Unit 1 – The Teacher as an Individual Person
EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT TEACHER:
John Donne1 said in his song “No man is an
island”...”No man stands alone... we need one
another...” In the context of our life as a teacher, we
would say “No teacher is an island. No teacher stands
alone.” Indeed, you can’t become a teacher alone.
As a teacher, you have a significant role to play in
society. Your influence on your students and on other
people with whom you work and live depends a great
deal on your philosophy as a person and as a teacher.
Our philosophy of life and your philosophy of
education serve as your “window” to the world and
“compass” in the sea of life.
Teachers are one of the most significant members of a
society. They are also one of the most influential
professionals in the community. Before a teacher
becomes a professional facilitator, motivator, initiator,
and motivator, teachers are essential learner of their
own nature.
Professionals will not be professionals without
professional teachers in the society. Socially speaking,
teachers are active contributor in the progression and
development in a social institution.
The view of the teacher as a person has crucial
implications for our understandings of change,
professional development, and working relationships
between teachers and their colleagues.
The focus on two of these implications: the ways we
often misjudge the competence, commitment, and
capacity of our colleagues; and the excessive and
unrealistic expectations sometimes have of our
teachers concerning their involvement in schools and
their commitment to change.
First, in teaching, as in life, we are quickest to judge
those who fail rather than those who succeed. When
teachers are new to the job, incompetence can be
excused or at least tolerated.
They are, after all, only learning. Experienced
teachers, who should have matured with their years in
the classroom, get away less lightly. Where
incompetence is persistent rather than temporary, it is
rarely excusable.
Second sense in which reform often glosses over the
personal lives, interests, and backgrounds of teachers
concerns the expectations we have for change and
commitment. Teaching is very important. However,
there is more to life than school. Life interests and
responsibilities beyond teaching must also be
recognized. In the enthusiasm to involve staff more
and more in the life of the school, and to commit them
to change within it, do not forget the other legitimate
calls on their time and commitments, which in the long
run may well make them better people and teachers for
it.
TWO DISTINCT CHARACTERISTICS OF AN
1. PERSONAL QUALITIES
 refer to the qualities that stem from the
teacher’s personality, interests,
attitudes, and beliefs; and his/her
behavior and working relationships
with his/her students and peers.
2. PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES
 refer to the teacher’s knowledge of the
subject matter, his/her understanding
of the psychological and educational
principles and his/her understanding of
the teaching profession.
AS A PERSON
1. INNATE QUALITIES
a. Aptitude
 This is a strong inclination for
some tasks together with
corresponding skills.
b. Mental ability
 A mental ability that is above
average and higher equips a
teacher to carry on her multiple
tasks.
2. PERSONAL QUALITIES
a. Presentable appearance, good manners,
courtesy, and a pleasant voice.
b. Intelligence, emotional stability, and self-
control
c. Sympathy, kindness, helpfulness, and
patience
d. Integrity, trustworthiness, honesty and
loyalty
e. Sociability, friendliness, and
cooperativeness
f. Flexibility, creativity, and resourcefulness
g. Fairness impartiality, and tolerance
h. Sense of humor, cheerfulness, and
enthusiasm
Unit 2 – The Teacher as a Professional
A professional teacher is one that is able to become a
learner as well as an educator, possesses the pedagogy
ability to teach the content and create a diverse
classroom climate makes the student feel welcomed.
PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES INCLUDE:
1. A mastery of the subject matter.
2. An understanding of the learners. This
pertains to the teacher’s knowledge about
the learners and the principles of human
growth and development.
3. Liking and loving learners. A teacher who
has genuine and sincere love for learners
can imbue them with love for learning.
 4. Knowledge of the teaching principles and
skills. A teacher must know the WHATS
and HOWS of teaching including the
needed skills and teaching methods.
5. General understanding of the different
branches of knowledge along with their
interrelationship and interdependence to
solve life’s problems. Knowledge and
background study of arts, languages,
philosophy, math, literature, and physical
science are deemed necessary. A teacher
must also be knowledgeable of
information and communications
technology (ICT) as in the use of
computers.
6. An appreciation of the teaching
profession.
THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF
PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS:
1. PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
 The teacher has the responsibility to his
students to be able to transform the content for
the purpose of teaching.
2. LEADER
 The teacher believes that everyone can
contribute to the conversation.
3. COMMUNICATOR
 The teacher’s goal is to able to communicate
lessons, content and objectives efficiently to
students.
4. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
 The teacher’s goal is to continue to learn and
strengthen his craft.
5. ROLE MODEL FOR KINDNESS
 The teacher has a responsibility to be model of
human behavior.
6. REFLECT ON HIS PRACTICE
 The teacher strives to reflect on practices in an
effort to link professional growth to
professional goals.
7. STUDENT DIVERSITY
 The teacher’s responsibility is to create a
classroom that is safe, accepting and
capitalizing on differences.
8. PROFESSIONAL COMMUNITY
 The teacher shares values and purposes with
others.
9. POLITICAL ACTIVIST
 The teacher’s goal is to be an agent of change
and accept the responsibility to create a just
classroom.
10. INCREASE KNOWLEDGE OF ADULT
LEARNERS
 The teacher’s goal is to learn more about adult
learners and create a cooperative climate for
learning in the classroom.
A professional degree in education may be an added
advantage but does not necessarily incorporate in an
individual a professional attitude to teaching. What are
the required competencies from a professional teacher?
They may be many but CERTAIN CORE
COMPETENCIES ARE:
1. TEACHER AS A LEARNER
 With the speed of knowledge dynamics, the
teacher is required to be an eternal
learner. Emerging systems of knowledge,
skills, applications impact life styles and skills
so much, that the learners are in constant touch
with these changes and absorb them more
easily than their elders. The teacher has,
therefore, to be well-aware of the emerging
knowledge and participate in the learning
process along with their students. The role of a
teacher is becoming a “co-learner.”
2. TECHNOLOGY RELEVANCE
 The emerging tools and appliances in
technology and their integration with the
content and the methods of learning has taken
away the formal learning methods to an
‘informal learning’ platform. The cognitive
psychologists claim that a near 90 percent of
learning of students is from ‘informal learning’
environments, rather than the formal ones. The
‘search’ for knowledge is leading to ‘research’
about their validity, use and context to life.
Technology as a learning tool has manifested
in multi-dimensional ‘avatars’ and hence the
teacher has to be not only ‘technology literate’
but ‘technology competent’.
