teaching framework

Since 1996, hundreds of thousands of educators have used the framework for professional practice for a wide range of purposes, from meeting novices’ needs to enhancing veterans’ skills. In response to her readers’ frequent requests and needs, Charlotte Danielson expanded the framework to include non-classroom specialist positions—including instructional and media specialists, nurses, counselors, psychologists, tutors—people critical to the educational experiences of all students (see Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching, 2^nd ed. [2007]). This more comprehensive framework is designed to be used by everyone involved in schooling as well as teachers of educators and “pre-professionals” engaged in professional preparation.

As users embraced the framework for teaching and eagerly sought to engage in more productive professional conversations, experiences, and development, they urged Danielson to summarize the original rubrics for easier, more frequent use by educators. As a result, those summary rubrics are available in The Handbook for Enhancing Professional Practice: Using the Framework for Teaching in Your School. The handbook also contains procedures, instruments, interview protocols, and tips for using the framework for a wide range of purposes.

Knowing that practitioners value ways to streamline practices and efficiently share their professional knowledge with others, including peers, coaches, and supervisors, Danielson envisioned an electronic tool that allows the user to tailor information in the rubrics and forms to fit each school and district. To answer that growing need, this user-friendly electronic version of the rubrics and forms from both The Handbook for Enhancing Professional Practice: Using the Framework for Teaching in Your School and Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching (2^nd ed.) enables educators to modify the language of the framework to reflect the intent, spirit, and mission of both the framework and that of their schools and districts.

Readers and users of the framework have given continuous feedback that makes the Framework for Teaching a dynamic, professional, responsible tool for all educators striving to improve their own teaching and learning as they seek to help every student succeed. Whether used by an individual to chart professional development and goals, in a small learning community to improve professional development, or adopted by a whole school or district to unite learning goals, the framework can make a positive difference in teaching and learning in schools.

The materials that follow are from The Handbook for Enhancing Professional Practice: Using the Framework for Teaching in Your School and the second edition of Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching. Full explanations and examples of how and when to most effectively use these forms and rubrics are embedded in the books. Reading and referring to the advice and information in the books enables practitioners to successfully implement the Framework for Teaching and can serve as a valuable professional development tool far beyond a simple rubric or form. The electronic forms and rubrics are designed to support educators’ use of the information available in a collegial, professional environment.