Systemic reform requires new ways of thinking and behaving for many educators.
Teachers, administrators, and educational assistants need to understand standards, assessments, new forms of teaching and learning, and different ways to relate to students, parents, and the community. According to researchers, educators need opportunities to learn how to question, analyze, and change instruction to teach challenging content, to understand their learners, and to access the resources they need. In response to these needs, many professional development programs have been restructured to emphasize ways to create communities of learners and to support new roles for educators. In the next three months, we will feature information on each of these approaches. Teachers who engage in teacher research become keen observers of themselves and others.