NIET Teacher Handbook
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NIET Teacher Handbook niet.org EXPLANATION OF TAP’S TEACHING SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND RESPONSIBILITIES PERFORMANCE STANDARDS To measure teaching skills, knowledge and responsibilities, TAP has defined a set of professional indicators required of all TAP teachers. A comprehensive rubric has been developed to measure teachers’ performance in each of those indicators. It is essential that all teachers in a TAP school develop an in-depth understanding of teaching expectations as well as how teachers’ performance will be measured using these rubrics. This handbook serves as a guide for teachers implementing the TAP Teaching Standards. Teachers are encouraged to use this handbook as a guide towards understanding and implementing effective instructional practices. This handbook provides numerous examples of what each of these indicators looks and sounds like in the classroom. Understanding the indicators in isolation, however, does not guarantee that teachers will accurately and consistently implement them. Teachers also need to see what each indicator looks like in the context of their instructional practice in order to understand how they are accurately applied. While many instructional strategies may be considered “proven best practices,” it takes a high-quality implementation of these strategies in order for them to have a positive impact on student achievement. In the same way, application of the teaching indicators apart from a specific instructional purpose will not have a positive impact on student achievement. Only when teachers adeptly implement instructional strategies and apply the TAP Teaching Standards will student achievement gains be realized. TAP’s Teaching Skills, Knowledge and Responsibilities Performance Standardsare divided into four domains. Within each domain, performance indicators are listed with bulleted descriptors and a rubric specifying performance levels for measuring actual teacher performance. Teachers may earn a score of a 1, 2, 3 ,4 or 5 for each indicator. Throughout this section we have used the “exemplary” column as a platform to discuss each indicator. This is done to ensure that every aspect of each descriptor is considered. It should be noted that a teacher exhibiting consistent traits associated with the “proficient” column is considered a “rock solid” teacher and has instructed at a high level for the observed lesson. © 2017 National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. Do not duplicate without permission. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Teaching Skills, Knowledge, and Professionalism Performance Standards .......... 3 Instruction ................................................................................................................... 4 Planning....................................................................................................................... 8 Environment................................................................................................................ 9 Professionalism ..........................................................................................................10 Explanation of the TAP Teaching Standards ...................................................................11 Instruction ................................................................................................................. 11 Planning..................................................................................................................... 51 Environment.............................................................................................................. 55 Pre-Conference Plan ..............................................................................................................60 Post-Conference Plan ............................................................................................................61 Professionalism Documents.................................................................................................62 TAP Teacher Responsibilities Survey........................................................................62 Educator Professionalism Rating Report................................................................... 69 Appendix: Research Brief: A Teacher Evaluation System That Works ....................70 2 ©2017 National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. Do not duplicate without permission. TEACHING SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND PROFESSIONALISM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS The Teaching Skills, Knowledge, and Professionalism Performance Standards are divided into four domains, as shown in the overview below. Within each domain, performance indicators are listed with bulleted descriptors and a rubric specifying three performance levels for measuring actual teacher performance. Performance definitions are provided at levels 5, 3, and 1, but raters can also score performance at levels 2 or 4 based on their professional judgment. Teachers earn a score of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 for each indicator. INSTRUCTION ENVIRONMENT 1. Standards and Objectives 1. Expectations 2. Motivating Students 2. Managing Student Behavior 3. Presenting Instructional Content 3. Environment 4. Lesson Structure and Pacing 4. Respectful Culture 5. Activities and Materials 6. Questioning 7. Academic Feedback 8. Grouping Students 9. Teacher Content Knowledge 10. Teacher Knowledge of Students 11. Thinking 12. Problem Solving PLANNING PROFESSIONALISM 1. Instructional Plans 1. Growing and Developing Professionally 2. Student Work 2. Reflecting on Teaching 3. Assessment 3. Community Involvement 4. School Responsibilities ©2017 National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. Do not duplicate without permission. 3 4 NIET TEACHERHANDBOOK INSTRUCTION © 2017 Significantly Above Expectations (5)* At Expectations (3)* Significantly Below Expectations (1)* National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. Donot duplicatewithout permission. National InstituteforExcellence in (Exemplary) (Proficient) (Unsatisfactory) Standards • All learning objectives and state content standards • Most learning objectives and state content standards • Few learning objectives and state content standards and are explicitly communicated. are communicated. are communicated. Objectives • Sub-objectives are aligned and logically sequenced • Sub-objectives are mostly aligned to the lesson’s • Sub-objectives are inconsistently aligned to the to the lesson’s major objective. major objective. lesson’s major objective. • Learning objectives are: (a) consistently connected • Learning objectives are connected to what students • Learning objectives are rarely connected to what to what students have previously learned, (b) know have previously learned. students have previously learned. from life experiences, and (c) integrated with other • Expectations for student performance are clear. • Expectations for student performance are vague. disciplines. • State standards are displayed. • State standards are displayed. • Expectations for student performance are clear, • There is evidence that most students demonstrate • There is evidence that few students demonstrate demanding, and high. mastery of the objective. mastery of the objective. • State standards are displayed and referenced throughout the lesson. • There is evidence that most students demonstrate mastery of the objective. Motivating • The teacher consistently organizes the content • The teacher sometimes organizes the content so that • The teacher rarely organizes the content so that it is Students so that it is personally meaningful and relevant to it is personally meaningful and relevant to students. personally meaningful and relevant to students. students. • The teacher sometimes develops learning • The teacher rarely develops learning experiences • The teacher consistently develops learning experiences where inquiry, curiosity, and exploration where inquiry, curiosity, and exploration are valued. experiences where inquiry, curiosity, and exploration are valued. • The teacher rarely reinforces and rewards effort. are valued. • The teacher sometimes reinforces and rewards effort. • The teacher regularly reinforces and rewards effort. Presenting Presentation of content always includes: Presentation of content most of the time includes: Presentation of content rarely includes: Instructional • visuals that establish the purpose of the lesson, • visuals that establish the purpose of the lesson, • visuals that establish the purpose of the lesson, Content preview the organization of the lesson, and include preview the organization of the lesson, and include preview the organization of the lesson, and include internal summaries of the lesson; internal summaries of the lesson; internal summaries of the lesson; • examples, illustrations, analogies, and labels for new • examples, illustrations, analogies, and labels for new • examples, illustrations, analogies, and labels for new concepts and ideas; concepts and ideas; concepts and ideas; • modeling by the teacher to demonstrate his or her • modeling by the teacher to demonstrate his or her • modeling by the teacher to demonstrate his or her performance expectations; performance expectations; performance expectations; • concise communication; • concise communication; • concise communication; • logical sequencing and segmenting; • logical sequencing and segmenting; • logical sequencing and segmenting; • all essential information; and • all essential information; and • all essential information; and • no irrelevant, confusing, or nonessential information. • no irrelevant, confusing, or nonessential information. • no