 
3. PEDAGOGICAL SKILLS
 With a wide-based research in the role and
function of the human brain, the understanding
of cognition is getting redefined. Neuro-
cognitive researches claim that it is only
‘learning’ that happens in the brain and hence
the approach to pedagogy to enable and
empower learning must be more focused,
appropriate and learner-friendly. The
understanding of differentiated learning skills
calls for application of a wide-variety of
delivery modes and better use of space and
time in a classroom environment. The
understanding of ‘multiple intelligences’ and
the need to enlarge the spectrum of learning
experiences in formal and informal spaces in
learning calls for more creative and diverse
 approach to methods of classroom
transactions. The success of a professional
teacher is related to the ‘pedagogical
intelligence’ of the individual.
 
4. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
 The ‘one-way’ traffic of information flow
where the learner is a mute learner in a silent
classroom is no more acceptable. A teacher is
required to be an effective communicator
engaging with the learners using a wide
variety of communication skills, both verbal
and non-verbal. The understanding about NLP
(Neuro-linguistic programing) and its use to
motivate, engage and facilitate a conducive
and creative learning environment in a
classroom is being debated worldwide.
Teachers need to understand their effective
implementation in a classroom. The ‘body-
language’ of the teachers in a classroom needs
validation, professionalism and fine tuning for
enhanced performance.
5. MENTORING SKILLS
 Learning is a unique individualized activity.
No two learners learn the same way. The
aptitude, attitude and the socio-economic
environment of the learners impacts their
purpose, destination and objectives of the
learning. It is important that teachers need to
understand, appreciate and mentor the learning
curve of each of the learners in their orbit and
mentor them more closely and effectively. The
ability to counsel them both for their academic
and emotional growth profile becomes an
engaging responsibility of a teacher. Finding
time and space for engagement with each of
their learners is indeed a challenging
proposition, but becomes an unavoidable one.
While a ‘passionate teacher’ is a great asset to
the system, absence of ‘professionalism’
derails their journey to the ever-changing
destination. Mere ‘professionalism’ might
provide all the required concurrent skills, but a
human touch to the environment is empowered
by a ‘passionate approach’.
 The learning curve appears to be a marathon
and hence better and effective use of mental,
emotional and intellectual competencies of the
teachers is required to be a meaningful
participant in this race!
Unit 3 – The Teacher as a Community Leader and
Social Advocate
ROLES OF TEACHER LEADERS:
1. ADMINISTRATOR
 One way to become a teacher leader is to
investigate school administration jobs, which
create the opportunity to implement changes,
motivate students and faculty and strengthen a
school from within. By pursuing an MA in
Educational Leadership, which is required for
most administration roles, a teacher can
become an assistant principal or take on
principal training to oversee an entire school.
2. FACILITATOR
 A facilitator is another important role teacher
looking to step up to leadership may want to
consider. Facilitators serve as team leaders for
different grade level teams, working closely
with teachers and their students to gather and
analyze data about teacher practices and
student performance to promote the best
student learning outcomes.
3. MENTOR
 Students need mentors and mentoring them is
an essential part of becoming a teacher leader.
This includes advising students about colleges
and curriculums or helping them with
problems ranging from the mundane to the
deeply personal. Teacher leaders also mentor
their fellow teachers.
4. COACH
 Similarly, sports are vital in schools. They
emphasize the importance of team spirit and
collaboration. Many teachers double as
coaches for their school, sports teams. This
fosters a sense of camaraderie with the
students as well. Being active through sports
and engaging with like-minded peers can
significantly improve a student’s performance,
in addition to providing necessary experience
for college transcriptions and applications.
5. CURRICULUM CREATOR
 A good school and a successful student body
both depend on strong curriculum
development. In this instance, a teacher leader
helps other teachers come up with new
strategies and interesting course material to
better engage students. If the current
curriculum lacks something essential, such as
more math classes or a better history syllabus,
the teacher leader spots the gap and seeks to
fill it.
6. SPECIALTY INSTRUCTOR
 Teacher leaders work across the board in
varying roles. If students in a chemistry class
draft poorly structured reports, then a teacher
leader in English will step in and help the
chemistry teacher advise the students on how
 to become better writers. Again, helping both
students and teachers is essential and a key
role for teacher leaders.
7. COMMUNITY BUILDERS
 If a teacher leader learns about a new
technique or resource, even if it’s not in one’s
discipline, the individual will immediately
share it. In this way, every teacher constantly
improves. The idea of paying it forward
creates a much more successful learning
environment; it creates a community. The
community building course within Queens’
online MA in Educational Leadership
curriculum pushes the idea of turning the
school environment into a helpful community
of educators.
8. LEARNERS
 A true teacher leader never stops learning. He
or she attends lectures, seminars and classes to
become a better teacher and a better leader.
Sometimes that even involves going back to
school.
TEACHER AS SOCIAL ADVOCATE
An advocate is a person who supports or promotes the
interests of another, and that is what a teacher is doing
when he or she works to engage students and their
parents as partners in a positive, learning-focused
classroom community.
To be social advocates for students, teachers first must
have a perspective that values all students, particularly
“disadvantaged” and “at-risk” students. According to
the great educational thinker Paulo Friere, in his book
The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, teachers enforce and
reinforce a mindset in oppressed students to accept a
subservient position in life by teaching them at the
lowest level. Teachers should view all students as
having the ability to learn at high levels, no matter
their background.
Unit 4 – The Teacher as a Model of Character
A role model is a person who you look up to and aspire
to be like. They are someone you learn from and look
to for guidance. Anybody can be a role model, but the
most influential role models just happen to be teachers.
A role model is a person who inspires and encourages
us to strive for greatness, live to our fullest potential
and see the best in ourselves. A role model is someone
we admire and someone we aspire to be like. We learn
through them, through their commitment to excellence
and through their ability to make us realize our own
personal growth. We look to them for advice and
guidance.
A role model can be anybody: a parent, a sibling, a
friend but some of our most influential and life-
changing role models are teachers.
Here are a few ways those in the teaching profession
can be role models for their students.
1. EDUCATE IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION
First and foremost, a teacher’s role is to educate. You
must challenge students to engage their minds and
think in new ways. Encourage students’ creativity and
innovative thinking. Be knowledgeable and
enthusiastic about your craft. When students see you
excited, then they will be excited. A great teacher
inspires their students to reach their full potential.
Every day that you enter the classroom, try your best
to make sure your students are on the pathway to
success.
2. PROVIDE GUIDANCE
A role model is an individual who acts as a guide.
Someone who helps direct the life of another in a
positive direction. This is extremely important for
young children who feel they have nothing positive
going in their lives. After their parents, the next person
a child learns from is their teacher. Teachers guide
their students throughout adolescence and help them
grow as well as listen to their problems.
3. BE A CAREGIVER
Teachers can serve as effective caregivers. You
already know how much you love and respect your
students, and you of course want to see them succeed
in school as well as in life. Build your students’ self-
esteem and become somewhat of a surrogate parent
during school. Being a caring teacher means you are
playing the role of their “Mom” or “Dad” and giving
them a Band-Aid when they fall, a hug when they feel
sad, or a pat on the back for doing a good job. Above
all, just be there for them.
