The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.
It is important for the teacher to have knowledge in their field in order to better meet the needs of each student. According to this particular standard, teachers are to demonstrate essential knowledge of their subject matter. For example, teachers should "use multiple representations and explanations that capture key ideas in the discipline, guide learners through learning progressions, and promote each learner’s achievement of content standards", "The teacher understands major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of knowing that are central to the discipline(s) s/he teaches", "The teacher understands common misconceptions in learning the discipline and how to guide learners to accurate conceptual understanding", "The teacher knows and uses the academic language of the discipline and knows how to make it accessible to learners", "The teacher knows how to integrate culturally relevant content to build on learners’ background knowledge", "The teacher has a deep knowledge of student content standards and learning progressions in the discipline(s) s/he teaches".
The first artifact I will use demonstrates "the teacher links new concepts to familiar concepts and helps learners see them in connection to their prior experiences". Students were asked to connect the novel, The Giver with the Hero's Journey Archetype they learned last unit. This artifact shows students ability to connect those familiar concepts to new information.
The second artifact supports "the teacher models and provides opportunities for learners to understand academic language and to use vocabulary to engage in and express content learning". I have attached the quarter 2 vocabulary list, a screenshot of the vocabulary.com alternative assignment for accelerated and struggling learners, and a picture of the word wall in the classroom to support what is being read in class.
Artifacts: