The teacher employs a wide variety of teaching strategies, and adapts or personalizes instruction as needed, to engage diverse learners in critical and creative thinking, collaborative problem solving, applications of technology, and other demonstrations of learning that are authentic and meaningful for the 21st century.
| Components of Standard III-B |
DESCRIPTORS OF EACH PERFORMANCE LEVEL | |||
| Ineffective | Developing | Effective | Model | |
| III-B-1: Qualifty of Questions |
Does not incorporate into the instructional units the essential questions in the discipline. Cannot demonstrate low-quality vs. high-quality questioning techniques to facilitate instruction. Relies upon questions that involve recall of facts. Fails to use questions and follow-up activities that promote learners’ curiosity and deep understanding of content. Does not use questions to determine the level of students’ understanding. | Occasionally frames curriculum around essential questions in the discipline that provide opportunities for reasoning, logic, analysis and synthesis. Asks a combination of low-quality and high-quality questions, but does not provide opportunities for students to think deeply and offer thoughtful responses. Readily accepts merely factual or shallow answers. Sometimes uses questions to determine the level of students’ understanding. | Usually frames curriculum around essential questions in the discipline that provide opportunities for reasoning, logic, analysis and synthesis. Frequently uses questions and follow-up activities to promote learners’ curiosity, guide their thinking, and foster deep understanding of content. Asks proportionately more high-quality than low-quality questions and exhibits a patient expectation that students will think deeply before responding. Routinely uses questions to determine the level of students’ understanding. Integrates questioning techniques that help students understand content across all thinking and reasoning levels. Uses a variety of questioning techniques for particular purposes, for example, probing for learner understanding, helping students articulate their ideas and thinking processes, promoting risk-taking and problem-solving, facilitating factual recall, encouraging convergent and divergent thinking, stimulating curiosity, helping student to question and think independently. | Consistently frames curriculum around essential questions in the discipline that provide opportunities for reasoning, logic, analysis and synthesis and is able to model this component. Uses creative questions to pique learners’ curiosity, guide their thinking, and promote deep understanding of content. Asks proportionately more high-quality than low-quality questions and exhibits a patient expectation that students will think deeply before responding. Uses a variety of questioning techniques for particular purposes, for example, probing for learner understanding, helping students articulate their ideas and thinking processes, promoting risk-taking and problem-solving, facilitating factual recall, encouraging convergent and divergent thinking, stimulating curiosity, helping student to question and think independently. Frames curriculum around essential questions in the discipline that provide opportunities for reasoning, logic, analysis and synthesis. Uses students’ responses to formulate follow-up questions that lead more deeply into the subject matter. Encourages students to pose questions they would like to answer in the course of studying a topic. Leads students to be cognitively active in summarizing new learning and intentionally integrating it with previous knowledge. |
| III-B-2: Discussion Techniques | Conducts most classroom activities using lecture and recitation formats. Makes little or no use of discussion techniques to promote students’ interest in and understanding of the subject matter. | Occasionally attempts to engage students in discussions related to the subject matter; however, does not know how to build upon students’ input to advance their learning. | Frequently sets the stage for a genuine discussion among students, stepping aside when appropriate. Emphasizes a spirit of openness in classroom discussions, but is skillful in keeping each discussion focused on the subject at hand to maximize learning. | Uses discussion as a primary teaching tool, establishing a spirit of openness that builds students’ confidence. Encourages students to assume responsibility for leading discussions, including responsibility for framing the topic, involving all participants, staying on task, and summarizing. |
| III-B-3: Student Participation and Engagement | Uses teacher-directed activities for most or all of the instruction. Never or infrequently engages students as self-directed participants in the learning process. Permits a few students to dominate most discussions or activities. Does not reach out to engage passive students. Provides activities and assignments that are inappropriate for students’ ages or backgrounds and thus do not engage them. Forms Instructional groups that are inappropriate to the students or to the desired instructional outcomes. | Employs a blend of teacher-directed and student-directed activities, but relies mostly on the former. Occasionally attempts to engage most students in the discussion or activity, but does not strive to engage the passive students. Provides activities and assignments that are appropriate for only some of the students and thus do not engage the entire class or group. Forms Instructional groups that are only partially appropriate to the students or to the desired instructional outcomes. | Structures most lessons so that students are actively participating and are making decisions about the course of the activity. Motivates and engages all students in the discussions and activities. Provides activities and assignments that are appropriate to a range of students, and almost all students are cognitively engaged in exploring content. Forms instructional groups that are productive and fully appropriate to the students and to the instructional purposes of the lesson. Groups and re-groups students in a fluid manner based on individual, small group, and whole-class needs. | Establishes a learning environment in which students themselves direct that all voices are heard in the discussion and all hands are involved in the activity. Ensures the effective integration of and participation by students with special needs and those whose native language is not English. Provides activities and assignments that cognitively motivate and engage all students in the exploration of content, both during the lesson and during independent work and homework. Encourages students to initiate or adapt activities and projects to enhance their understanding. Forms instructional groups that are productive, fluid and fully appropriate to the students and to the instructional purposes of the lesson. Encourages students to take the initiative to influence the formation or adjustment of instructional groups. |
