Effective Practices for Mentoring Beginning Middle School Teachers: Mentor's Perspectives

In order to improve student achievement, school systems must provide new teachers with support to become effective teachers more quickly. Educators frequently use mentoring to support new teachers and reach the goals of improved classroom performance as well as teacher retention. The intention in this study was to provide insights into the mentoring of beginning teachers working in the middle grades. In this exploratory case study, three elements of a mentoring model deemed necessary for the implementation of effective mentoring for middle school teachers are presented. First, the mentor must forge a trusting relationship with the new teacher. Second, the mentor must support and guide the new teacher in creating a classroom environment that is supportive of learning. Third, the mentor must be able to support and guide the new teacher in instructional strategies appropriate to the content and context of the classroom. Furthermore, this research highlighted a need for mentors to receive ongoing training in classroom management, instructional practices, and relationship building in order to remain effective mentors. Without effective trained mentors programs will fail to meet their goals of improving instruction and retaining teachers past their induction year.     

Working With Grandparent-Headed Families in Schools: School Professionals' Perspectives

This qualitative study explores the experiences of school professionals working with grandparent-headed families. Twenty individual interviews with an array of professional school staff were conducted. Thematic analysis was utilized, and 3 key themes emerged: (a) compassion for grandparent-headed families' unique challenges; (b) lack of adequate knowledge about grandparent-headed families; and (c) strategies for engaging grandparents raising their grandchildren. Implications address the importance of understanding the unique needs of grandparent-headed families and ways to maximize the success of these marginalized families through active family engagement and school-linked services.     

信息化视野中的教师教育

本文针对教师教育信息化,提出了在信息化视野中教师独立于其他教学参与者的核心职业素养为“信息化教学能力”。根据此命题,本文论述分析了命题的前因后果,并列出了作为参考的实施原则以及评价标准。最后,文章进行了总结和提议。     

Some Thoughts on International Perspectives in Special Education,With Special Attention to the Research-to-Practice Gap

Our respective countries face some strikingly similar issues in special education-for example, the role of centralized laws and policies, funding constraints, movement toward inclusionary practices, and a research-to-practice gap. We focus on research-to-practice gap issues as one of the most pressing issues in the United States. By effectively addressing the problems associated with teacher education, teacher attrition, and teacher shortage in special education, we contend that great strides can be made in closing the gap.     

Personal and Institutional Influences on Beginning Teachers’ Classroom Management Perspectives

The current investigation focused upon the changing perspectives of four young student teachers in their transition from university to secondary schools. Use was made of an interpretive inquiry method, including employing interviews and classroom observations for data collection.     

Learning With Dynamic Geometry Programs: Perspectives of Teachers and Learners

Abstract

In this exploratory phenomenological study, part of a larger mixed-design research project, the authors examined teacher and student roles in, and reactions to, a student-centered instructional geometry program using the Geometer's Sketchpad. Grade 7 students worked for 2 weeks in their regularly scheduled mathematics class on activities that allowed them to explain on-screen relationships among geometric shapes. A companion computer-based instructional tutorial was available as an accessible resource. The class sessions and specific dyads were observed, students surveyed, and teacher and selected students interviewed. Findings centered on 2 overarching themes: issues of power and learning. The teacher had difficulty relinquishing control of the learning environment even though she had agreed to do so. Students, however, liked their new freedom, worked hard, and expressed greater interest in the subject material.     

Issues in Special Education Research Within International Perspectives

ABSTRACT

A comprehensive search of the Westlaw case database for the period January 1, 2008 to August 31, 2018 identified 22 court decisions that contained federal civil rights claim rulings specific to the actions of school resource officers in response to the conduct of students with disabilities. Both the quantitative and qualitative results revealed (a) a disproportionately high incidence of such court decisions among a larger sampling of 79 court decisions with such civil rights claims for public school students in general; (b) a wide variety of predominantly behavior-related disabilities, such as autism and emotional disturbance; (c) a notable number of cases in which the school resource officer’s actions were questionable in terms of disproportionately excessive force in relation to conduct that was often disability-connected and not substantially dangerous to self or others; and (d) rather gross and defendant-skewed judicial rulings. The recommendations were primarily for professional proactivity that includes but extends beyond reform of legal requirements.     

