The book provides guidance on why and how to collect data in the classroom--and tools that make the process quick and easy.

The working and career lives of teachers have changed radically over the last two decades. Reforms have turned education into a commodity and pupils into ‘consumers’. Yet not since 1992 has there been a comprehensive overview of research findings on teachers’ working lives. This anthology plugs the gap by collecting various scholarly contributions and perspectives on teachers’ career trajectories and work lives. The material includes an introduction to previous research within the field, presents a range of contemporary research and offers suggestions as to what lies ahead. Among the contributors are leading educational academics who describe a variety of national contexts, illustrating how problems and challenges relating to the teaching profession manifest themselves and are tackled in different countries. The anthology also shows just how many aspects of teachers’ career trajectories and work lives transcend national boundaries. Common international themes include stronger ties between education and the economy, and a growing importance placed on how students’ skills relate to the perceived needs of the labour market. There is also a greater degree of political interference in curriculum goals and processes, and an expanding obsession with evaluation. In many countries, a whole generation of teachers are reaching retirement age, ‘changing the guard’ with a crop of new young recruits who are ever harder to attract. At a time when there is an increasing focus on issues such as teacher recruitment, retention and professional development, this anthology offers insight and inspiration to teacher educators and educational policy makers as well as to current and prospective teachers. It also aims at encouraging research into the field of teachers’ working lives.

Teacher-Centered Professional Development is a hands-on guide to collaborative skill building for educators. It introduces the Teacher's Choice Framework, a model that empowers teachers by helping them choose and initiate professional growth activities according to their schedules, strengths, and needs. The book describes a wide variety of professional development strategies, including mentoring, journal writing, peer-to-peer coaching, and seminars. For each strategy, the author provides: * A brief history of the research base * A step-by-step guide to implementing the strategy * Sample handouts and assessment forms * Examples from the field of the strategy in practice With this book, teachers at all levels can quickly learn how to set up development teams, conduct action research, and engage in other activities to further their skills. In addition, the Teacher's Choice Framework helps educators prioritize their needs and choose the strategies that best suit those needs. Teacher-Centered Professional Development offers both a perfect introduction to staff development options and a commonsense method for choosing among them.

This book explores the complex, multi-faceted roles played by teacher leaders and school-based coaches as well as examining district and school expectations, hiring practices, and deployment of these educators.

Teachers Make Great Trainers Schoolteachers are leaving their profession at a higher rate than ever before—and for myriad reasons. Passion for teaching is generally not one of them. If you are a schoolteacher thinking about making a career change, knowing that your passion and purpose for education will transfer with you to your new career may be the assurance you need to make the shift. Knowing that you can be effective and create a spark for learning as well as still have the flexibility, compensation, and development you crave in a career could be the motivation to step into a new role. Teachers to Trainers: Apply Your Passion and Skills to a New Career introduces you to career opportunities in the growing industry of talent development, where all those aspirations are possible. This first-ever volume offers you a view of a different education system: the world of talent development. In each chapter, former teachers recount the stories of how they made the career switch, describe their current roles, and share resources and tips for success. You will discover why these former teachers decided to seek a change and gain valuable insights into how they transitioned into talent development roles, including what they wished they had known when making the switch and the obstacles they overcame. You will also learn about the rewards they achieved in their transitions and, most importantly, see that their passion for teaching remains. The book includes a full range of resources to guide you—skills assessments, worksheets, descriptions of certifications and certificate programs, and print and online reading recommendations. You’ll also find tips about: transferable skills job market research resume creation what you need to go forward.

Teachers already know that a career in education involves continual growth'and this book, copublished with Kappa Delta Pi, presents a model for delivery of a lifetime of preservice and inservice training. You'll find practical advice on how administrators and teachers can work collaboratively to create and maintain a model of reflection, renewal, and growth that promotes efficacy as a teacher, particularly through reflective practice. And unlike any other book, you'll follow the entire lifecycle of a teacher, from preservice through retirement, making it an indispensable resource for educators at every phase of their career.