This article addresses word study for upper elementary and middle school classrooms. Word study is often neglected in classrooms due to misconceptions and fears of classroom teachers, especially teachers of older students. Conclusions from a research project conducted with teachers reveal both positive and negative understandings of implementing word study. In addition, the research indicates that teachers demonstrated three levels of word study knowledge and practice in the classroom. The research provided the rationale and motivation to develop short, integrated word study units that intermediate teachers could implement: incidental word study activities. The authors provide a brief conceptual overview of word study and describe the four incidental word study units that can be implemented by teachers. These units include daily root activities, homophones—within word pattern, homographs—syllable juncture stage, and word endings—derivational constancy activities. The authors include a word sort, an application activity, and a reinforcement game for each unit. With these activities, teachers can begin their own adventure with word study.

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We explore some aspects of the elusive idea of a "teachable moment" with a special emphasis on the role of emotion, intuition, and imagination as well as intuition, paradox and possibility. The teachable moment occurs when students and teachers genuinely share an interest in better understanding something, some situation, or, in the case discussed, some text, and wish to inquire into the object of mutual concern together. Some of the aesthetic elements of John Dewey's theory of inquiry serve as a way to gain insight into the "logic" of creating and sustaining teachable moments.

Principal candidates’ sense of self-efficacy is critical for their professional development. Analysis of a self-efficacy survey provided the authors with valuable insights into areas needed for program development. The purpose of this research-based essay is to report on data analysis results learned about the self-efficacy of 10 school leadership students during a summer principalship course. These results provide information about implications as well as specific suggestions for leadership program improvement related to crisis situations.

This article reports on an application of a SoTL research process for two teacher education instructors in an undergraduate teacher education course, Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age. After engaging in content analysis of student work samples derived from a Digital Sabbath assignment, the instructors asked more questions about how well the assignment aligned to course objectives and intended learning outcomes. Collaboratively, they determined how the Digital Sabbath assignment could be revised to better meet the stated course objective. The authors anticipate that assignment revisions could result in improved student learning outcomes for the teacher education students. Insights from the student responses and course materials are discussed as well as implications for teaching and learning in a teacher education program.