Teachers play many roles and wear many hats: this is the concept behind this research- and reality-based look at how best to teach children in grades K-8. With the central belief that teachers play a major role in creating and maintaining an environment in which children can become active, responsible learners, the authors examine planning, instructing, and managing a classroom, as well as ways to help youngsters develop the desired “learner responsibility.” The text is organized around four critical roles every teacher plays—person, guide, strategizer, and planner—and the transition from one role to another underlies coverage of such diverse topics as the home/school connection, using computers, and digital portfolios.