| III-B-4: Diversity of Teaching Strategies |
Conducts all or almost all instruction using a limited repertoire of teaching strategies. Does not recognize the need to diversify teaching techniques in order to pique student interest, elicit student engagement, and promote deep learning. Cannot describe a variety of effective teaching strategies. | Uses a small variety of teaching strategies. Recognizes the need to diversify teaching techniques in order to pique student interest, elicit student engagement, and promote deep learning. Can describe a variety of effective teaching strategies. Attempts to develop literacy skills across the curriculum. | Draws upon a broad range of teaching strategies to promote student engagement and depth of learning. Strategies include inquiry-oriented instruction, discovery, investigation, cooperative learning, project-based learning, multimedia presentations, lecture, discussion, practice, application, developing literacy skills across the curriculum, and others. | Consistently applies a broad range of instructional strategies to promote student engagement and depth of learning. Strategies include inquiry-oriented instruction, discovery, investigation, cooperative learning, project-based learning, multimedia presentations, lecture, discussion, practice, application, developing literacy skills across the curriculum, and others. Is able to model this component for other teachers. |
| III-B-5: Adaptive Instruction and Flexibility |
Never or infrequently plans or adapts instruction so that it aligns with students’ developmental levels and learning needs. Never or infrequently uses strategies for differentiating instruction to help students meet their unique learning targets. Adheres rigidly to an instructional plan, even when a change is clearly needed. | Usually designs instruction around standards, without considering individual student differences. Sometimes plans or adapts instruction so that it aligns with certain students’ developmental levels, but omits the needs of other students. Sometimes differentiates instruction to help students meet their unique learning targets. Attempts to adjust a lesson when needed, but is only partially successful. | Usually plans or adapts instruction so that it aligns with individual students’ developmental levels, learning styles, needs, and interests. Makes minor adjustments to a lesson when needed, and the adjustments occur smoothly. Regularly uses strategies to differentiate, tier, and scaffold information so that most material is accessible to all students—including those with disabilities and language or cultural differences—and helps most students achieve their learning targets. | Consistently plans and adapts instruction so that it closely aligns with individual students’ developmental levels, learning styles, needs, and interests. Successfully makes major adjustments to a lesson when needed. Consistently incorporates strategies to differentiate, tier, and scaffold information so that even challenging material is accessible to all students—including those with disabilities and language or cultural differences—and helps all students meet or exceed local, state, and individual expectations. Is able to model this component for other teachers. |
| III-B-6: Development of 21st Century Skills |
Is not intentional about employing specific teaching strategies that will help students develop and practice skills, such as higher-order thinking skills, which are important to success in the 21st century. | Occasionally uses teaching strategies that will help students develop and practice specific skills important to success in the 21st century, such as the higher-order thinking skills of analysis, critical thinking, and problem solving. | Frequently engages students in developing and practicing specific skills important to success in the 21st century, such as collaboration, applications of technology, and the higher-order thinking skills of analysis, critical thinking, and problem solving. | Consistently engages students in developing and practicing specific skills important to success in the 21st century, such as collaboration, applications of technology, and the higher-order thinking skills of analysis, critical thinking, and problem solving. Helps students connect these skills to potential career interests. |
| III-B-7: Integration and Application of Technology |
Makes little or no use of technology to advance his/her own knowledge of the subject matter or to develop, design, and deliver instruction and address other responsibilities as a teacher. | Uses technology to advance his/her own knowledge of the subject matter and of instructional strategies. Incorporates technology into the design and presentation of instructional material. Sometimes uses technology for managerial, communication, and procedural tasks. Adheres to acceptable use policies for technology. | Uses technology to advance his/her own knowledge of the subject matter and of instructional strategies. Incorporates technology into the design and presentation of instructional material. Expects and assists students to incorporate the ethical use of technology in expanding and demonstrating their own learning. Often uses technology for managerial, communication, and procedural tasks. Sometimes uses technology to assess student learning and to manage data. | Uses technology to advance his/her own knowledge of the subject matter and of instructional strategies. Incorporates technology into the design and presentation of instructional material and uses it to help diverse learners experience success. Expects and assists students to incorporate the ethical use of technology in expanding and demonstrating their own learning and in connecting with a global learning community. Routinely uses technology for managerial, communication, and procedural tasks. Often uses technology to assess student learning and to manage data. Is able to model this component for other teachers. |
| III-B-8: Student Outcomes |
Does not provide opportunities for students to demonstrate what they have learned. Does not assist students to relate their knowledge and skills to daily life. | Provides occasional opportunities for students to demonstrate some of their learning; however, most demonstrations are very limited or traditional in nature and are presented to a limited audience. | Provides frequent opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning to a variety of audiences; however, very few of these demonstrations involve authentic avenues for showing growth in knowledge and skill. | Provides frequent opportunities for students to demonstrate their learning in multiple and authentic ways to a variety of audiences. Plans instructional units with authentic outcomes in mind and engages students in devising meaningful ways they can show others what they have learned. |
