Effective Practices

Dimension 1: The teacher is able to demonstrate content knowledge, clarity, and, emphasis for learning.

Goals and objectives reflect the variability in the needs and abilities of students by addressing the remedial learner, the developmental learner, and the accelerated learner.

Organizes content so that students effectively process the material and reduce possible confusion by manipulating content at the application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and knowledge levels.

Uses content to interpret common life experiences.

Uses familiar events or phenomena to make content easy to learn and remember.

Connects new ideas, skills, and concepts to previous or future learning.

Provides simple examples first and then moves to more complex and difficult examples.

Uses aids that support instruction.

Provides demonstrations to show the steps of a process.

Presents content in a logical sequence such as moving from easy to difficult or from concrete to abstract.

Dimension 2: The teacher is able to demonstrate teaching methods, learning equity, and thinking skills.

Models higher-level thinking by verbalizing the processes of application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.

Organizes the content into blocks or steps suitable for the abilities of the students and the complexity and difficulty of the material (e.g., small bits of information for low ability students or for difficult material).

Provides moderately difficult tasks that are within reach of most students.

Varies the difficulty level of activities and questions to provide for student success.

Structures cooperative group learning activities in which students facilitate each other's achievements through activities such as helping, sharing, and tutoring.

Provides activities that require students to think through or manipulate content in order to internalize concepts and processes.

Provides an opportunity for students to process content through activities such as skits, simulations, and hands-on experiences.

Uses aids that support instruction.

Directs discussions and other interactive learning activities by asking focused questions and maintaining the focus on the learning.

Provides student-focused activities in which most students maintain a high success rate.

Structures activities which involve learners in developing the content.

Provides periodic review and practice on key objectives.

Communicates learning objectives to students describing the purpose, rationale, or relevance of what is to be learned.

Presents content that can be understood by students and is relevant to the objectives.

Uses materials that support instruction.

Provides clear, concise, and complete procedural directions.

Presents content in a logical sequence such as moving items from easy to difficult or from concrete to abstract.

Plans variety of teaching methods and learning tasks.

Begins lesson promptly.

Avoids unnecessary delays in instruction, digressions from objectives, and interruptions of learning activities.

Provides instructional activities to optimize learning time while students wait for instruction to begin, for others to finish, or for the period to end.

Plans the instructional environment so students can easily see presentations.

Plans the instructional environment so students can be seen and monitored.

Arranges materials in an orderly and readily accessible manner.

Arranges the environment for necessary group or independent work, movement, or other lesson activity.

Maintains a functional arrangement of furniture and materials around high-traffic areas such as pencil sharpener, bookshelves, or materials center.

Establishes efficient patterns for student movement in the classroom.

Maintains an attractive classroom with content-related bulletin boards.

Dimension 3: The teacher utilizes student assessment processes and procedures.

Assesses students' abilities to apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate.

Evidence of objectives taught is indicated on the assessment instruments.

Establishes and maintains a routine procedure of reporting student performance to parents.

Assessment is systematic and ongoing.

Assists students in self-evaluating their performance.

Dimension 4: The teacher engages in professional development activities.

Enrolls in courses that help to identify underachieving students and plans effective motivational academic programs and groups within the classroom setting.

Participates in professional development activities that emphasize interdisciplinary teaching methods and problem-solving skills and strategies.

Explores professional growth activities that provide an array of instructional strategies for deficiencies in reading, writing, and problem solving.

Dimension 5: The teacher is able to utilize technology and /or other multimedia for instructional and administrative purpose.

Develops instructional activities so that the use of technology by teacher and/or students is interspersed in the lesson.

Models general applications of the Internet and the use of electronic mail (e-mail) for communication.

Creates multimedia presentations and slide shows that support instruction and enhance educational activities beyond the classroom.

Dimension 6: The teacher is able to demonstrate professional conduct relative to oral and written communication skills.

Models correct use of language, both oral and written.

Supports students by using language free of sarcasm, ridicule, and humiliating references.