Teachers as Educators of Character: Are the Nation's Schools of Education Coming Up Short?
The Character Education Partnership.
This recent study on the state of character education in U.S. schools asks whether schools of education are preparing teachers to promote "good character and strong ethics" in students. The answer, founded on data from 600 colleges and universities, is no. Although most Americans believe that schools should teach about values and discipline, fewer than one-quarter of leading teacher educators feel that character education is emphasized strongly in their programs.
Other findings show that schools of education have little consensus when it comes to what character education is or how it should be taught—although most believe that the concept is rooted in a sense of community. Schools of education are more likely to instruct new teachers on how to create a caring classroom environment than on how to teach about values such as caring. Although the majority of educators surveyed favored including some form of character education in state certification, most expressed concern about mandating a character education program.
Available from the Character Education Partnership, 918 16th St. NW, Ste. 501, Washington, DC 20006; Web site: http://www.character.org.
Teen Read Week
The American Library Association.
Want to encourage teens to get excited about reading? This month, the Young Adult Library Services Association, a division of the American Library Association, is hosting the second annual Teen Read Week, October 17–23. The goal is to build reading habits and skills that lead to success in school and a lifetime of learning and enjoyment.
The week features a variety of activities to show teens that reading is not only crucial, but also cool. A "Teen Read Team" includes champion figure skater Michelle Kwan, WNBA star Rebecca Lobo, and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Tim Dwight. Many schools and libraries have also joined in with read-ins, poetry nights, and author appearances.
For more information, visit the Teen Read Week Web site at http://www.ala.org/teenread.
Learning the Ropes
Recruiting New Teachers, Inc.
As teacher shortages threaten schools across the United States, many districts are turning to formal induction and mentoring programs to help support new teachers in the classroom and keep them from leaving the profession. Recruiting New Teachers, Inc., has published a new study called Learning the Ropes: Urban Teacher Induction Programs and Practices in the United States. The study, coauthored by Elizabeth Fideler and David Haselkorn, examines the role of induction in retaining new teachers and gives resources for best practices.
- View induction as a multiyear, developmental process.
- Ensure that school administrators understand how to orient inductees.
- Provide a first-class mentoring program, backed up by funding adequate to serve all eligible inductees.
- Link inductee evaluation to district- and state-level standards.
- Invest in technology to facilitate communication.
- Evaluate program effectiveness.
For information on how to order copies of Learning the Ropes, call 617-489-6000 or visit the Recruiting New Teachers Web site at http://www.rnt.org.