4. MENTOR AND LEAD
Teachers serve as mentors, as well as leaders. Research
confirms that the presence of a caring adult can help
students achieve success at school. Since students
spend most of their day at school, teachers get the
opportunity to really get to know their students on
more of a personal level. A mentoring relationship
with a student can develop over time in which teachers
help inform, advise, and encourage their students.
5. INSTILL CHARACTER AND MORAL VIRTUES
Let’s face it, not all children are learning their moral
virtues at home. Even though many think it’s the
parent’s job to teach such characteristics, the reality is
that many children do not have parents that are
inspiring them to live a life of integrity. The public
expects teachers to display behaviors that are reflective
of moral virtues. Being fair, kind, and respectful are all
positive characteristics that teachers should display.
You can’t teach character, unless you can display it.
When you interact with your students, you are
modeling how one should behave. Children learn
through what they see, and when they see a teacher
displaying good human qualities, they too will follow.
There are many ways that teachers can be role models
for their students, from being on time and fulfilling
promises to showing empathy and being positive.
Remember, teachers are always be watched so make
sure that you are being a role model that students want
to emulate.
25 WAYS TEACHERS CAN BE ROLE MODELS
1. BE HUMBLE
There is nothing that teaches a child or young adult
mature behavior like modeling it yourself. This isn’t
just true when you are right. You also have to show
your students what it is like to be wrong, and admit it.
This is never easy, no matter how old you are.
Especially when you are in front of several students
who look up to you. And let’s face it, there are some
students who aren’t going to feel sorry for you. But
that’s life. And you have to show them that right is
right, and wrong is wrong – no matter what.
2. ENCOURAGE THEM TO THINK FOR
THEMSELVES
Treat your classroom like a group of individuals, and
celebrate their diversity. Create activities and
discussions that foster conversations and discovery
about who they are, and how they can appreciate the
differences between each other. This type of focus
from time-to-time will build a stronger bond between
your students. Also, an environment of trust will build,
which can relax the atmosphere and help students
focus more on learning. It’s also important to help
students understand the way they learn, and encourage
them to explore those parts of themselves as well.
3. PERFORM VOLUNTEER WORK
Find a way to incorporate community service into one
of your lessons, and discuss how you contribute to the
community you live in. Ask your students to tell you
ways you could perform community service as a
group. Many schools will give students a certain
amount of time off if they are doing an activity that
falls into this category. See if you can organize a
community service event with your class. For example,
if you are a music teacher, you can take your class
caroling at a retirement home. Or, you can have your
class pick up litter on a stretch of road. There are many
ways you can instill a sense of pride in giving back
among your students.
4. SHOW EMPATHY.
When we think of teachers as role models, we imagine
sympathetic mentors who listen to their students.
Sounds simple, right? All you have to do is show that
you care? It may sound simple, but we have all had
teachers that we didn’t connect with. Students can tell
when a teacher is tuned in or tuned out, and
disconnected from them. On the opposite end of the
spectrum, we have all had teachers who went out of
their way to show they care about us, and want to see
us succeed. We all have different personalities, and
you should be authentic. But be mindful that your
students are looking up to you as an adult with life
experience they don’t have. As they try to figure out
how to move into adulthood, make sure they know
you’ve got their back.
5. POINT OUT THE POSITIVE
Create a culture in your classroom that rewards kind
behavior. The importance of teachers is apparent in the
link between positive reinforcement and their
confidence and behavior. Teach them to be
constructive with their criticism, pointing out positives
before negative, or suggestions for improvement.
Practice with exercises that allows the students to be
positive and critical towards each other. This is the
kind of respect that debate class exercises can teach
children – how to agree to disagree. Teaching children
to get in the habit of looking for good in others is never
a bad role model for behavior.
6. CELEBRATE THE ARTS
Teachers being role models by helping students
appreciate the arts isn’t the first thing that comes to
people’s minds. But helping children connect with
their own inner children by tapping into the arts. Even
if you do not teach a creative subject, you can
incorporate music, discussions about art, and give
students artistic assignments that reflect the curriculum
they are learning. Mixing it up every once in a while,
will keep their minds fresh, and encourage them to
look at life a little differently. Many students are
obsessed with music, art, literature and other forms of
creative expression. Give bonus points for students
who pursue an independent art project that goes along
with a teaching.
7. SEND A POSITIVE NOTE HOME TO THEIR
PARENTS TWICE A YEAR
Showing your students that you appreciate them in a
direct way is important. But indirect forms of gratitude
can be a boost to their confidence, and model positive
behavior. Most parents never expect to get a note in
their kid’s bag saying what a pleasure they are to have
in class. So why not give your kids a boost and let
mom and dad know you care? Every parent knows, we
just want our kids to do well and succeed, no matter
where they are in life. This will help your relations
with them as well. And we have a feeling your
students will appreciate any effort you make to let their
parents know they’re doing alright.
8. FULFILL YOUR PROMISES
Hey, remember last fall when you said you would buy
the class a turtle if they earned all those stars? Well, it
has been six months since they earned them and school
is almost over… Okay, do not be that teacher. We are
all busy. Even your students. That is why you need to
follow through on your promises when you make
them. We don’t want to them to think it’s okay to say
one thing, and then completely disregard it. And if you
fail to keep a particular promise, be honest about it.
Don’t make up an excuse. And try to make up for it.
Your students will see how to deal with their own
shortcomings, and will respect you more for your
honesty.
9. DRESS APPROPRIATELY
Look, we know how young and hip you still are. No
one wants to be uncool. But teachers being role models
means remembering you are in a professional
environment. And it’s not your job to fit in with the
cool kids. It’s your job to stand at the head of the class
and command respect. After all, you want to model
professional behavior for your students from day one.
This will help with classroom management issues.
Dressing in a professional way will keep students from
thinking of you in a less respectful way. This goes for
cleanliness and hygiene as well. Just make sure you
take your job seriously when you show up. This is not
only good to model for your students, but important in
the eyes of your principal and other administrators as
well.
10. STAY AWAY FROM SOCIAL MEDIA WITH
STUDENTS
Educators as role models on social media is a new and
important topic. Do not mix on social media with your
students. And be careful what you have out there on
your personal accounts. We are all too familiar with
the stories of teachers and other professionals doing
something unprofessional and getting fired for it. Have
a policy to connect with students on the channels that
your school sets up for you. Remember, parents are
looking at you as well, and know that you are in a role
model position with their children. When you post on
social media, just realize that your students’ parents
could see your words as well. Just be careful.
11. ENCOURAGE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
The importance of teachers extends to the physical
fitness of their students. It doesn’t matter if every
student is inclined to be physically active. Encouraging
physical activity is good for all groups of students.
