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How teachers create and foster a learning environment that promotes creative thinking and problem solving skills in students was investigated in a 1-year study in a community college in Texas. The study explored the teaching methods and classroom climates created by eight exemplary teachers who demonstrated exceptional approaches to promote creative thinking and problem-solving skills. These teachers were selected by a process that began with 113 semistructured and many informal interviews with students. Factors frequently identified in student interviews were climate, teacher personality, teacher attitude, classroom management, teacher knowledge, teacher-student interactions, and student attitudes. Results did not indicate any ultimate method to use in teaching nor any ultimate process that fosters classroom learning climate toward the promotion of creative thinking. Observation of these teachers leads to the conclusion that teachers should construct teaching methods with the following elements: (1) classroom climate; (2) teacher character traits; (3) classroom management; (4) teacher's passion and attitude toward students, subject, and teaching; (5) teaching style; (6) teacher's knowledge; (7) teacher-student interaction; and (8) students' attitudes. Two appendixes illustrate interaction and a teaching model. (Contains 2 appendix figures and 23 references.) (SLD)

1Boy Crusoe

By Allan Eric

Also published as" A Yankee Crusoe" . A 15 year old hard working and studious farm boy finds the lure of adventure on the seas as a merchant seaman more than he can resist. This is his story. " I was born in a little town in the State of Maine, near the close of the Civil War. My boyhood life did not differ materially from that of the average farmer's son in the remote country districts of New England--except, perhaps, that I read more and thought more. Hard work on the rugged soil, two terms each year in the little yellow country schoolhouse, a day's fishing now and then filled the early years of my life full to over-flowing. " What he gets is enough excitement and adventure to overflow his wildest dreams. How he experiences disaster and uses his wits and knowledge to overcome every problem makes for a great read. - Summary by Phil Chenevert