Standard #1

Planning and Preparation

Performance Indicators

1a Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy

In order to guide student learning, teachers must have command of the subjects they teach. They must know
which concepts and skills are central to a discipline and which are peripheral; they must know how the discipline
has evolved into the 21st century, incorporating issues such as global awareness and cultural diversity.
Accomplished teachers understand the internal relationships within the disciplines they teach, knowing which
concepts and skills are prerequisites to the understanding of others. They are also aware of typical student
misconceptions in the discipline and work to dispel them. But knowledge of the content is not sufficient; in
advancing student understanding, teachers must be familiar with the particular pedagogical approaches best
suited to each discipline.

The elements of component 1a are:

● Knowledge of content and the structure of the discipline
○ Every discipline has a dominant structure, with smaller components or strands, as well
as central concepts and skills.
● Knowledge of prerequisite relationships
○ Some disciplines—for example, mathematics—have important prerequisites;
experienced teachers know what these are and how to use them in designing lessons
and units.
● Knowledge of content-related pedagogy
○ Different disciplines have “signature pedagogies” that have evolved over time and been
found to be most effective in teaching.

Indicators include:
● Lesson and unit plans that reflect important concepts in the discipline
● Lesson and unit plans that accommodate prerequisite relationships among concepts and skills
● Clear and accurate classroom explanations
● Accurate answers to students’ questions
● Feedback to students that furthers learning
● Interdisciplinary connections in plans and practice

1b Demonstrating Knowledge of Students

Teachers don’t teach content in the abstract; they teach it to students. In order to ensure student learning,
therefore, teachers must know not only their content and its related pedagogy but also the students to whom
they wish to teach that content. In ensuring student learning, teachers must appreciate what recent research in
cognitive psychology has confirmed, namely, that students learn through active intellectual engagement with
content. While there are patterns in cognitive, social, and emotional developmental stages typical of different
age groups, students learn in their individual ways and may have gaps or misconceptions that the teacher
needs to uncover in order to plan appropriate learning activities. In addition, students have lives beyond
school—including athletic and musical pursuits, activities in their neighborhoods, and family and cultural
traditions. Students whose first language is not English, as well as students with other special needs, must be
considered when a teacher is planning lessons and identifying resources to ensure that all students will be able
to learn.
 The elements of component 1b are:
● Knowledge of child and adolescent development
○ Children learn differently at different stages of their lives.
● Knowledge of the learning process
○ Learning requires active intellectual engagement.
● Knowledge of students’ skills, knowledge, and language proficiency
○ What students are able to learn at any given time is influenced by their level of
knowledge and skill.
● Knowledge of students’ interests and cultural heritage
○ Children’s backgrounds influence their learning.
● Knowledge of students’ special needs
○ Children do not all develop in a typical fashion.

Indicators include:
● Formal and informal information about students gathered by the teacher for use in planning
instruction
● Student interests and needs learned by the teacher for use in planning
● Teacher participation in community cultural events
● Teacher-designed opportunities for families to share their heritage
● Database of students with special needs

1c Setting Instructional Outcomes

Teaching is a purposeful activity; even the most imaginative activities are directed toward certain desired
learning. Therefore, establishing instructional outcomes entails identifying exactly what students will be
expected to learn; the outcomes describe not what students will do, but what they will learn. The instructional
outcomes should reflect important learning and must lend themselves to various forms of assessment through
which all students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the content. Insofar as the outcomes
determine the instructional activities, the resources used, their suitability for diverse learners, and the methods
of assessment employed, they hold a central place in domain 1.

Learning outcomes may be of a number of different types: factual and procedural knowledge, conceptual
understanding, thinking and reasoning skills, and collaborative and communication strategies. In addition, some
learning outcomes refer to dispositions; it’s important not only that students learn to read but also, educators
hope, that they will like to read. In addition, experienced teachers are able to link their learning outcomes with
outcomes both within their discipline and in other disciplines.

The elements of component 1c are:

● Priority, sequence, and alignment
○ Outcomes represent significant learning in the discipline reflecting, where appropriate,
the Common Core State Standards.
● Clarity
○ Outcomes must refer to what students will learn, not what they will do, and must permit
viable methods of assessment.
● Balance
○ Outcomes should reflect different types of learning, such as knowledge, conceptual
understanding, and thinking skills.
● Suitability for diverse students
○ Outcomes must be appropriate for all students.
 Indicators include:
● Outcomes of a challenging cognitive level
● Statements of student learning, not student activity
● Outcomes central to the discipline and related to those in other disciplines
● Outcomes permitting assessment of student attainment
● Outcomes differentiated for students of varied ability

1d Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources

Student learning is enhanced by a teacher’s skillful use of resources. Some of these are provided by the school
as “official” materials; others are secured by teachers through their own initiative. Resources fall into several
different categories: those used in the classroom by students, those available beyond the classroom walls to
enhance student learning, resources for teachers to further their own professional knowledge and skill, and
resources that can provide non-instructional assistance to students. Teachers recognize the importance of
discretion in the selection of resources, selecting those that align directly with the learning outcomes and will be
of most use to the students. Accomplished teachers also ensure that the selection of materials and resources is
appropriately challenging for every student; texts, for example, are available at various reading levels to make
sure all students can gain full access to the content and successfully demonstrate an understanding of the
learning outcomes. Furthermore, expert teachers look beyond the school for resources to bring their subjects to
life and to assist students who need help in both their academic and non-academic lives.

