ABSTRACT
This chapter presents information that teachers can use to grow as a teacher. It discusses strategies that allow individual teachers to develop and how groups of teachers might work together to provide each other with support and feedback. There are of course other alternative explanations for the gap between what teacher education provides and what the on-the-job skills are required. D. Liston noted the distinction between conceptions of reading taught in many teacher education programs and those espoused by other professional groups. Given the time demands of teaching, finding time for professional reading and other forms of self-improvement is often difficult, but continued reading is essential if teachers are to grow professionally. There are no systematic data concerning the effects of professional dialogue, but participants' reports about such opportunities are generally positive. Relatedly, the curriculum-narrowing effect of state-mandated tests has been growing among professional educators and associations.
