Effective Teacher
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Effective Teacher
Educational psychology serves as the bridge between theory and practice in our classrooms. Best practices in the classroom stem from the research and developed theories about how we learn and behave which is the driving force that guides how we teach, motivate, and assess our students. The research of educational psychology is what supports our continually improvement in what constitutes effective teaching and learning.
In Chapter 1 of the text, Table 1.1 displays core INTASC principles that reflect the characteristics of a competent teacher. Be sure to use the text to support your response.
a. Select two of the ten principles and discuss how you currently exhibit these principles. Why might the two selected principles be considered essential elements of teaching?
b. Select two of the ten principles and discuss why they reflect areas of needed growth as you work towards becoming an educator. What will you do to improve these areas?
LeFrançois, G. (2011). Psychology for teaching
(11th ed.). San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
Chapter 1: Psychology for Teaching
TIPS
Welcome to your first class discussion! Discussion posts are a great way to reflect on what you’ve learned so far in the class and to connect it with your personal experiences.
Below are some tips to help you succeed with your first discussion! In addition to reading these tips, review the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for more information about what I’ll be looking for in your discussion responses.
For this discussion response:
· Take a look at the core INTASC principles discussed in our text
· Identify two of the core INTASC principles that you already use in your teaching at home or professionally or in your relationships with others
· Provide examples of how you currently use these two principles and explain why the two principles you use are essential elements in teaching
· Identify two of the core INTASC principles that you could improve on and explain what you will do to improve in these areas
· Review the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric to understand the criteria that will be used to evaluate your posts
Be sure to:
· Clearly state your answer to each question.
· Provide evidence for your answers. (You can use quotes from scholarly sources and personal or professional experiences.)
· Review your post for grammatical errors.
Also, I have provided a document template to help you as you complete this discussion post. You can find it by clicking the Doc Sharing button in the upper right of this course. You should be able to download the template.
1.2
Assessing and Improving Teacher Competence
How can you, or anyone else for that matter, know whether you have what it takes to become a competent, perhaps even an outstanding,teacher? How will a college or university decide whether or not to admit you into a teacher training program? How can schools support andhelp beginning teachers?
Pretty important questions, these—so important, in fact, that tests have been developed to help answer them. Most of these tests are based on10 basic principles that summarize the most important characteristics of competent teachers, the so-called INTASC1,2 principles (INTASCPrinciples, 2008). INTASC stands for Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (Table 1.1).
1. References in this textbook are cited in the style approved by the American Psychological Association. The alphabetical list of references at the end of thetextbook gives all the information necessary for locating each source.
2. Boldfaced terms are defined in the glossary at the end of the textbook.
Table 1.1: Core INTASC Principles Mapped to Chapters of This Textbook
Broad Area of TeacherExpertise Statement of Principle ChapterReference
Principle 1 Subject-matterknowledge The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of thediscipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspectsof subject matter meaningful for students. 1, 8
Principle 2 Understandingof child development The teacher understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learningopportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development. 2, 3, 5, 6,8
Principle 3 Knowing howto adapt instruction fordiversity The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and createsinstructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners. 3, 4
Principle 4 Mastery ofinstructional strategies The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encouragestudents’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills. 6, 8, 9
Principle 5 Motivation andclass management The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior tocreate a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, activeengagement in learning, and self-motivation. 8, partsof allchapters
Principle 6Communication skills anduse of media The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communicationtechniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in theclassroom. 4, partsof allchapters
Principle 7 Planning skills The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, thecommunity, and curriculum goals. 4, 8
Principle 8 Assessmentskills The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluateand ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner. 10
Principle 9 Professionalcommitment and growthorientation The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/herchoices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learningcommunity) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally. 1, 8, 10,parts ofallchapters
Principle 10 Collaborativeinvolvement with parents,colleagues, community The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the largercommunity to support students’ learning and well-being. 10, partsof allchapters
Adapted by permission from Council of Chief State School Officers (1996). Model Standards for Beginning Teacher Licensing, Assessment and Development: AResource for State Dialogue. Washington, D.C.
The most widely used tests of beginning teacher competence, the Praxis™ exams, are based on INTASC descriptions of the skills, the attitudes,and the behavior of competent beginning teacher. Developed by the Educational Testing Service, different forms of these exams are designed tobe used before, during, and after teacher training (Praxis II™: Principles of Learning and Teaching Exam, 2008). For example, many teacher-training institutions require that students show a minimum level of competence in basic skills such as reading, writing, and arithmetic beforethey are admitted to a program. For this, the Praxis™ I (Pre-Professional Skills Test or PPST) might be used. The Praxis II™, which looks atsubject-area knowledge as well as specific teaching skills, may be required for acceptance into the student teaching component of a program orfor certification. The Praxis III™ assesses beginning teachers’ actual classroom performance.
It’s important to note that the Praxis™ exams are designed to screen individuals but not to rank them. The tests are not meant to be used tomake hiring decisions, to provide evidence for terminating teacher contracts, for adjusting salaries, or for promoting or demoting teachers.
Although the Praxis™ exams are widely used, a number of states have developed their own testing programs and instruments. As a teachercandidate, what’s important for you is that you develop the knowledge, the skills, and the attitudes embodied in these principles. One of thegoals of this textbook is to help you do that.