The elements of component 1d are:

● Resources for classroom use
● Materials must align with learning outcomes
● Resources to extend content knowledge and pedagogy
● Materials that can further teachers’ professional knowledge
● Resources for students
● Materials must be appropriately challenging

Indicators include:
● Materials provided by the district
● Materials provided by professional organizations
● A range of texts
● Internet resources
● Community resources
● Ongoing participation by the teacher in professional education courses or professional groups
● Guest speakers

1e Designing Coherent Instruction

Designing coherent instruction is the heart of planning, reflecting the teacher’s knowledge of content and of the
students in the class, the intended outcomes of instruction, and the available resources. Such planning requires
that educators have a clear understanding of the state, district, and school expectations for student learning and
the skill to translate these into a coherent plan. It also requires that teachers understand the characteristics of
the students they teach and the active nature of student learning. Educators must determine how best to
sequence instruction in a way that will advance student learning through the required content. Furthermore,
such planning requires the thoughtful construction of lessons that contain cognitively engaging learning
activities, the incorporation of appropriate resources and materials, and the intentional grouping of students.
Proficient practice in this component recognizes that a well-designed instruction plan addresses the learning
needs of various groups of students; one size does not fit all. At the distinguished level, the teacher plans
instruction that takes into account the specific learning needs of each student and solicits ideas from students
on how best to structure the learning. This plan is then implemented in domain 3.
 The elements of component 1e are:
● Learning activities
○ Instruction is designed to engage students and advance them through the content.
● Instructional materials and resources
○ Aids to instruction are appropriate to the learning needs of the students.
● Instructional groups
○ Teachers intentionally organize instructional groups to support student learning.
● Lesson and unit structure
○ Teachers produce clear and sequenced lesson and unit structures to advance student
learning.

Indicators include:
● Lessons that support instructional outcomes and reflect important concepts
● Instructional maps that indicate relationships to prior learning
● Activities that represent high-level thinking
● Opportunities for student choice
● Use of varied resources
● Thoughtfully planned learning groups
● Structured lesson plans and units

1f Designing Student Assessments

Good teaching requires both assessment of learning and assessment for learning. Assessments of learning
ensure that teachers know that students have learned the intended outcomes. These assessments must be
designed in such a manner that they provide evidence of the full range of learning outcomes; that is, the
methods needed to assess reasoning skills are different from those for factual knowledge. Furthermore, such
assessments may need to be adapted to the particular needs of individual students; an ESL student, for
example, may need an alternative method of assessment. Assessment For learning enables a teacher to
incorporate assessments directly into the instructional process and to modify or adapt instruction as needed to
ensure student understanding. Such assessments, although used during instruction, must be designed as part
of the planning process. These formative assessment strategies are ongoing and may be used by both teachers
and students to monitor progress toward understanding the learning outcomes.

The elements of component 1f are:

● Congruence with instructional outcomes
○ Assessments must match learning expectations.
● Criteria and standards
○ Expectations must be clearly defined.
● Design of formative assessments
○ Assessments for learning must be planned as part of the instructional process.
● Use for planning
○ Results of assessment guide future planning.

Indicators include:
● Lesson plans support indicating correspondence between assessments and instructional
outcomes
● Assessment types suitable to the style of outcome
● Variety of performance opportunities for students
● Modified assessments available for individual students as needed
● Expectations clearly written with descriptions for each level of performance
● Formative assessments designed to inform minute-to minute decision making by the teacher
during instruction.
 Standard #2
Classroom Environment

Performance Indicators

2a Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport

An essential skill of teaching is that of managing relationships with students and ensuring that
relationships among students are positive and supportive. Teachers create an environment of
respect and rapport in their classrooms by the ways they interact with students and by the
interactions they encourage and cultivate among students. An important aspect of respect and
rapport relates to how the teacher responds to students and how students are permitted to treat
one another. Patterns of interactions are critical to the overall tone of the class. In a respectful
environment, all students feel valued, safe, and comfortable taking intellectual risks. They do not
fear put-downs or ridicule from either the teacher or other students.

“Respect” shown to the teacher by students should be distinguished from students complying
with standards of conduct and behavior. Caring interactions among teachers and students are the
hallmark of component 2a (Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport); while adherence
to the established classroom rules characterizes success in component 2d (Managing Student
Behavior).

