Lil - have you read anything by Robert Marzano? His learner-centered classroom series is very good. You may find some ideas there as well.

This link may be helpful...
http://www.ascd.org/publications/cl...09/marzano.html

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A blessed thing it is for any man or woman to have a friend, one human soul whom we can trust utterly, who knows the best and worst of us, and who loves us in spite of all our faults.