and other traumatic events, number of traumatic stress-related symptoms (TSRS), percentage of respondents with symptom criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic stress (TS) resiliency and feelings of depression, anxiety, optimism, sense of safety, and help-seeking were the main outcome measures. In total, 56 participants (11.2%) were directly exposed to a terrorist incident, and 101 (20.2%) had family members or friends exposed. Respondents reported a mean ± SD of 5.0 ± 4.5 TSRS; 45 (9%) met symptom criteria for PTSD; and 72 (14.4%) were TS-resilient. There were 147 participants (29.5%) who felt depressed, 50 (10.4%) felt anxious, and almost half (235; 47%) felt life-threatening danger; 48 (9.7%) felt the need for professional help. Women and people of Arab ethnicity had more TSRS, more PTSD, and less TS resiliency. Injury following a life-threatening experience, a major stressful life event, and a major loss of income were associated with PTSD. Immigrant status, lower education, low sense of safety, low sense of social support, high societal distress, and injury following life-threatening experiences were associated with TSRS. TSRS did not increase with exposure severity. This study revealed less depression and functional impairment, similar rates of PTSD, increased help-seeking and poorer TSRS and TS resiliency than our initial study, 2 years previously. The response of people in Israel to 4 years of terrorism is heterogeneous. Vulnerability factors change over time; Arab ethnicity, immigrant status and less education, not found to be risk factors in our previous study, were found in the present study to contribute to trauma-related distress. Prior experience of highly stressful events increases vulnerability to adverse psychological effects of terror.

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Mental health and resiliency following 44 months of terrorism: a survey of an Israeli national representative sample.

Teacher efficacy in student engagement, instructional management, student stressors, and burnout: A theoretical model using in-class variables to predict teachers' intent-to-leave

Worldwide, teacher shortages have created a demand for certified teachers. Throughout the world, local and national governments are seeking ways to resolve this issue. New York City (NYC), the largest public (i.e. state funded) school district in the United States, addressed the teacher shortage by creating an alternate route to certification called the Teaching Fellows (TFs) program. The purpose of this program is to attract individuals interested in a career change to teaching in low‐performing, high‐needs schools. During their two years of training prior to obtaining certification, the TFs receive support from a mentor and a consultant provided by the NYC Department of Education while attending graduate classes to obtain their master’s degree in elementary education. A survey was distributed to TFs to examine their impressions of the instruction and mentoring they received during their training, and their plans for staying in the teaching profession in NYC. Information provided by the TFs can help impr...

Mentorship and Instruction Received during Training: Views of Alternatively Certified Teachers.

This study examined the effect of Reading Recovery®, an early intervention program for first-grade children, on the rates of referral and placement in special education in New York City. Study participants consisted of students who had a complete Reading Recovery (RR) program (RR-discontinued and RR-recommended) and a comparison group composed of children with literacy difficulties, who were initially performing at a slightly higher level than the Reading Recovery children. The results showed that children who received the Reading Recovery program were referred for testing and placed in special education at a statistically significant lower rate. Reading Recovery is associated with a 5% reduction in estimated referral rate and a 3% decrease in placement rate. Additionally, an examination of the classification labels of children placed in special education revealed that RR-discontinued children were less likely to be classified as learning disabled than those in both the comparison group and the RR-recommended group. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Psychol Schs 39: 635–646, 2002.

The effect of reading recovery® on special education referrals and placements

Anyone who has observed or played with young children probably has noticed how they imitate what they see--their friends, siblings, parents, and teachers; television, movie, and book characters; and sometimes even their family pets. Frequently, this imitation can help children learn appropriate behaviors, attitudes, and thinking patterns. Unfortunately, it also can be harmful when the child ends up imitating behaviors, attitudes, or thinking patterns that can cause the child to act inappropriately or could cause injury. Like most things in life, how modeling occurs and who children choose to emulate are not as straightforward as everyone would hope. Albert Bandura, the founder of social cognitive theory, and others have conducted research demonstrating some of the factors that help determine who and what children and adults emulate. If teachers and parents understand these factors, they can help children to choose models who exhibit positive behaviors, attitudes, and thinking patterns. In this article, the authors explain the different elements of modeling, according to Bandura and other social cognitive theorists. They give some suggestions and examples from their own experiences of how teachers and parents can use their knowledge of these social cognitive concepts to help young children choose appropriate models. Language: en

Modeling: It's More than Just Imitation.

In this article, the authors explain how one of them helped a struggling reader develop reading, writing, and self-regulatory strategies. The article is based on two foundations: Marie Clay's, the developer of Reading Recovery, ideas on the self-extending system of reading and Schunk and Zimmerman's four developmental levels of self-regulation (i.e., observation, emulation, self-control, self-regulation). The authors use examples of four strategic activities used within Reading Recovery sessions. Then, they give advice to teachers and other literacy specialists on how to guide their developing and struggling readers in moving through these four levels of self-regulation.

Helping Beginning and Struggling Readers to Develop Self-Regulated Strategies: A Reading Recovery Example.

In the United States increasingly more children are being identified as needing special services. Teachers are usually the first to identify children in need of such services and refer those children for evaluation. Due to the fact that more of these children are being included in the regular classroom environment, it is imperative for teachers to understand all aspects of special education laws (i.e., IDEIA and Section 504) to be effective advocates for children. A 24-item survey was administered to kindergarten through eighth grade teachers to determine their familiarity, knowledge, and level of training regarding the provisions specified under IDEIA and Section 504. The results of this mixed methods study indicate that teachers are lacking some essential information regarding IDEIA, and have limited knowledge of provisions covered by Section 504.

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Evelyn A. O'Connor

Papers

Mentorship and Instruction Received during Training: Views of Alternatively Certified Teachers.

The effect of reading recovery® on special education referrals and placements

Modeling: It's More than Just Imitation.

Helping Beginning and Struggling Readers to Develop Self-Regulated Strategies: A Reading Recovery Example.

Teachers' Knowledge of Special Education Laws: What Do They Know?.