The elements of component 2a are:

● Teacher interactions with students, including both words and actions
○ A teacher’s interactions with students set the tone for the classroom. Through their
interactions, teachers convey that they are interested in and care about their students.
● Student interactions with other students, including both words and actions
○ As important as a teacher’s treatment of students is, how students are treated by their
classmates is arguably even more important to students. At its worst, poor treatment
causes students to feel rejected by their peers. At its best, positive interactions among
students are mutually supportive and create an emotionally healthy school environment.
Teachers not only model and teach students how to engage in respectful interactions
with one another but also acknowledge such interactions.

Indicators include:
● Respectful talk, active listening, and turn-talk
● Acknowledgement of students’ backgrounds and lives outside the classroom
● Body language indicative of warmth and caring shown by teacher and students
● Physical proximity
● Politeness and encouragement
● Fairness

2b Establishing a Culture for Learning

A “culture for learning” refers to the atmosphere in the classroom that reflects the educational importance of the
work undertaken by both students and teacher. It describes the norms that govern the interactions among
individuals about the activities and assignments, the value of hard work and perseverance, and the general tone
of the class. The classroom is characterized by high cognitive energy, by a sense that what is happening there
is important, and by a shared belief that it is essential, and rewarding, to get it right. There are high expectations
for all students; the classroom is a place where the teacher and students value learning and hard work.
Teachers who are successful in creating a culture for learning know that students are, by their nature,
intellectually curious, and that one of the many challenges of teaching is to direct the students’ natural energy
toward the content of the curriculum. They also know that students derive great satisfaction, and a sense of
genuine power, from mastering challenging content in the same way they experience pride in mastering, for
example, a difficult physical skill.

Part of a culture of hard work involves precision in thought and language; teachers whose classrooms display
such a culture insist that students use language to express their thoughts clearly. An emphasis on precision
reflects the importance placed, by both teacher and students, on the quality of thinking; this emphasis conveys
that the classroom is a business-like place where important work is being undertaken. The classroom
atmosphere may be vibrant, even joyful, but it is not frivolous.

The elements of component 2b are:

● Importance of the content and of learning
○ In a classroom with a strong culture for learning, teachers convey the educational value
of what the students are learning.
● Expectations for learning and achievement
○ In classrooms with robust cultures for learning, all students receive the message that
although the work is challenging, they are capable of achieving it if they are prepared to
work hard. A manifestation of teachers’ expectations for high student achievement is
their insistence on the use of precise language by students.
● Student pride in work
○ When students are convinced of their capabilities, they are willing to devote energy to
the task at hand, and they take pride in their accomplishments. This pride is reflected in
their interactions with classmates and with the teacher.

Indicators include:
● Belief in the value of what is being learned
● High expectations, supported through both verbal and nonverbal behaviors, for both learning
and participation
● Expectation of high-quality work
● Expectation and recognition of effort and persistence
● High expectations for expression and work products

2c Managing Classroom Procedures

A smoothly functioning classroom is a prerequisite to good instruction and high levels of student engagement.
Teachers establish and monitor routines and procedures for the smooth operation of the classroom and the
efficient use of time. Hallmarks of a well-managed classroom are that instructional groups are used effectively,
non-instructional tasks are completed efficiently, and transitions between activities and management of
materials and supplies are skillfully done in order to maintain momentum and maximize instructional time. The
establishment of efficient routines, and teaching students to employ them, may be inferred from the sense that
the class “runs itself.”

The elements of component 2c are:

● Management of instructional groups
○ Teachers help students to develop the skills to work purposefully and cooperatively in
groups or independently, with little supervision from the teacher.
● Management of transitions
○ Many lessons engage students in different types of activities: large group, small group,
independent work. It’s important that little time is lost as students move from one activity
to another; students know the “drill” and execute it seamlessly.
 ● Management of materials and supplies
○ Experienced teachers have all necessary materials at hand and have taught students to
implement routines for distribution and collection of materials with a minimum of
disruption to the flow of instruction.
● Performance of classroom routines
○ Overall, little instructional time is lost in activities such as taking attendance, recording
the lunch count, or the return of permission slips for a class trip.
● Supervision of volunteers and paraprofessionals
○ Not every teacher has the benefit of assistance from volunteers and paraprofessionals,
but those who do recognize that it takes both organization and management to help
these individuals understand their duties and acquire the skills to carry them out.

Indicators include:
● Smooth functioning of all routines
● Little or no loss of instructional time
● Students playing an important role in carrying out the routine
● Students knowing what to do, where to move

2d Managing Student Behavior

In order for students to be able to engage deeply with content, the classroom environment must
be orderly; the atmosphere must feel business-like and productive, without being authoritarian. In a productive
classroom, standards of conduct are clear to students; they know what they are permitted to do and what they
can expect of their classmates. Even when their behavior is being corrected, students feel respected; their
dignity is not undermined. Skilled teachers regard positive student behavior not as an end in itself, but as a
prerequisite to high levels of engagement in content.

