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Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of strategies for developing partnerships with families to support student learning and for encouraging and facilitating the involvement of parents/guardians in their children's education.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of school-home communication, factors that facilitate or impede communication, and methods of initiating and maintaining effective communication with all students' families.
- Identify strategies for conducting effective conferences with parents/guardians, addressing the concerns of parents/guardians in various contexts, and interacting effectively and appropriately with all families, including those with diverse characteristics, backgrounds, and needs.
- Demonstrate knowledge of effective methods for establishing and maintaining supportive, collaborative relationships with professional colleagues in given school contexts.
- Apply knowledge of how to collaborate effectively with specialists and others in the school community to meet student needs and enhance student learning.
- Demonstrate knowledge of how to develop partnerships with individuals, businesses, and institutions in the community and how to use community resources to expand and enrich student learning.
Sample Item:
As a new school year begins, a second-grade teacher is making plans to hold a conference with the parent(s)/guardian(s)
of each student in his class. During each conference, the teacher will discuss broad goals and expectations for
all students in the class. Which of the following additional teacher actions during the conferences would best
help promote positive communication and a sense of partnership with parents/guardians?
- encouraging parents/guardians to share their own goals for their child's learning and development during the upcoming year as well as any concerns they may have
- providing a thorough review of the second-grade curriculum in each subject and giving parents/guardians time to ask questions about the content to be covered
- soliciting from parents/guardians information about any problematic situations in the home that they believe may affect their child's learning and achievement in school
- sharing information with parents/guardians about the teacher's own personal and educational background and his professional credentials
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate an understanding of how to establish
partnerships with families to enhance and support student learning. Efforts to create partnerships with
parents/guardians should begin with the teacher's recognition that parents/guardians are knowledgeable,
influential people who have contributions to make to students and their education. True partnerships between
teachers and parents/guardians are balanced, with both parties being seen as having valuable knowledge and
perspectives. When a teacher solicits input from parents/guardians about their goals for their children's
learning and development as well as their concerns, it initiates two-way communication and helps set the stage
for this balance.
Descriptive Statements:
- Apply knowledge of the rights and responsibilities of students, teachers, and parents/guardians in various educational contexts.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the structure and components of the public education system, teacher roles in various educational contexts, and appropriate teacher interactions with and responses to other professionals in the system, parents/guardians, community members, and students.
- Recognize teacher requirements in given situations, such as providing instruction to students with special needs, ensuring educational equity for all students, maintaining the confidentiality of student records, and seeking copyright permission for use of instructional resource materials.
- Demonstrate knowledge of various types of professional organizations and professional development opportunities and resources, including research; action research; interactions with mentors, supervisors, and colleagues; and their use in enhancing professional knowledge, skills, and expertise.
- Demonstrate knowledge of important traits and behaviors associated with effective teaching (e.g., curiosity and love of learning, tolerance and open-mindedness) and strategies for using reflection and self-assessment to identify teaching strengths and challenges and to improve professional practice.
Sample Item:
A new teacher has asked her mentor to observe instruction during several lessons and provide feedback on her teaching. These observations are likely to be most beneficial if the new teacher takes which of the following actions before they occur?
- identifying for the mentor specific aspects of her instruction, such as leading discussions, that she has particular concerns about
- explaining to her students ahead of time the purpose and intended outcomes of the observations
- providing the mentor with an overview of her students' current achievement levels, interests, and behavior patterns
- clarifying for the mentor key aspects of her own current philosophy of teaching and learning
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
A. This question requires the examinee to demonstrate knowledge of types of professional development opportunities and resources, including interactions with mentors, and their use in enhancing professional knowledge, skills, and expertise. New teachers often have difficulty assessing their own teaching practices and an observation by a more experienced mentor can provide helpful insights. New teachers who are struggling with a particular aspect of teaching (e.g., class discussions) will benefit most from targeted feedback in that area. Providing a specific focus for an observation helps direct the mentor's attention and helps ensure that the post-observation dialogue between the mentor and the teacher addresses an identified need.
Use the information below to complete the assignment that follows.
Imagine that you are a new elementary teacher. Your principal has asked you to serve on a faculty committee whose goal is to identify ways to increase teachers' use of reflective practice. Members of the school community have been concerned about declining student achievement in recent years, and increased use of reflective practice by teachers has been identified as one way to enhance teaching and learning at the school. Increased use of reflective practice by teachers is a goal for the following year.
Write a response to other members of the committee describing your ideas about the issue of teachers' use of reflective practice. Your response should:
- explain why teachers' use of reflective practice is important;
- describe two steps school staff can take to increase teachers' use of reflective practice; and
- explain why each step you describe would be effective in increasing teachers' use of reflective practice.
Sample Responses
Sample Strong Response (Show Sample Strong ResponseHide Sample Strong Response)
Teachers' use of reflective practice is important for several reasons. First, reflective practice helps teachers gain a better understanding of their own teaching styles and strengths and helps them identify areas of their professional practice that are in need of improvement. Second, reflective practice enables teachers to use unsuccessful or disappointing lessons to improve their future performance and to address student learning needs more effectively. Finally, when the use of reflective practice is implemented schoolwide, it helps create a school culture that is focused on continuous improvement.
Two steps that school staff can take to increase teachers' use of reflective practice are for teachers to keep journals about their teaching experiences and to form faculty study teams. In the journals, teachers would make notes about classroom experiences, reflecting on practices that are working and those that are not working. Faculty study teams could consist of one or two teachers working together or all of the teachers in a grade level working together. Teams could target a particular aspect of teaching, such as classroom management or interdisciplinary instruction, and use a shared problem-solving approach to identify strategies that will promote improvement in the targeted area.
Keeping a journal would increase teachers' use of reflective practice by providing teachers with ongoing opportunities to examine their classroom experiences. As teachers develop the habit of regularly recording their thoughts about classroom experiences, reflection would become a routine part of their overall instructional practice. Faculty study teams would increase teachers' use of reflective practice by providing teachers with the opportunity to enrich their personal reflections through discussion and collaboration with peers who have different levels of knowledge and experience. Both steps help create a school culture in which reflection is an essential component of professional practice.
Sample Weak Response (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
Student achievement has been declining in our schools in recent years. One way to reverse this trend is through the use of reflective practice. Teachers' use of reflective practice is important because it enhances teaching and learning. Reflective practice enables teachers to meet the social, emotional, and cognitive needs of all their students. It allows teachers to use a variety of instructional approaches, and it promotes a productive classroom environment in which all students can achieve. Reflective practice results in better teacher-student communication, greater confidence and independence in students, and a stronger school-to-home connection.
Two steps that school staff can take to increase teachers' use of reflective practice are discussing reflective practice with colleagues and holding a training workshop on reflective practice.
These steps would be effective for many reasons. When teachers are trained in a specific practice and have the opportunity to discuss it with their colleagues, they become more proficient in that practice. Teachers will be better equipped to accommodate the diverse strengths and needs of their students. As they continue to use reflective practice, they will see improvement in their students' achievement. Students will be able to accomplish more and they will feel better about those accomplishments. Teachers will observe that students are more engaged in learning activities and more motivated to succeed.
It would be unrealistic to expect these changes to occur immediately. We know that they will require time and hard work. But with effort, dedication, and teamwork, the staff will eventually see clear evidence of the effectiveness of reflective practice.
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