Teaching is fundamentally a human act. It can be influenced by a multitude of elements related to people, their state of mind, the environment in which they find themselves, the time of day, etc. The act of teaching is also unique in that it helps young and old alike to develop knowledge and skills, become well-rounded individuals and take their place in society.

Each teacher fashions their own style and has great power to influence students, both as a cultural transmitters and role models as human beings. Nevertheless, teaching is far from being an improvisation. Over the years, research in cognitive psychology on the brain and learning, as well as on teaching and learning practices, has provided a solid foundation for this profession, identifying the main principles of “effective” teaching. These principles, whose impact on facilitating knowledge acquisition, skills development, and learner progress has been directly measured by research, become essential ingredients to be generously sprinkled into practice.

However, research methodology is not always enough to define a practice that will prove effective in every situation. “The transition from research to practice, from the laboratory to the classroom, is key to the successful integration of new pedagogical practices,” wrote Sylvain Wagnon, a professor in the Faculty of Education, and Sihame Chkair, a doctoral student in educational sciences at the Université de Montpellier, in France, in The Conversation.

Teachers need to have the opportunity to become familiar with research- documented practices and to choose those to implement in the classroom, when the context is appropriate. These so-called effective practices eventually prove themselves in certain settings and become embedded in actual teaching practices.

In this issue, we open our pages to teachers, educational consultants and other education specialists who share their experiences with practices recognized for their effectiveness. Whether it's classroom management, feedback, teaching methods, student learning approaches, or even school leadership, we explore various areas.

There is no perfect recipe in education because every situation and every person is unique. There are, however, certain ingredients that can help create a classroom climate conducive to learning. We hope you'll be able to find some that meet the needs of your students!

Martine Rioux, Managing Editor
@riomarti

Audrey Miller, Editor-in-Chief
@millaudrey