The elements of component 2d are:

● Expectations
○ It is clear, either from what the teacher says, or by inference from student actions, that
expectations for student conduct have been established and that they are being
implemented.
● Monitoring of student behavior
○ Experienced teachers seem to have eyes in the backs of their heads; they are attuned
to what’s happening in the classroom and can move subtly to help students, when
necessary, re-engage with the content being addressed in the lesson. At a high level,
such monitoring is preventive and subtle, which may make it challenging to observe.
● Response to student misbehavior
○ Even experienced teachers find that their students occasionally violate one or another
of the agreed-upon standards of conduct; how the teacher responds to such infractions
is an important mark of the teacher’s skill. Accomplished teachers try to understand why
students are conducting themselves in such a manner (are they unsure of the content?
are they trying to impress their friends?) and respond in a way that respects the dignity
of the student. The best responses are those that address misbehavior early in an
episode, although doing so is not always possible.

Indicators include:
● Clear standards of conduct, possibly posted, and possibly referred to during a lesson
● Absence of acrimony between teacher and students concerning behavior
● Teacher awareness of student conduct
● Preventive action when needed by teacher
● Absence of misbehavior
● Reinforcement of positive behavior
2e Organizing Physical Space
The use of the physical environment to promote student learning is a hallmark of an experienced teacher. Its
use varies, of course, with the age of the students: in a primary classroom, centers and reading corners may
structure class activities; while with older students, the position of chairs and desks can facilitate, or inhibit, rich
discussion. Naturally, classrooms must be safe (no dangling wires or dangerous traffic patterns), and all
students must be able to see and hear what’s going on so that they can participate actively. Both the teacher
and students must make effective use of electronics and other technology.

The elements of component 2e are:

● Safety and accessibility
○ Physical safety is a primary consideration of all teachers; no learning can occur if
students are unsafe or if they don’t have access to the board or other learning
resources.
● Arrangement of furniture and use of physical resources
○ Both the physical arrangement of a classroom and the available resources provide
opportunities for teachers to advance learning; when these resources are used skillfully,
students can engage with the content in a productive manner. At the highest levels of
performance, the students themselves contribute to the use or adaptation of the
physical environment.

Indicators include:
● Pleasant, inviting atmosphere
● Safe environment
● Accessibility for all students
● Furniture arrangement suitable for the learning activities
● Effective use of physical resources, including computer technology, by both teacher and
students
 Standard #3

Instruction and Assessment

Performance Indicators
3a Communicating with Students
Teachers communicate with students for several independent, but related, purposes. First, they convey that
teaching and learning are purposeful activities; they make that purpose clear to students. They also provide
clear directions for classroom activities so that students know what to do; when additional help is appropriate,
teachers model these activities. When teachers present concepts and information, they make those
presentations with accuracy, clarity, and imagination, using precise, academic language; where amplification is
important to the lesson, skilled teachers embellish their explanations with analogies or metaphors, linking them
to students’ interests and prior knowledge. Teachers occasionally withhold information from students (for
example, in an inquiry science lesson) to encourage them to think on their own, but what information they do
convey is accurate and reflects deep understanding of the content. And teachers’ use of language is vivid, rich,
and error free, affording the opportunity for students to hear language used well and to extend their own
vocabularies. Teachers present complex concepts in ways that provide scaffolding and access to students.

The elements of component 3a are:

● Expectations for learning
○ The goals for learning are communicated clearly to students. Even if the goals are not
conveyed at the outset of a lesson (for example, in an inquiry science lesson), by the
end of the lesson students are clear about what they have been learning.
● Directions for activities
○ Students understand what they are expected to do during a lesson, particularly if
students are working independently or with classmates, without direct teacher
supervision. These directions for the lesson activities may be provided orally, in writing,
or in some combination of the two, with modeling by the teacher, if it is appropriate.
● Explanations of content
○ Skilled teachers, when explaining concepts and strategies to students, use vivid
language and imaginative analogies and metaphors, connecting explanations to
students’ interests and lives beyond school. The explanations are clear, with
appropriate scaffolding, and, where appropriate, anticipate possible student
misconceptions. These teachers invite students to be engaged intellectually and to
formulate hypotheses regarding the concepts or strategies being presented.
● Use of oral and written language
○ For many students, their teachers’ use of language represents their best model of both
accurate syntax and a rich vocabulary; these models enable students to emulate such
language, making their own more precise and expressive. Skilled teachers seize on
opportunities both to use precise, academic vocabulary and to explain their use of it.

Indicators include:
● Clarity of lesson purpose
● Clear directions and procedures specific to the lesson activities
● Absence of content errors and clear explanations of concepts and strategies
● Correct and imaginative use of language
3b Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques
It is important that questioning and discussion be used as techniques to deepen student understanding rather
than serve as recitation, or a verbal “quiz.” Good teachers use divergent as well as convergent questions,
framed in such a way that they invite students to formulate hypotheses, make connections, or challenge
previously held views. Students’ responses to questions are valued; effective teachers are especially adept at
responding to and building on student responses and making use of their ideas. High-quality questions
encourage students to make connections among concepts or events previously believed to be unrelated and to
arrive at new understandings of complex material. Effective teachers also pose questions for which they do not
know the answers. Even when a question has a limited number of correct responses, the question, being non-
formulaic, is likely to promote student thinking.

