Teaching as a Profession I (2025)

Components of Instruction

Assessments

Classroom Managements and Environment

Factors of Diversity

Special Populations

Educational Technology

Literacy

Final Project and Observation

Effective Instruction: Identify components of effective instruction. Compare and contrast components of instructional design models. Articulate the structure of the relationships among pedagogical cycle, curriculum, scope, and sequence.

Elements of Effective Instruction: Illustrate the stages of human development and the corresponding elements of effective instruction at each stage. Demonstrate knowledge of how students learn and develop at each stage. Provide examples of opportunities that support intellectual, social, and personal development. 

Formative and Summative Assessments: Differentiate between formative and summative assessments by comparing and contrasting the characteristics of each and describing appropriate times to employ each in an instructional setting. Articulate how to use each type of assessment to evaluate, modify, and inform effective instruction and justify their importance.

Assessment Examples: Create examples of formative and summative assessments in various formats (e.g., multiple choice, constructed response, true/false, essay, etc.) as an addition to the course portfolio.

 Universal Reading Screeners: Research the district and state-level approved universal reading screeners. Describe the appropriate time to employ in an instructional setting and articulate how to use this assessment to inform effective instruction.

Behavior Policy: Research common reasons for student misbehaviors (e.g., unclear expectations, desire for attention, fear, embarrassment, or lack of basic needs) and develop a written behavior policy with clear positively framed expectations and consequences.

Classroom Procedures: Interview one or more experienced primary and/or secondary teachers and synthesize findings to create a checklist for performing classroom procedures and for responding to emergency situations. The checklist should include appropriate daily procedures, recognizing possible child abuse and neglect, defusing violent behavior, and responding to fire or natural disaster emergencies.

Effective Classroom Layout: Research the correlation between classroom layout and effective classroom management. Compare the use of furniture and space in several classrooms and analyze their compliance with both research-based recommendations for effective classroom management and legal requirements for safety.  

Positive Classroom Environment: Create a rubric for evaluating a positive classroom environment. Include indicators such as the visual appearance of the classroom, effective time management, student engagement, and teacher interaction with students.

Student Learning and Behaviors: Investigate how social, cultural, and economic factors inside and outside of the classroom influence student learning and student behavior.

Diversity: Determine the most appropriate teaching methods to address issues of diversity in instructive and culturally sensitive ways. Write recommendations for a diversity policy that contributes to a positive classroom environment and benefits all students. 

Disabilities: Research the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Summarize the broad categories that IDEA identifies as disabilities and describe general eligibility requirements. Investigate the legislation’s impact on the education of students with disabilities. 

Meetings Addressing Student Needs: Describe the roles of parents, teachers, and school administrators at an Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meeting and create a visual representation of the evaluation, eligibility, review, and re-evaluation processes for students with IEPs. Examine examples of authentic individualized education programs (IEPs) designed to address the needs of students with disabilities and analyze how the required adaptations and accommodations vary from standard teaching practices. Define inclusion and least restrictive environment and justify the importance of these concepts.

Effective Instruction for Students with Disabilities: Illustrate the key indicators, diagnostic tests, and most important features of effective instruction for students diagnosed with the following: 

Technology in the Classroom: Research and evaluate the role of technology in the classroom by identifying available technology applications including assistive technology. Examine how technology can enhance or inhibit the learning process. 

Internet Safety: Research the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and other informational texts on Internet safety for students. Create acceptable-use policies for students that are appropriate at different developmental milestones.

Academic Language: Research the role that academic language plays in developing knowledge of concepts and content within all disciplines. Explain the reading, writing, listening, and speaking demands associated with specific disciplines.

Instructional Literacy Practices: Identify evidence-based and developmentally appropriate instructional literacy practices in the areas of oral language, decoding, comprehension, phonemic awareness, phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, written composition, spelling, usage, and grammar

 Technological Tools: Research various technological tools and skills to support literacy instruction and personal communication skills, including but not limited to computers, interactive websites, blogs, and online research.

Classroom Observations: Create a checklist or rubric synthesizing concepts studied in TAP I to use as a classroom observation tool. Perform guided observations at the elementary and secondary levels to identify characteristics of an effective classroom and teacher. Reflect on the observation experience and revise written career goals and personal teaching philosophy (developed in Year One course – Introduction to Teaching as a Profession). Connect observations from the final project to concepts learned in this course and add these reflections to the course portfolio. 

2 Team Project with Data Analysis: As a team, identify a problem related to the program of study as a whole. Research and utilize the Engineering Design Process to design a solution. Document the following steps in an engineering design notebook for inclusion in the program portfolio. When possible, connect the problem to an existing CTSO event. 

intellectual disabilities,  

developmental disabilities,

 learning disabilities,

 emotional/behavioral disorders,

 autism spectrum disorders,

 communication disorders,

hearing loss or deafness,

low vision or blindness,

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 

dyslexia.

Problem Identification: Brainstorm specific problems and challenges within the program of study. Conduct basic research to understand the scope and implications of the identified problem. Identify one problem as a focus area.

Research and Analysis: Conduct in-depth research on chosen topics related to the problem. Locate and analyze a dataset related to the problem. 

Review the Stages of the Engineering Design Process: Define the problem, research, brainstorm solutions, develop prototypes, test and evaluate, and iterate. Consider constraints such as cost, efficiency, and environmental impact during the design process.

Project Implementation: Assign specific roles within the design teams (e.g., project manager, researcher, designer, tester). Design a solution tailored to address the identified problem or scenario. Document progress through design journals, sketches, diagrams, and digital presentations. (Note: Prototype is optional in the Year II course.)

Presentation and Reflection: Showcase the problem and solution to the class. Share the data that was analyzed and how it affected the solution. Discuss the design process and challenges. As a class, critically evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of the solutions and propose potential improvements.