特殊教育师资发展现状研究

为顺应时代与社会的发展趋势,需要大力发展培智教育,而教育的有效性最终受制于师资力量。为此．我们展开了有关培智教育师资发展现状的研究,通过问卷与访谈的形式开展广泛而具体地调查研究．针对目前存在的问题。提出相应的对策与建议。     

Lesson Planning Practices of Special Education Teachers

This study reports the results of a survey of special education teachers regarding: (a) how special education teachers organize and develop their lesson plans, (b) which lesson plan components special education teachers include in their lesson planning activities and how each component is planned, and (c) what lesson plan components special education teachers recommend that beginning teachers include in written lesson plans. As indicated by the results, the majority of the special education teachers who participated in this study did not write out lesson plans for each lesson they taught. They indicated that, even though most of the planning prior to instruction was unwritten, it was often "consciously" planned, or planning was unnecessary because the component was performed by habit or instinct. A substan- tial majority indicated that they did not use any expert's lesson planning format, such as Hunter's (1984) or a format suggested in preservice teacher training. None of the 14 components regularly included in preservice lesson plans and instructional design models were written out by a majority of the teachers; only 3 of the 14components were written out by over one third of the respondents. Conversely, this study demonstrated that, although these teachers did not write out detailed lesson plans, they strongly recommended that beginning teachers do so. All 14 components were recommended by at least one third of the respondents, with 8 recommended by a majority. Limitations, questions for future investigation, and implications for teacher preparation are discussed.     

借助普通教育平台 提升特教师资水平

特殊教育学校班级规模小、年级跨度大，形成了纵向长、横向短的特殊格局，这给特殊教育学校的管理带来了诸多困难。在这样的环境中，要打造一支师德高尚、业务精良的教师队伍尤为困难。如何才能破解这个难题？经过认真地调研分析，我们发现，部分特殊教育学校由于长期以来过多地强调自身的特殊性，忽视教育的普遍规律，对整个基础教育缺乏全面的了解，因而在教育理念、管理意识、教学组织等多方面滞后于普通教育。     

论人本特教视野下我国特殊教育师资存在的问题及对策

“以人为本”的中国大特殊教育新理念,要求尊重学生个性,尊重学生差异。特教教师作为这一理念的实行者,其自身的发展尤为重要。文章站在人本特教的视野下,分析了特教师资中存在的诸多问题,在此基础上提出了相应的对策。     

福建省特殊教育师资现状的调查研究

通过对福建省特殊教育师资现状的调查 ,结果表明 :女性教师多于男性教师 ;中青年教师多于老年教师 ;低学历教师多于高学历教师 ;职称呈现出“中间多 ,两头少”结构 ;多数教师经过了专业培养和培训、专业思想牢固、工作压力适当 ,但是也存在一些不容忽视的问题。调查研究的主要目的在于为特殊教育师资培养、特殊教育专业的学科建设以及政府决策提供参考。     

关于特殊教育教师流失问题的思考

当前,特殊教育教师流失问题日益凸显,成为影响特殊教育持续发展的不利因素。特殊教育教师流失的原因是多方面的,既有教师个人因素,也有职业因素。防止特殊教育教师流失,一方面要通过提高教师待遇、缓解教师工作压力等外在措施增强职业吸引力,另一方面更为关键的是要改革特殊教育教师教育体制,促进特殊教育教师专业化,从而增强特殊教育教师的职业竞争力,为优化特殊教育师资队伍夯实基础。     

论特殊教育学校师资队伍专业化发展策略

从分析特殊教育学校师资队伍中存在问题入手,探索了特殊教育学校师资队伍专业化发展的方法:“以人为本”的理念;提出了关于特殊教育学校师资队伍专业化发展的观点:建立完善的人才制度,改革评价与激励教师的制度,把发展学校的目标与发展教师的个人目标有机地结合起来,营造和谐校园,缓解教师的压力等较“人性化”的观点。     

谈湖北省片区内特殊教育学校师资的共享

特校师资共享是缓解城乡特校差异、特校校际合作、特教教师合理流动以及特教教师专业化成长的需要,开展岗位置换、专家巡讲、课题拉动、网络交流与机制保障建设是湖北省片区内特校师资共享的有效对策。     

特校教师的培养策略浅探

中等特师的改革与发展面临诸多问题，其中最为主要的是师资培养问题，改革中等特师的教育体制．优化教育结构，加强课程建设，完善特教教师的培训及聘任制度，这是提高特校教师素质的有效策略；如此，方能促进特殊教育事业的健康发展。