Class discussions are animated, engaging all students in important issues and promoting the use of precise
language to deepen and extend their understanding. These discussions may be based around questions
formulated by the students themselves. Furthermore, when a teacher is building on student responses to
questions (whether posed by the teacher or by other students), students are challenged to explain their thinking
and to cite specific text or other evidence (for example, from a scientific experiment) to back up a position. This
focus on argumentation forms the foundation of logical reasoning, a critical skill in all disciplines.

Not all questions must be at a high cognitive level in order for a teacher’s performance to be rated at a high
level; that is, when exploring a topic, a teacher might begin with a series of questions of low cognitive challenge
to provide a review, or to ensure that everyone in the class is “on board.” Furthermore, if questions are at a high
level but only a few students participate in the discussion, the teacher’s performance on the component cannot
be judged to be at a high level. In addition, during lessons involving students in small-group work, the quality of
the students’ questions and discussion in their small groups may be considered as part of this component. In
order for students to formulate high-level questions, they must have learned how to do so. Therefore, high-level
questions from students, either in the full class or in small-group discussions, provide evidence that these skills
have been taught.

The elements of component 3b are:

● Quality of questions/prompts
○ Questions of high quality cause students to think and reflect, to deepen their
understanding, and to test their ideas against those of their classmates. When teachers
ask questions of high quality, they ask only a few of them and provide students with
sufficient time to think about their responses, to reflect on the comments of their
classmates, and to deepen their understanding. Occasionally, for the purposes of
review, teachers ask students a series of (usually low-level) questions in a type of
verbal quiz. This technique may be helpful for the purpose of establishing the facts of a
historical event, for example, but should not be confused with the use of questioning to
deepen students’ understanding.
● Discussion techniques
○ Effective teachers promote learning through discussion. A foundational skill that
students learn through engaging in discussion is that of explaining and justifying their
reasoning and conclusions, based on specific evidence. Teachers skilled in the use of
questioning and discussion techniques challenge students to examine their premises, to
build a logical argument, and to critique the arguments of others. Some teachers report,
“We discussed x,” when what they mean is “I said x.” That is, some teachers confuse
discussion with explanation of content; as important as that is, it’s not discussion.
Rather, in a true discussion a teacher poses a question and invites all students’ views
to be heard, enabling students to engage in discussion directly with one another, not
always mediated by the teacher. Furthermore, in conducting discussions, skilled
teachers build further questions on student responses and insist that students examine
their premises, build a logical argument, and critique the arguments of others.
 ● Student participation
○ In some classes a few students tend to dominate the discussion; other students,
recognizing this pattern, hold back their contributions. The skilled teacher uses a range
of techniques to encourage all students to contribute to the discussion and enlists the
assistance of students to ensure this outcome.

Indicators include:
● Questions of high cognitive challenge, formulated by both students and teacher
● Questions with multiple correct answers or multiple approaches, even when there is a single
correct response
● Effective use of student responses and ideas
● Discussion, with the teacher stepping out of the central, mediating role
● Focus on the reasoning exhibited by students in discussion, both in give-and-take with the
teacher and with their classmates
● High levels of student participation in discussion

3c Engaging Students in Learning

When students are engaged in learning, they are not merely “busy,” nor are they only “on task;” rather, they are
intellectually active in learning important and challenging content. The critical distinction between a classroom in
which students are compliant and busy and one in which they are engaged is that in the latter, students are
developing their understanding through what they do; they are engaged in discussion, debate, answering “what
if?” questions, discovering patterns, and the like. They may be selecting their work from a range of (teacher-
arranged) choices, and making important contributions to the intellectual life of the class. Such activities don’t
typically consume an entire lesson, but they are essential components of engagement.

A lesson in which students are engaged usually has a discernible structure (a beginning, a middle, and an end)
with scaffolding provided by the teacher or by the activities themselves. Student tasks are organized to provide
cognitive challenge, and then students are encouraged to reflect on what they have done and what they have
learned; the lesson has closure, in which teachers encourage students to derive the important learning from the
learning tasks, from the discussion, or from what they have read. Critical questions for an observer in
determining the degree of student engagement are “What are the students being asked to do? Does the
learning task involve thinking? Are students challenged to discern patterns or make predictions?” If the answer
to these questions is that students are, for example, filling in blanks on a worksheet or performing a rote
procedure, they are unlikely to be cognitively engaged.

In observing a lesson, it is essential not only to watch the teacher but also to pay close attention to the students
and what they are doing. The best evidence for student engagement is what students are saying and doing as a
consequence of what the teacher does, or has done, or has planned. And while students may be physically
active (e.g. using manipulative materials in mathematics or making a map in social studies), it is not essential
that they be involved in a hands-on manner; it is, however, essential that they be challenged to be “minds-on.”

