Culturally Responsive Teaching For Significant Relationships

This article expands discussions of culturally responsive teaching to include the framework of what it is, why it matters and how it can be accomplished in the classroom. The four principles of interaction, accommodation, ownership, and opportunity outline culturally responsive strategies teachers use to create significant relationships with all students in the classroom

Investigating trust in the mentoring relationship: The beginning teacher\u27s perspective

The focus of this dissertation was to investigate the beginning teacher\u27s perspective on trust in the mentor-beginning teacher relationship. This was a qualitative study rooted in grounded theory modified to accommodate the use of received theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). The investigative framework was based on two received theories, and each theory formed the foundation for the following research questions: (1) Gabarro\u27s (1978) theory predicts that work place trust in an associate will be affected by her perceptions of the associate\u27s character, competence, and judgment. Is this true in the case of the beginning teachers as they do or do not develop trust in their mentor? (2) Lewicki and Bunker\u27s (1996) theory predicts that three levels of trust will emerge in work place relationships: conditional trust, knowledge-based trust, and identity-based trust. Is this true in the case of beginning teachers as they do or do not develop trust in their mentor? (3) Lewicki and Bunker (1996) predict that the three levels of trust develop in an evolutionary manner. Is this true in the case of beginning teachers as they do or do not develop trust in their mentors

Mentoring Teacher\u27s Stories: Caring Mentors Help Novice Teachers Stick with Teaching and Develop Expertise

The article describes the challenges being faced by novice teachers and the role of mentors for novice teachers to stay in the profession and develop expertise. Educators have gathered evidence showing the need for mentors to help novice teachers stay in teaching and develop into master teachers. Longitudinal quantitative studies have indicated that novice teachers participating in this comprehensive induction program improved their effectiveness faster than their peers not in such a program. A frequently cited reason for attrition is teacher isolation

The CADRE Project: A Retention Study

I his article describes the findings of a study of leachcr retention and the effectiveness of one induction program, the Career Advancement and Development for Recruits and Experienced teachers (CADRE) Project, in helping teachers remain in the profession. National statistics report teacher attrition rate to be 40 percent over five years. CADRE participants have a retention rule ol 89 percent over five years

Dispositions: Defining, Aligning and Assessing

With the focus on student achievement, nationwide attempts are being made to improve schools and school systems. In these reforms teachers are the single most important factor (Darling- Hammond 1997; Wilson, Floden, and Ferrini-Mundy 2001). Teacher preparation programs have a unique opportunity and responsibility, therefore, to have a significant impact on teacher quality. Central to the ability to do so is a comprehensive understanding of what factors constitute teacher quality

The CADRE Project: Looking at the Development of Beginning Teachers

The CADRE Project is a collaborative teacher induction effort between higher education and K-12 practitioners. The Metropolitan Omaha Educational Consortium (MOEC), comprised of seven metropolitan Omaha public school districts and the University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Education, coordinates this project. This project is a true collaborative effort involving public school superintendents, university administrators, and faculty and staff from both entities

Walking Through Apprehension: Beginning the Journey to Cultural Understanding

Within urban universities, programs often require students to complete experiences via partnerships with P-12 schools, community centers, or social service agencies located in urban centers. These experiences provide rich opportunities for students to apply, in real-world settings, what they study on campus. These experiences also provide opportunities for students to confront their perceptions of the urban neighborhoods in which the experiences occur. However, when students\u27 perceptions are based primarily on stereotypes or negative media portrayals, they may enter into the experiences with apprehension, even fear. This manuscript describes one attempt of a large teacher preparation program to address this issue and the results achieved

The Development and Validation of the Teacher Dispositions Index

The purposes of this study were to develop and validate a quantitative instrument (Teacher Dispositions Index (TDI)) that measures the dispositions of effective teachers as specified by the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (1991). To provide evidence of the TDI’s reliability and validity, we distributed the TDI to 105 undergraduate students enrolled in an instructional systems course in a College of Education at a Midwestern metropolitan university. The TDI could be used to assess teacher candidate dispositions over the course of pre-service preparation and to help candidates determine if teaching is an appropriate professional fit

The Development and Validation of the Diversity Dispositions Index

The population of the U.S. is becoming increasingly more diverse. Yet, administrators and teachers in the U.S. are predominantly European Americans from middle-class backgrounds who speak only English. Many of their students are racial and ethnic minorities, live in poverty, and speak a first language other than English (Banks et aI., 2005, p. 237). The No Child Left Behind Act signed into law in2002 requires school districts to hire highly qualified teachers who possess the necessary dispositions to ensure that all children learn (Center on Education Policy, 2002). School administrators and teachers must understand students\u27 backgrounds and experiences, and they must possess the necessary dispositions to work with students from diverse backgrounds (Villegas & Lucas, 2007)

Academic Priority: Graduate/Doctoral Research

Overview Doctoral Education at UNO: Past, Present, and Future