Professional Practices

60Points per Certificate

7/12

1-416-001

General Objective

The purpose of this component is to increase the knowledge and skills of participants in the professional practices competencies and skills. Upon successful completion of the component, all participants will have a basic knowledge of curriculum, and material covered on the teacher certification test.

Specific Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

(Assessment)

  • Identify measurement concepts, characteristics, and uses of norm-referenced, criterion-referenced, and performance-based assessments.
  • Interpret assessment data (e.g., screening, progress monitoring, diagnostic) to guide instructional decisions.
  • Identify appropriate methods, strategies, and evaluation instruments for assessing student levels, needs, performance, and learning.
  • Identify and sequence learning activities that support study skills and test-taking strategies.

(Communications)

  • Identify appropriate techniques for leading class discussions (e.g., listening, identifying relevant information, probing, drawing inferences, summarizing student comments, and redirecting).
  • Identify ways to correct student errors (e.g., modeling, providing an explanation or additional information, or asking additional questions).
  • Identify nonverbal communication strategies that promote student action and performance.
  • Choose effective communication techniques for conveying high expectations for student learning.

(Continuous Improvement)

  • Identify professional development experiences that will enhance teacher performance and improve student achievement.
  • Identify ways for using data from learning environments as a basis for exploring and reflecting upon teaching practices.

(Critical Thinking)

  • Identify a variety of instructional strategies, materials, and technologies that foster critical thinking.
  • Identify a variety of instructional strategies, materials, and technologies resources that foster creative thinking.

(Diversity)

  • Identify instructional and interpersonal skills and classroom practices that encourage innovation and create a positive learning climate for all students.
  • Select materials and strategies that encourage learning about diverse cultural groups.

(Ethics)

  • Apply the Code of Ethics and Principles of Professional Conduct to realistic professional and personal situation.
  • Identify statutory grounds and procedures for disciplinary action, the penalties that can be imposed by the Educational Practices Commission against a certificate holder, and the appeals process available to the individual.

(Human Development and Learning)

  • Identify patterns of physical, social, and academic development of students.
  • Identify motivational strategies and factors that encourage students to be achievement and goal oriented.
  • Identify activities to accommodate different learning needs, developmental levels, and experiential backgrounds.
  • Apply knowledge of learning theories to classroom practices.
  • Identify characteristics of and intervention strategies for, students with disabilities.

(Subject Matter)

  • Identify effective instructional methods to develop text reading skills (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency).
  • Identify instructional methods and strategies for developing and using content area vocabulary.
  • Identify instructional methods to facilitate students’ reading comprehension (e.g., summarizing, monitoring comprehension, question answering, question generating, using graphic and semantic organizers, recognizing text structure, and using multiple strategy instruction) throughout the content areas.
  • Identify strategies for developing critical thinking skills (e.g., analysis, synthesis, evaluation).
  • Identify appropriate references, materials, and technologies for the subject and the students’ abilities.
  • Identify methods for differentiating instruction based on student reading data.

(Learning Environment)

  • Evaluate the appropriateness of the physical environment for facilitating student learning and promoting safety.
  • Identify a repertoire of techniques for establishing smooth, efficient, and well-paced routines.
  • Identify strategies to involve students in establishing rules and standards for behavior.
  • Identify emergency procedures for student and campus safety.

(Planning)

  • Determine instructional long-term goals and short-term objectives appropriate to student needs.
  • Identify activities that support the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be learned in a given subject area.
  • Identify materials based on instructional objectives and student learning needs and performance level.

(Role of the Teacher)

  • Identify student behavior indicating possible emotional distress, substance abuse, abuse or neglect, and suicidal tendencies.
  • Identify school and community resources and collaborative procedures to meet the intellectual, personal, and social needs of all students.
  • Identify the rights, legal responsibilities, and procedures for reporting incidences of abuse or neglect or other signs of distress.
  • Apply knowledge of the contents of, and the procedures for maintaining, permanent student records.
  • Identify the role of teachers on collaborative teams (e.g., IEP, 504, AIP, and child study).
  • Interpret national norm-referenced assessment data for parents with only rudimentary knowledge of assessment terms and concepts.

(Technology)

  • Identify appropriate software to prepare materials, deliver instruction, assess student achievement, and manage classroom tasks.
  • Identify appropriate classroom procedures for student use of available technology.
  • Identify policies and procedures for the safe and ethical use of the Internet, networks, and other electronic media.
  • Identify strategies for instructing students in the use of search techniques, the evaluation of data collected, and the preparation of presentations.

(Foundations of Education)

  • Apply historical, philosophical, and sociological, perspectives to contemporary issues in American education.
  • Identify contemporary philosophical views on education that influence teaching.

(ESOL)

  • Identify characteristics of first and second language acquisition.
  • Identify ESOL approaches, methods, and strategies (e.g., materials adaptation, alternative assessment, and strategy documentation) appropriate for instruction.
  • Identify and apply cognitive approaches, multisensory ESOL strategies, and instructional practices that build upon students’ abilities and promote self-worth.

Description of Activities

Activities held under this component will be designed to accomplish the specific objectives outlined above. They may include, but will not be limited to, such things as lectures, discussions, demonstrations, observations, online activities and hands-on activities.

Evaluation of Participants

Evaluation of the specific objectives will be determined by the activity leader or designee through analysis of student performance data affected by training activities, portfolios maintained by the training participant, documented observation by administrators, rubrics developed for special area curriculum, teacher-provided test results/grade books, or curriculum alignment data.

Evaluation of Activity

An online evaluation for this activity will be conducted through the Santa Rosa Professional Growth System.