The elements of component 3c are:

● Activities and assignments

○ The activities and assignments are the centerpiece of student engagement, since they
determine what it is that students are asked to do. Activities and assignments that
promote learning require student thinking that emphasizes depth over breadth and
encourage students to explain their thinking.
 ● Grouping of students
○ How students are grouped for instruction (whole class, small groups, pairs, individuals)
is one of the many decisions teachers make every day. There are many options;
students of similar background and skill may be clustered together, or the more-
advanced students may be spread around into the different groups. Alternatively, a
teacher might permit students to select their own groups, or they could be formed
randomly.
● Instructional materials and resources
○ The instructional materials a teacher selects to use in the classroom can have an
enormous impact on students’ experience. Though some teachers are obliged to use a
school’s or district’s officially sanctioned materials, many teachers use these selectively
or supplement them with others of their choosing that are better suited to engaging
students in deep learning—for example, the use of primary source materials in social
studies.
● Structure and pacing
○ No one, whether an adult or a student, likes to be either bored or rushed in completing
a task. Keeping things moving, within a well-defined structure, is one of the marks of an
experienced teacher. Since much of student learning results from their reflection on
what they have done, a well-designed lesson includes time for reflection and closure.

Indicators include:
● Student enthusiasm, interest, thinking, problem solving, etc.
● Learning tasks that require high-level student thinking and invite students to explain their
thinking
● Students highly motivated to work on all tasks and persistent even when the tasks are
challenging
● Students actively “working,” rather than watching while their teacher “works”
● Suitable pacing of the lesson: neither dragged out nor rushed, with time for closure and student
reflection

3d Using Assessment in Instruction

Assessment of student learning plays an important new role in teaching: no longer signaling the end of
instruction, it is now recognized to be an integral part of instruction. While assessment of learning has always
been and will continue to be an important aspect of teaching (it’s important for teachers to know whether
students have learned what teachers intend), assessment for learning has increasingly come to play an
important role in classroom practice. In order to assess student learning for the purposes of instruction, teachers
must have a “finger on the pulse” of a lesson, monitoring student understanding and, where feedback is
appropriate, offering it to students.

A teacher’s actions in monitoring student learning, while they may superficially look the same as those used in
monitoring student behavior, have a fundamentally different purpose. When monitoring behavior, teachers are
alert to students who may be passing notes or bothering their neighbors; when monitoring student learning,
teachers look carefully at what students are writing, or listen carefully to the questions students ask, in order to
gauge whether they require additional activity or explanation to grasp the content. In each case, the teacher
may be circulating in the room, but his or her purpose in doing so is quite different in the two situations.
Similarly, on the surface, questions asked of students for the purpose of monitoring learning are fundamentally
different from those used to build understanding; in the former, the questions seek to reveal students’
misconceptions, whereas in the latter, the questions are designed to explore relationships or deepen
understanding. Indeed, for the purpose of monitoring, many teachers create questions specifically to elicit the
extent of student understanding and use additional techniques (such as exit tickets) to determine the degree of
understanding of every student in the class. Teachers at high levels of performance in this component, then,
demonstrate the ability to encourage students and actually teach them the necessary skills of monitoring their
own learning against clear standards.

But as important as monitoring student learning and providing feedback to students are, however, they are
greatly strengthened by a teacher’s skill in making mid-course corrections when needed, seizing on a “teachable
moment,” or enlisting students’ particular interests to enrich an explanation.

The elements of component 3d are:

● Assessment criteria
○ It is essential that students know the criteria for assessment. At its highest level,
students themselves have had a hand in articulating the criteria (for example, of a clear
oral presentation).
● Monitoring of student learning
○ A teacher’s skill in eliciting evidence of student understanding is one of the true marks
of expertise. This is not a hit-or-miss effort, but is planned carefully in advance. Even
after planning carefully, however, a teacher must weave monitoring of student learning
seamlessly into the lesson, using a variety of techniques.
● Feedback to students
○ Feedback on learning is an essential element of a rich instructional environment;
without it, students are constantly guessing at how they are doing and at how their work
can be improved. Valuable feedback must be timely, constructive, and substantive and
must provide students the guidance they need to improve their performance.
● Student self-assessment and monitoring of progress
○ The culmination of students’ assumption of responsibility for their learning is when they
monitor their own learning and take appropriate action. Of course, they can do these
things only if the criteria for learning are clear and if they have been taught the skills of
checking their work against clear criteria.

