Domain 1: Planning & Prep

Clarity is the most important ting when presenting information or answering questions. Language and vocabulary must appropriate to the levels the students are learning at (neither too complicated or too simple).

Each lesson is a "puzzle piece" in a bigger picture of content and a student's overall learning, so the teacher must know how it relates to wider subjects. This might mean connecting lessons to past learnings, or to society and culture as a way to show students the relevancy of content.

Teachers should also have a strong grasp on content-related pedagogy and different best practices so they can teach this information well and differentiate teaching effectively. This includes things related to child/adolescent development like attention spans, Erikson stages, blooms taxonomy, different assessment techniques and more.

Teachers must know students "as people" first; this includes knowing their interests, hobbies, and maybe other information like cultural backgrounds or their home life. Knowing these things helps students be better supported at school.

Other things that teachers should know about their students are:

1. Learning styles, current development levels

2. Needs or modifications found in IEPs/540 Plans, or for students who are ELLs

Keep good teaching records of these things helps the future teachers of these students!

Similar to principles of Understanding by Design, this section teaches us to focus on the learning not the doing. Teachers must keep the objective in mind while teaching so that every activity serves a purpose.

Teachers must also demonstrate ability to adjust their instruction as needed based on a class's performance.

Teachers have a wide array of resources available to them and should capitalize on it for their students learning. Varying resources used helps increase comprehension, engage students in new ways, and shows the relevance of material to everyday life.

Possible ways to use other resources in an English classroom are:

1. Not pulling texts solely from the textbook

2. Using varied levels of texts for students who are reading either above or below the level

3. Encouraging intertextuality by relating material to other books, movies, shows, art, tropes, or other items

4. Pulling in outside speakers like authors or people that share a cultural background or experience with the character of a story

5. Giving students authentic audiences to write for instead of just writing for the teacher and each other.

Teachers should combines activities, grouping, and assessment as often as possible so that students are engaged in meaningful learning with their peers often.

Teachers can vary groupings so that happens efficiently based on different goals.

Teachers should encourage student reflection at the close of learning to help solidify the learning.

Teachers should allow student choice often to help students be engaged in the content.

Teachers must be aware of school district requirements and state level requirements and stay on target with goals and standards.

Assessment MUST match learning objectives and set criteria on these objectives only. Assessing is not tricking students, it's measuring the extent that they learned what they were taught.

Assessment (like instruction) should be modified as necessary.

Assessment should be ongoing; it is both formative and summative, both authentic and reliable.

Rubrics may be helpful for students completing more authentic assessments.

Teachers should also be aware of the test environment and do their best to ensure students don't feel that their assessments are competitions between each other.