Indicators include:
● The teacher paying close attention to evidence of student understanding
● The teacher posing specifically created questions to elicit evidence of student understanding
● The teacher circulating to monitor student learning and to offer feedback
● Students assessing their own work against established criteria

3e Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness

“Flexibility and responsiveness” refer to a teacher’s skill in making adjustments in a lesson to respond to
changing conditions. When a lesson is well planned, there may be no need for changes during the course of the
lesson itself. Shifting the approach in midstream is not always necessary; in fact, with experience comes skill in
accurately predicting how a lesson will go and being prepared for different possible scenarios. But even the
most skilled, and best prepared, teachers will occasionally find either that a lesson is not proceeding as they
would like or that a teachable moment has presented itself. They are ready for such situations. Furthermore,
teachers who are committed to the learning of all students persist in their attempts to engage them in learning,
even when confronted with initial setbacks.
The elements of component 3e are:
● Lesson adjustment
○ Experienced teachers are able to make both minor and (at times) major adjustments to
a lesson, or mid-course corrections. Such adjustments depend on a teacher’s store of
alternate instructional strategies and the confidence to make a shift when needed.
● Response to students
○ Occasionally during a lesson, an unexpected event will occur that presents a true
teachable moment. It is a mark of considerable teacher skill to be able to capitalize on
such opportunities.
● Persistence
○ Committed teachers don’t give up easily; when students encounter difficulty in learning
(which all do at some point), these teachers seek alternate approaches to help their
students be successful. In these efforts, teachers display a keen sense of efficacy.

Indicators include:
● Incorporation of students’ interests and daily events into a lesson
● The teacher adjusting instruction in response to evidence of student understanding (or lack of it)
● The teacher seizing on a teachable moment
 Standard #4

Professional Responsibility

Performance Indicators

4a Reflecting on Teaching
Reflecting on teaching encompasses the teacher’s thinking that follows any instructional event,
an analysis of the many decisions made in both the planning and the implementation of a lesson. By considering these
elements in light of the impact they had on student learning, teachers can determine where to focus their efforts in
making revisions and choose which aspects of the instruction they will continue in future lessons. Teachers may reflect on
their practice through collegial conversations, journal writing, examining student work, conversations with students, or
simply thinking about their teaching. Reflecting with accuracy and specificity, as well as being able to use in future
teaching what has been learned, is an acquired skill; mentors, coaches, and supervisors can help teachers acquire and
develop the skill of reflecting on teaching through supportive and deep questioning. Over time, this way of thinking both
reflectively and self- critically and of analyzing instruction through the lens of student learning—whether excellent,
adequate, or inadequate—becomes a habit of mind, leading to improvement in teaching and learning.

The elements of component 4a are:

● Accuracy
○ As teachers gain experience, their reflections on practice become more accurate,
corresponding to the assessments that would be given by an external and unbiased
observer. Not only are the reflections accurate, but teachers can provide specific
examples from the lesson to support their judgments.
● Use in future teaching
○ If the potential of reflection to improve teaching is to be fully realized, teachers must use
their reflections to make adjustments in their practice. As their experience and expertise
increases, teachers draw on an ever-increasing repertoire of strategies to inform these
adjustments.

Indicators include:
● Accurate reflections on a lesson
● Citation of adjustments to practice that draw on a repertoire of strategies

4b Maintaining Accurate Records

An essential responsibility of professional educators is keeping accurate records of both instructional and non-
instructional events. These include student completion of assignments, student progress in learning, and non-
instructional activities that are part of the day-to-day functions in a school setting, such as the return of signed
permission slips for a field trip and money for school pictures. Proficiency in this component is vital because
these records inform interactions with students and parents and allow teachers to monitor learning and adjust
instruction accordingly. The methods of keeping records vary as much as the type of information being
recorded. For example, teachers may keep records of formal assessments electronically, using spreadsheets
and databases, which allow for item analysis and individualized instruction. A less formal means of keeping
track of student progress may include anecdotal notes that are kept in student folders.
 The elements of component 4b are:
● Student completion of assignments
○ Most teachers, particularly at the secondary level, need to keep track of student
completion of assignments, including not only whether the assignments were actually
completed but also students’ success in completing them.
● Student progress in learning
○ In order to plan instruction, teachers need to know where each student “is” in his or her
learning. This information may be collected formally or informally but must be updated
frequently.
● Non-instructional records
○ Non-instructional records encompass all the details of school life for which records must
be maintained, particularly if they involve money. Examples include tracking which
students have returned their permission slips for a field trip or which students have paid
for their school pictures.

Indicators include:
● Routines and systems that track student completion of assignments
● Systems of information regarding student progress against instructional outcomes
● Processes of maintaining accurate non-instructional records

4c Communicating with Families

Although the ability of families to participate in their child’s learning varies widely because of other family or job
obligations, it is the responsibility of teachers to provide opportunities for them to understand both the
instructional program and their child’s progress. Teachers establish relationships with families by communicating
to them about the instructional program, conferring with them about individual students, and inviting them to be
part of the educational process itself. The level of family participation and involvement tends to be greater at the
elementary level, when young children are just beginning school. However, the importance of regular
communication with families of adolescents cannot be overstated. A teacher’s effort to communicate with
families conveys the teacher’s essential caring, valued by families of students of all ages.

The elements of component 4c are:

● Information about the instructional program
○ The teacher frequently provides information to families about the instructional program.
● Information about individual students
○ The teacher frequently provides information to families about students’ individual
progress.
● Engagement of families in the instructional program
○ The teacher frequently and successfully offers engagement opportunities to families so
that they can participate in the learning activities.

Indicators include:
● Frequent and culturally appropriate information sent home regarding the instructional program
and student progress
● Two-way communication between the teacher and families
● Frequent opportunities for families to engage in the learning process
4d Participating in the Professional Community
Schools are, first of all, environments to promote the learning of students. But in promoting student learning,
teachers must work with their colleagues to share strategies, plan joint efforts, and plan for the success of
individual students. Schools are, in other words, professional organizations for teachers, with their full potential
realized only when teachers regard themselves as members of a professional community. This community is
characterized by mutual support and respect, as well as by recognition of the responsibility of all teachers to be
constantly seeking ways to improve their practice and to contribute to the life of the school. Inevitably, teachers’
duties extend beyond the doors of their classrooms and include activities related to the entire school or larger
district, or both. These activities include such things as school and district curriculum committees or
engagement with the parent-teacher organization. With experience, teachers assume leadership roles in these
activities.

The elements of component 4d are:

● Relationships with colleagues
○ Teachers maintain professional collegial relationships that encourage sharing, planning,
and working together toward improved instructional skill and student success.
● Involvement in a culture of professional inquiry
○ Teachers contribute to and participate in a learning community that supports and
respects its members’ efforts to improve practice.
● Service to the school
○ Teachers’ efforts move beyond classroom duties by contributing to school initiatives
and projects.
● Participation in school and district projects
○ Teachers contribute to and support larger school and district projects designed to
improve the professional community.

Indicators include:
● Regular teacher participation with colleagues to share and plan for student success
● Regular teacher participation in professional courses or communities that emphasize improving
practice
● Regular teacher participation in school initiatives
● Regular teacher participation in and support of community initiatives

4e Growing and Developing Professionally

As in other professions, the complexity of teaching requires continued growth and development in order for
teachers to remain current. Continuing to stay informed and increasing their skills allows teachers to become
ever more effective and to exercise leadership among their colleagues. The academic disciplines themselves
evolve, and educators constantly refine their understanding of how to engage students in learning; thus, growth
in content, pedagogy, and information technology are essential to good teaching. Networking with colleagues
through such activities as joint planning, study groups, and lesson study provides opportunities for teachers to
learn from one another. These activities allow for job-embedded professional development. In addition,
professional educators increase their effectiveness in the classroom by belonging to professional organizations,
reading professional journals, attending educational conferences, and taking university classes. As they gain
experience and expertise, educators find ways to contribute to their colleagues and to the profession.
The elements of component 4e are:
● Enhancement of content knowledge and pedagogical skill
○ Teachers remain current by taking courses, reading professional literature, and
remaining current on the evolution of thinking regarding instruction.
● Receptivity to feedback from colleagues
○ Teachers actively pursue networks that provide collegial support and feedback.
● Service to the profession
○ Teachers are active in professional organizations in order to enhance both their
personal practice and their ability to provide leadership and support to colleagues.

Indicators include:
● Frequent teacher attendance in courses and workshops; regular academic reading
● Participation in learning networks with colleagues; freely shared insights
● Participation in professional organizations supporting academic inquiry

4f Showing Professionalism
Expert teachers demonstrate professionalism in service both to students and to the profession. Teaching at the
highest levels of performance in this component is student focused, putting students first regardless of how this
stance might challenge long-held assumptions, past practice, or simply the easier or more convenient
procedure. Accomplished teachers have a strong moral compass and are guided by what is in the best interest
of each student. They display professionalism in a number of ways. For example, they conduct interactions with
colleagues in a manner notable for honesty and integrity. Furthermore, they know their students’ needs and can
readily access resources with which to step in and provide help that may extend beyond the classroom. Seeking
greater flexibility in the ways school rules and policies are applied, expert teachers advocate for their students in
ways that might challenge traditional views and the educational establishment. They also display
professionalism in the ways they approach problem solving and decision making, with student needs constantly
in mind. Finally, accomplished teachers consistently adhere to school and district policies and procedures but
are willing to work to improve those that may be outdated or ineffective.

The elements of component 4f are:

● Integrity and ethical conduct
○ Teachers act with integrity and honesty.
● Service to students
○ Teachers put students first in all considerations of their practice.
● Advocacy
○ Teachers support their students’ best interests, even in the face of traditional practice or
beliefs.
● Decision making
○ Teachers solve problems with students’ needs as a priority.
● Compliance with school and district regulations
○ Teachers adhere to policies and established procedures.

Indicators include:
● The teacher having a reputation as being trustworthy and often sought as a sounding board
● The teacher frequently reminding participants during committee or planning work that students
are the highest priority
● The teacher supporting students, even in the face of difficult situations or conflicting policies
● The teacher challenging existing practice in order to put students first
● The teacher consistently fulfilling district mandates regarding policies and procedures