Even if you do not teach a physical education class,
you can still talk about physical activities when you
lecturing or performing other activities. Even weaving
the topic into your lectures or conversations can help
plant the seeds in students’ minds that they should look
for ways to exercise.
12. GIVE LECTURES ABOUT ROLE MODELS
When you are discussing a period in history, or
introducing a new subject to your students, find a way
to incorporate a hero story into the lesson. For
instance, if you are going to talk about French history
and the Hundred Years War, you would talk about the
bravery of Joan of Arc. Or you could find stories about
other unlikely heroes, and those who shaped history.
When you do, have your students discuss ways they
can be heroes in their own lives. Even if it is just
stepping up in small ways to help others or do things
they didn’t think possible.
13. HAVE THEM READ PROFILES IN COURAGE
When we think of teachers as role models, we think of
the classic novels and literature they shared with us.
John F. Kennedy’s Nobel Prize winning book
chronicles the acts of courage by several figures
throughout American history. These characters were
brave enough to make tough choices in hard times,
putting their country before themselves, and their
personal safety. Other books can be great options, such
as To Kill A Mockingbird or movies like Good Will
Hunting, when you want to give your kids a break, and
teach them a lesson in doing the right thing. Being a
good role model for kids means showing them how to
point their moral compass in the right direction no
matter what. The importance of teachers cannot be
overstated when it comes to reading.
14. HOLD A FUNDRAISER
Pick a local charity and tell your students you have a
goal to raise a certain amount of money within a
certain period of time. You will all make a game of
raising the most money and giving it to a charity. It can
even be a non-organized charity. Let’s say you hear
about someone in your community who lost their home
to a fire. You could raise the money and give them a
gift card or something they may need. There are all
sorts of ways you can incorporate the idea of
fundraising and charity. Be sure to include all your
students in the process somehow. These types of
exercises can also help give them leadership and
business skills.
15. DISCUSS WORLD EVENTS
Every Monday, or on some kind of schedule, spark
discussions about world events. See what they know,
and ask questions that make them think. Teachers
being role models includes showing students how to
make sense of the world, and express different ideas in
a peaceful way. This can model for students how they
should act when they speak with others, and how to
actively listen to other points of view. Many students
will not have heard about some of the events you are
speaking about. Don’t let them sit back quietly. Find
ways to involve them too, by asking questions that can
draw them in.
16. HAVE A POT LUCK 
Every once in a while, have a meal with your students
that celebrates you time together. Yes, food is another
way student can see educators as role models. So have
fun with this one. After all, we all love food! Tell your
students that they are welcome to bring a dish from
home, or you can provide a cheap set of snacks. This
can be a good way to talk about cooking with your
students. Many kids aren’t involved in with the
cooking at their homes. Some parents teach their kids
about food, but it’s probably the exception, not the
norm. So, be that teacher that shows them that they can
learn to cook and eat healthy foods. You can show
them that good food can also be good for you!
17. WORK EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
When your students see you working outside of the
classroom to help your school function, it says you go
the extra mile. It also shows that you have a strong
work ethic, and you are doing a job that you’re
passionate about. That is the kind of feeling you want
your students to have from their careers later in life.
Show them that you enjoy your job, and it will pay off
in the classroom. And, if you were once a star athlete
and have coaching skills, you can be a role model for
the students playing sports in a similar way.
18. BE ORGANIZED AND ON TIME. You want to
present yourself in a professional way as much as
possible. This means more than looking the part and
acting the part, it means being the part. The best way
you can show your students how to execute their work
is to show up on time and be ready to teach. Plus, if
you have a clear vision for how you want the lesson to
go, then you will be more effective in delivering your
message.
19. PRACTICE RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
Here’s an idea for teachers as role models: How about
you put an apple on every one of your students’ desks
on the first day of school? How would that be for a
proactive show of appreciation from the get-go with
your class. That would also put them on notice that
you are the type of teacher who will surprise them
from time to time. This teaches children to go out of
their way to show appreciate – even if it’s just for the
heck of it.
20. ASK FOR INPUT. You know that suggestion box
that companies sometimes have for employees to make
recommendations? These can be ideas for lectures,
field trips, and other things the students think may add
to the learning environment. The importance of
teachers in showing students how to participate in
conversations is essential to their growth. Giving them
a feeling of ownership and participation in the class
decisions and idea generating process will give them a
sense of pride they may not have otherwise; especially
if you agree to test their idea out.
21. APPLY DEMOCRATIC IDEALS TO CLASS
DISCUSSIONS
Just because your students may not be old enough to
vote, doesn’t mean they can’t get a feel for our
democratic processes. Teachers being role models to
show how our democracy works can be a great lesson
for students. Hold votes on decisions that reflect
discussions you are having on topics to see where
people stand. Then encourage debate and explain to
them how our system is supposed to work. No matter
where your students might fall on the political
spectrum, you can set a good example by engaging
them with our core values.
22. INVITE GUEST LECTURERS
Find role models in the community that do better work,
or perform some kind of public service. This can be
small business owners, individuals, city officials, and
other notable figures who can inspire the children to do
good in their lives. Plus, it’s always fun for students to
learn from other people than just their own teacher.
Kids need lots of role models in their lives. Plus,
whoever you invite will get to share a personal story
from their life, or show them how they work in their
profession. There are just too many reasons why this
can be a great idea!
23. MAKE THEM KEEP JOURNALS
You can inspire your students to understand that it
helps to keep track of your thoughts as a way of
organizing your goals, connecting with your feelings,
and making sense of the world around you. Your
students will improve on their own communication
skills through their writing practice, and have a safe
space to explore their thoughts, during an otherwise
hectic daily routine. When you teach students to
understand themselves a little better, they will start to
see educators as role models.
24. START A CLASS GARDEN
Many schools have room for classes to start their own
small garden. If not, check with your county office to
see if there is any land available where you can make a
community garden. This can teach students about
growing food, and how people have to work together
to sustain our standards of living.
25. MAKE THEM GIVE A PRESENTATION ON
ONE OF THEIR ROLE MODELS
Lastly, have your students think about what makes a
good role model, and present their findings to the
class. It can be a famous example, or anyone who
inspires your student to present. Try not to create too
many rules for your students to abide by. See where
their minds go, and what qualities they associate with
the term.
Unit 5 – The Teacher as an Expert
One of the problems with expert teachers is that they
can make teaching look easy, yet nothing could be
further from the truth. The reality is that expert
teachers make a conscious effort to ensure that their
teaching intentions are in accord with the learning
expectations they have for their students.
The casual observer does not necessarily recognize the
skill in how a teacher, for instance, responds to a
thoughtful question from a normally quiet student and
how that may be very different from the ‘standard
response’ to a commonly inquisitive or talkative
student. Expert teachers are aware of what they are
doing; they monitor and adjust their teaching behaviors
to bring out the best in their students. One of the
reasons that teaching is a complex business is because
it revolves around decision making. Teachers are
constantly making decisions about a range of ideas,
issues and events: content, student behavior,
homework, catering for different learning styles,
assessment and so on.
Teachers do not all think the same way about the same
things. Their individual experiences shape their
understanding of the teaching role and how it should
be played out in practice.
Teachers’ personal perspectives shape not only what
they do and how they do it but also the choices they
make and why. Because teaching is heavily reliant on
decision making, everything that happens in a
classroom demands informed choices. Expert teachers
know what they are doing and why because they
carefully consider how to structure their teaching in
ways that will have a positive influence on their
students’ learning.
For example, if a teacher asks a question and responds
positively only to those answers that are correct, then
students who are unsure or have different answers or
want to ask a question in return will be less likely to
speak up. The expert teacher knows how to ensure that
students honestly speak up and say what they think so
that the invitation to learning is open to everyone. The
way an expert teacher reacts in such a situation may
not be immediately noticeable. This necessity for
subtlety is perhaps one reason why expertise in
teaching is not so well recognized or understood by
those unfamiliar with the real demands of the role.
Because teaching comprises so many competing
demands, these choices make teaching itself
problematic. However, ‘problematic’ should not be
viewed with negative connotations.
Understanding teaching as problematic means that
teaching is dilemma-based and, because by definition
dilemmas are managed (not necessarily solved), it
means that teachers are continually making judgments
about what they consider to be appropriate in a given
situation at a given time.
That does not mean that the same action would lead to
the same result in a different context or at another
time, or that another teacher should do the same thing
when confronted by a similar situation. Rather it
means that a teacher’s professional judgment is
paramount in responding to students’ needs and
concerns – and that is why understanding teaching as
problematic matters. As a beginning teacher, it can be
quite common to seek “the answers” about what to do
and the best way to do it. That is only natural. But as
familiarity with the process of teaching develops, as
confidence in one’s ability to manage grows, as the
diversity of learners’ needs and approaches to learning
become increasingly apparent, seeing teaching as
problematic rather than rule-driven is almost
inevitable.
Because of the apparent “messiness of teaching” and
the importance of individuals accepting responsibility
for directing their own professional learning, for some,
the desire for a much simpler solution – and a sense of
control - is strong. However, it is through mapping the
terrain of teaching, being challenged by and engaged
in it, that professional learning abounds. It is in
accepting that teaching is problematic, and working
with that conceptualization that teachers learn how to
adapt, adjust and construct their practice and build
their expertise.
Expertise in teaching involves much more than the
simple accumulation of technical skills and tips and
tricks about how teaching is done. Although technical
competence is an important base from which expertise
in teaching grows, it is important to recognize that
teaching is an educative process and it cannot simply
be measured against a list of competencies.
Recognizing expert teacher matters, highlighting that
expertise is crucial, and rewarding it is central to better
understanding and valuing the profession. (Professor
John Loughran is the Dean of the Faculty of Education
of Monash University.)
CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EXPERT TEACHER
Experts differ from novices in three important ways:
1. EXPERTS HAVE DETAILED MENTAL
MODELS
Expert teachers have similarly detailed mental models,
organized differently from those of novices. Just as
experts’ mental models are specific to their domain,
teachers’ mental models are likely to differ between
subjects and grades which could help explain why
teachers tend to be more effective the longer they
spend with a specific year group. Novice teachers plan
slowly because they are still constructing mental
models of what they are teaching while planning;
experts need not take this time.
2. EXPERTS RECOGNIZE PATTERNS
Expert teachers similarly perceive events in classrooms
differently to novices. Asked to view three video
screens simultaneously (showing a panoramic view of
one classroom), expert teachers were able to take in
more of what was going on and explain it better than
novice. Reflecting on lessons, expert teachers focus on
evidence students had learned, novices on their
feelings. Experts also reframe problems by reference to
similar situations they have experienced, seeking to
understand them fully and reach viable solutions.
3. EXPERTS THINK RAPIDLY AND
ACCURATELY
Expert teachers similarly address challenges
differently to novices. While novices shut down
classroom discussions, unable to respond productively
to student questions, experts can build on student
responses, making up useful examples on the spot and
linking students’ ideas to the lesson’s objectives.
Experts integrate a range of knowledge and skills and
have automated many of their routines – they often
seem to be at ease while working: problems are
addressed without difficulty, or are preempted.
LESSON 2 - THE TEACHING COMPETENCY
Unit 1 – National Competency-Based Teacher
Standards (NCBTS)
NCBTS
 is an integrated theoretical framework that
defines the different dimensions of effective
teaching, where effective teaching means
being able to help all types of students learn
the different learning goals in the curriculum.
It means that the standards or criteria for
characterizing good teaching are defined in
terms of the teacher’s credential, LET scores,
grades in graduate school, degrees, personality
traits, and so on, we look at what the teacher
can do competently. 
WHY DO WE NEED THE NCBTS?
The NCBTS provides a single framework that shall
define teaching in all aspects of a teacher’s
professional life and in all phases of teacher
development. The use of a single framework should
minimize confusion about what effective teaching is.
The single framework should also provide a better
guide for all teacher development programs and
projects from the school-level up to the national level.
DOMAINS STRANDS
1. SOCIAL REGARD FOR LEARNING
 Acts as a positive role model for students
2. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
 Creates an environment that promotes fairness
 Makes the physical environment safe and
conducive to learning
 Communicates higher learning expectations to
each learner
 Establishes and maintains consistent standards
of learner’s behavior
3. DIVERSITY OF LEARNERS
 Is familiar with learner’s background
knowledge and experiences
 Demonstrates concern for holistic
development of learners
4. CURRICULUM
 Demonstrates mastery of the subject
 Communicates clear learning goals that are
appropriate for learners
 Makes good use of allotted instructional time
 Select teaching methods, learning activities
and instructional materials or resources
appropriate to learners and aligned to the
objectives of the lesson
5. PLANNING, ASSESSING AND REPORTING
LEARNERS
 Communicates promptly and clearly to the
learners, parents and superiors about the
progress of the learners
 Develops and uses a variety of appropriate
assessment strategies to monitor and evaluate
learning
 Regularly monitors and provides feedback on
learners’ understanding of content
6. COMMUNITY LINKAGES
 Establishes learning environment that respond
to the aspirations of the community
7. PERSONAL GROWTH AND PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
 Takes pride in the nobility of teaching as
profession
 Build professional links with the colleagues to
enrich teaching practice
 Reflect on the extent of the attainment of
learning goals
Unit 2 – Competencies for Global Teachers
Competency 
COMPETENCY
 is the combination of observable and
measurable knowledge, skills, abilities and
personal attributes that contribute to enhanced
 employee performance and ultimately result in
organizational success.
To understand competencies, it is important to define
the VARIOUS COMPONENTS OF
COMPETENCIES.
1. Knowledge is the cognizance of facts, truths and
principles gained from formal training and/or
experience. Application and sharing of one’s
knowledge base is critical to individual and
organizational success.
2. A skill is a developed proficiency or dexterity in
mental operations or physical processes that is often
acquired through specialized training; the execution of
these skills results in successful performance.
3. Ability is the power or aptitude to perform physical
or mental activities that are often affiliated with a
particular profession or trade such as computer
programming, plumbing, calculus, and so forth.
Although organizations may be adept at measuring
results, skills and knowledge regarding one's
performance, they are often remiss in recognizing
employees’ abilities or aptitudes, especially those
outside of the traditional job design.
4. Individual attributes are properties, qualities or
characteristics of individuals that reflect one’s unique
personal makeup. Individual attributes are viewed as
genetically developed or acquired from one’s
accumulated life experiences. Although personal
characteristics are the most subjective of the
components, a growing, significant body of research
links specific personality traits to successful individual
and organizational performance.
5. Individually recognizing and rewarding any of these
sources of expertise provides a strong basis for
individual performance engagement. However, it is
their combination that results in the unleashing of
resources that are all too frequently untapped.
When utilizing competencies, it is important to keep
the following in mind:
1. Competencies do not establish baseline performance
levels; rather they are used to raise the bar on
employee performance. They provide employees with
road maps to increase their capabilities incrementally.
2. Competencies focus on an organization’s culture
and values.
3. Competencies reflect the organization’s strategy;
that is, they are aligned to short- and long-term
missions and goals.
4. Competencies focus on how results are achieved
rather than merely the end result. In this manner they
bridge the gap between performance management and
employee development and are an integral component
of personal development plans.
5. Competencies close skill gaps within the
organization.
6. Competency data can be used for employee
development, compensation, promotion, training and
new hire selection decisions.
A research was conducted by SEAMEO INNOTECH
(2010) to identify important competencies for the
teachers required by the ASEAN countries. The result
of this research identified the following general areas
of competencies of teachers for 21st century identified
as part of the TEACHING COMPETENCY
FRAMEWORK.
1. Facilitating the development of learners’ life and
career skills
2. Creating a conducive learning environment
3. Appropriate lesson plans in the line with the school
vision and mission
4. Developing higher order-thinking skills (HOTS)
5. Developing and utilizing teaching and learning
resources
6. Enhancing ethical and moral values
7. Assessing and evaluating learner performance
8. Engaging in professional development
9. Networking with stakeholders especially with
parents
10. Managing student welfare and other tasks
In 2010, SIREP (SEAMO INNOTECH Regionals
Education Program) conducted a survey of
pedagogical skills of teachers in all Southeast Asian
countries. The results are the following ASEAN
TEACHING COMPETENCY STANDARDS OF A
COMPETENT TEACHER.
1. Selects or states long-term goals and short-term
measurable objectives based on a prescribed national
and/ or school curriculum
2. Uses creative and innovative instructional strategies
that are appropriate to a lesson’s objectives and
students’ abilities, interests, and learning styles
3. Selects and uses appropriate resources and available
technologies when teaching to suit students’ abilities,
interest and learning styles
4. Provide guided practice as necessary
Unit 3 – Educational Foundations
EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
  is a private or not-for-profit organization set
up to educate the media and public.
Educational foundations often act as charitable
benefactors, raising funds for and awarding
scholarships and grants. Many educational
foundations are also lobbyist groups,
representing the interests of their members to
Congress. Some educational foundations exist
to provide career networking and community
advancement opportunities for members, but
most educational foundations focus on a
specific group or target audience and have a
unified goal.
BECOME AN ELEMENTARY TEACHER
To become an elementary teacher, you should begin
your undergraduate study as a pre-education major and
then apply to the Educational Foundations major
before your junior year. You will be qualified to apply
for a graduate degree and licensure program. If you
aspire to be a future middle or high school teacher.
One of the many strengths of the educational
foundation major is the up to 120 hours of diverse field
experiences that are an integral part of the curriculum.
Our program is designed as a two-year cohort program
completed during the undergraduate junior and senior
year.
BECOME A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER
If you are planning to pursue a career as a high school
teacher, you should complete the certificate in
educational foundations: secondary program while
majoring in the subject area you want to teach. You
will need to enroll in a graduate teacher education
program that will result in a teaching license in your
endorsed content area and a master’s degree.
Unit 4 – Learning Environment
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT 
 Refers to the diverse physical locations,
contexts, and cultures in which students learn.
Since students may learn in a wide variety of
settings, such as outside-of-school locations
and outdoor environments, the term is often
used as a more accurate or preferred
alternative to classroom, which has more
limited and traditional connotations—a room
with rows of desks and a chalkboard, for
example.
 The term also encompasses the culture of a
school or class—its presiding ethos and
characteristics, including how individuals
interact with and treat one another—as well as
the ways in which teachers may organize an
educational setting to facilitate learning.
 Refers to the diverse physical locations,
contexts, and cultures in which students learn.
The term encompasses the culture of a school
or class as well as the ways in which teachers
may organize an educational setting to
facilitate learning—e.g., by conducting classes
in relevant natural ecosystems, grouping desks
in specific ways, decorating the walls with
learning materials, or utilizing audio, visual,
and digital technologies. And because the
qualities and characteristics of a learning
environment are determined by a wide variety
of factors, school policies, governance
structures, and other features may also be
considered elements of a “learning
environment.”
Educators may also argue that learning environments
have both a direct and indirect influence on student
learning, including their engagement in what is being
taught, their motivation to learn, and their sense of
well-being, belonging, and personal safety. For
example, learning environments filled with sunlight
and stimulating educational materials would likely be
considered more conducive to learning than drab
spaces without windows or decoration, as would
schools with fewer incidences of misbehavior,
disorder, bullying, and illegal activity. How adults
interact with students and how students interact with
one another may also be considered aspects of a
learning environment, and phrases such as “positive
learning environment” or “negative learning
environment” are commonly used in reference to the
social and emotional dimensions of a school or class.
COMPONENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE LEARNING
ENVIRONMENT
Developing a total learning environment for students
in a particular course or program is probably the most
creative part of teaching. While there is a tendency to
focus on either physical institutional learning
environment (such as classrooms, lecture theatres and
labs), or on the technologies used to create
online personal learning environments (PLEs),
learning environments are broader than just these
physical components. They will also include:
1. the characteristics of the learners;
2. the goals for teaching and learning;
3. the activities that will best support learning;
4. the assessment strategies that will best measure and
drive learning
5. the culture that infuses the learning environment.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A HIGHLY EFFECTIVE
LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
1. The students ask the questions—good question
2. Questions are valued over answers
3. Ideas come from a divergent source
4. A variety of learning models are used
5. Classroom learning “empties” into a connected
community
6. Learning is personalized by a variety of criteria
7. Assessment is persistent, authentic, transparent, and
never punitive
8. Criteria for success is balanced and transparent.
9. Learning habits are constantly modeled
10. There are constant opportunities for practice
Unit 5 – Diversity of Learners
DIVERSITY OF LEARNERS
The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and
respect. It means understanding that everyone is
unique and recognizing our individual differences.
These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity,
gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age,
physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or
other ideologies. It is the exploration of these
differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing
environment. It is about understanding each other and
moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and
celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained
within each individual.
DIVERSITY
 means more than just acknowledging and/or
tolerating difference.
 A set of conscious practices that involve:
 Understanding and appreciating
interdependence of humanity, cultures, and the
natural environment.
 Practicing mutual respect for qualities and
experiences that are different from our own.
 Understanding that diversity includes not only
ways of being but also ways of knowing;
 Recognizing that personal, cultural and
institutionalized discrimination creates and
sustains privileges for some while creating and
sustaining disadvantages for others;
 Building alliances across differences so that
we can work together to eradicate all forms of
discrimination.
INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES THAT
SUPPORT INCLUSION IN DIVERSE,
STANDARD-BASED CLASSROOMS
1. DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
Without the supporting pedagogy, inclusion in diverse,
standards-based classrooms could not be successful.
Differentiated instruction is an example of a
supporting instructional approach that embraces the
needs of academically diverse populations of students,
students who are gifted or who have disabilities.
Differentiated instruction involves creating multiple
paths to learning for diverse students (Tomlinson,
1999). Instruction can be differentiated in a variety of
ways, such as tailoring content to an individual
student’s needs, modifying instructional methods to
address student learning characteristics more
appropriately, or adjusting learning products or
assignments based on a student’s skill and ability
levels.
2. UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
Universal design is an instructional approach that gives
attention to students who have physical, sensory, and
cognitive disabilities. Like differentiated instruction,
universal design embraces the idea that instruction
should be designed from the beginning with students’
diverse needs in mind. Universal design supports the
thought that educators should not have to retrofit
lessons for students with exceptional needs after those
lessons have already been created.
3. SHELTERED INSTRUCTION
Sheltered instruction embraces the needs of diverse
learners, specifically English language learners.
Echevarria, Vogt, and Short (2004) define sheltered
instruction by using the following eight broad
elements:
a. The preparation element suggests that teachers first
identify lesson objectives aligned with state and local
standards.
b. The building background element requires that
teachers link new content to students’ background
experiences and helps students focus on unfamiliar
vocabulary.
c. With the comprehensible input element, as the name
implies, teachers use controlled vocabulary, sentence
structure, and visuals and gestures to facilitate
students’ comprehension.
d. The strategies element refers to teaching students’
different approaches for organizing and retaining
information associated with effective learning.
e. The interaction element shows teachers how to
structure opportunities for students to interact with
their peers in the learning process.
f. The practice and application element require
teachers to provide frequent opportunities for students
to practice new language skills in context.
g. The lesson delivery element illustrates how teachers
can appropriately pace the lesson and provide for
active engagement.
h. The review and assessment element focus on
establishing standards and including language-based
and content-based evaluations. All these elements are
important in designing classroom instruction that
embraces the needs of English language learners.
4. MMECCA: A FRAMEWORK FOR SUCCESS
Critical Elements of Instruction:
METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
 This element shows the strategies and
techniques that are employed during
instruction. This is the “how” through which
instruction is accomplished.
MATERIALS OF INSTRUCTION
 This element pertains to the tangible items that
are used to support instruction. This is the
“with what” through which instruction is
accomplished.
ENVIRONMENT OF INSTRUCTION
 This element focuses on the physical
environment of the classroom, behavior
management, and general classroom ethos.
This is the “where” of instruction or the
instructional context in which learning will
occur.
CONTENT OF INSTRUCTION
 This element details what is being taught to
students. It addresses curricular issues related
to what students should know and be able to
do. This is the “what” of the learning process
or the knowledge, facts, and understandings
that are the essence of teaching and learning.
COLLABORATION FOR INSTRUCTION
 This element pertains to how educators should
work together in delivering instruction to
diverse populations. It includes educational
practices such as collaborative problem
solving and co-teaching. This element also
addresses how educators and parents should
work together. This is the “it takes a village”
element of instruction.
ASSESSMENT IN INSTRUCTION
 Finally, this element focuses on the assessment
process that begins and ends the instructional
cycle. It includes informal, teacher-made
assessments, as well as large-scale
standardized tests. This is the “how do we
know what students need and what they
know?” element of the instructional process.
Unit 6 – Curriculum and Instruction
CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION (C&I)
 is a field within education which seeks to
research, develop, and implement curriculum
changes that increase student achievement
within and outside school. The field focuses on
how students learn and best ways to educate. It
is also interested in new trends in teaching and
learning process. It tries to find answers to
question such as “why to teach”, “what to
teach”, “how to teach” and “how to evaluate”
in instructional process.
 Simply defined as the contents, standards,
competencies, and topics that students learn. It
includes the school philosophy, mission and
vision and goals, the subject and learning
experiences, and the assessment and
evaluation tools.
INSTRUCTION
 is defined as the means for implementing the
curriculum. It includes instructional strategies,
methods, approaches and techniques.
CURRICULUM IMPLEMENTATION
 Refers to the act of working out the plans and
suggestions that have been made by
curriculum specialists and subject experts in a
classroom or school setting. Teachers are the
main curriculum implementers, while at the
same time students, parents, school
administrators can be directly or indirectly
involved in the implementation process
 Focuses on the actual implementation of the
curriculum from the national level to the local
school context. It describes the dynamics on
how various curriculum workers strive to do
their functions in order to attain educational
goals, programs and policies set by the
country, region, division, district, and down
the local school level. Each of these levels has
specific functions to do.
CURRICULUM WORKERS
 The success or failure of any curriculum
depends on the people working for its
implementation.
1. TEACHERS
 the most visible among the curriculum
workers. Their roles as implementers of the
curriculum are very crucial. It is through their
expertise, creativity, and commitment that any
curriculum success is attributed. Teachers
develop lesson plans, unit plans, yearly plans
and syllabi for each subject they teach. They
prepare instructional materials, select methods
and strategies and assess student’s progress.
2. PRINCIPALS
 the chief academic and administrative officer
of the school. They provide curricular and
instructional leadership and supervision to the
 teachers and other school personnel in the
local school context. It is they who lead
teachers in planning different school activities
and make sure that all educational goals set by
the DepEd are met. Principals check the lesson
plans developed by each teacher, prepare the
school calendar, supervise instruction, and
prepare school report. Principals also work
with parents and community leaders and win
their support to any school activities and
projects.
3. CURRICULUM CONSULTANTS
 Individual with rich background experience on
doing curriculum projects related to
curriculum planning, curriculum development,
and curriculum evaluation.
4. DISTRICT SUPERVISORS
 responsible for supervising the implementation
of the curriculum in the district level. They
help public school principals in ensuring that
the programs of DepEd are implemented in
their respective schools. They also implement
policies and programs of the DepEd in private
schools.
5. EDUCATION SUPERVISORS
 assigned to specific subject areas in basic
education. They help the district office of the
DepEd in supervising the implementation of
projects and programs specific for each subject
area.
6. DIVISION SUPERINTENDENTS
 the chief academic officer of each division.
They supervise the implementation of the
DepEd curriculum, programs, and projects in
the division level for both public and private
schools. Usually, each province or city is
considered a division for the DepEd.
7. REGIONAL DIRECTORS
 manage the programs and projects of the
DepEd in the regional level.
8. EDUCATION PROGRAM SPECIALIST
 work at the national level or at the central
offices of the CHED and the DepEd. They
assist the two government agencies in the
development of curriculum policies that will
help teachers and other curriculum leaders in
the implementation of the curriculum.
9. TECHNICAL PANELS AND TECHNICAL
COMMITTEES
 professors and individual experts from
different disciplines and fields who assist the
CHED in developing curriculum, formulating
curriculum policies, and evaluating the
compliance of higher education institutions to
the CHED program standards.
Unit 7 – Measurement, Assessment and Evaluation
MEASUREMENT
 Means determining the attributes or
dimensions of an object, skill or knowledge.
We use common objects in the physical world
to measure, such as tape measures, scales and
meters. These measurement tools are held to
standards and can be used to obtain reliable
results. When used properly, they accurately
gather data for educators and administrators.
Some standard measurements in education are
raw scores, percentile ranks and standard
scores.
 It is concerned with the statement of
performance usually represented in
quantitative term.
 It includes descriptive data obtained about
student’s performance.
ASSESSMENT
 One of the primary measurement tools in
education is the assessment. Teachers gather
information by giving tests, conducting
interviews and monitoring behavior.
 The assessment should be carefully prepared
and administered to ensure its reliability and
validity. In other words, an assessment must
provide consistent results and it must measure
what it claims to measure.
 It involves the interpretation and
representation of measurement information. It
assigns quantitative and qualitative marks to
the collected measurement information.
EVALUATION
 is the process of making value judgments
based on the assessment interpretation of
collected data. It is the systematic process of
collecting and analyzing data in order to make
decisions.
 In education, evaluation is the process of using
the measurements gathered in the assessments.
Teachers use this information to judge the
relationship between what was intended by the
instruction and what was learned. They
evaluate the information gathered to determine
what students know and understand, how far
they have progressed and how fast, and how
their scores and progress compare to those of
other students. Therefore, the results of these
processes are used to improve instruction and
to effectively ensure that the students learn
from all the subjects in the curriculum.
WHY ARE MEASUREMENT, ASSESSMENT AND
EVALUATION IMPORTANT IN EDUCATION?
According to educator and author, Graham Nuthall, in
his book The Hidden Lives of Learners, “In most of
the classrooms we have studied, each student already
knows about 40-50% of what the teacher is teaching.”
The goal of data-driven instruction is to avoid teaching
students what they already know and teach what they
do not know in a way the students will best respond to.
For the same reason, educators and administrators
understand that assessing students and evaluating the
results must be ongoing and frequent.
Scheduled assessments are important to the process,
but teachers must also be prepared to re-assess
students, even if informally, when they sense students
are either bored with the daily lesson or frustrated by
material they are not prepared for. Using the
measurements of these intermittent formative
assessments, teachers can fine-tune instruction to meet
the needs of their students on a daily and weekly basis.
Unit 8 – Establishing Community Linkages
THE BENEFITS OF SCHOOL-COMMUNITY
PARTNERSHIPS
When schools and community organizations work
together to support learning, everyone benefits. In
addition to supporting student learning directly,
partnerships can have additional benefits to students
and their families. They can:
1. provide continuity of services across the day and
year, easing school transitions and promoting
improved attendance in after school programs;
2. facilitate access to a range of learning opportunities
and developmental supports, providing opportunities
for students and teachers alike to experiment with new
approaches to teaching and learning
3. facilitate information sharing about specific students
to best support individual learning; and
4. provide family members with alternative entry
points into the school day to support their student’s
learning.
LEARNING PARTNERSHIPS CAN ALSO
GREATLY BENEFIT SCHOOLS. THEY CAN:
1. complement the academic curriculum with a wider
range of services and activities, particularly
enrichment and arts activities that may not available
during the school day;
2. support transitions across the school years,
particularly the critical middle to high school
transition, which research indicates is a key predictor
of high school graduation (Neild, Balfanz, & Herzog,
2007);
3. reinforce concepts taught in school without
replicating the school day, often exposing classroom
teachers working in the after-school program to new
pedagogies;
4. improve school culture and community image
through exhibitions and performances that help “shine
the light” on students whose talents may not be
apparent in the classroom; and
5. gain access to mentors, afterschool staff, and other
resources to support in‐school learning and improve
the teaching and learning in the classroom itself.
Finally, learning partnerships with schools can
strengthen and support community partners. They can:
1. help gain access to and recruit groups of students
most in need of support services;
2. improve program quality and staff engagement,
particularly when there is crossover between school
and community organization staff;
3. foster better alignment of programming to support a
shared vision for learning, one which aligns curriculum
to support state and local standards; and
4. maximize resource use such as facilities, staff, data,
and curriculum.
ROLE OF PARTNERSHIPS IN 21ST CENTURY
COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS
PARTNERSHIPS are a critical component of 21st
Century Community Learning Centers, and each year
since 2006 the number of partners has continued to
grow. By 2010, the 3,450 funded grantees engaged
over 30,000 partners, with an average of almost 9
partners per grantee.
COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS were the
most common partners in 2010, almost three times
higher than any other type of partner. FOR-PROFIT
CORPORATIONS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS were
the second and third most utilized partners, with
colleges and universities also playing a main
partnership role. Partners perform several important
roles: They offer programming, provide in-kind
services, and provide paid and volunteer staffing.
FEATURES OF EFFECTIVE SCHOOL-
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
There is emerging consensus on an inter-related set of
features that help promote and sustain healthy school-
community partnerships (Harvard Family Research
Project, 2010):
1. A shared vision for learning and developmental
outcomes for students. This vision acknowledges the
critical, complementary roles of schools, community
partners, and families. A shared vision also helps
partners avoid working against each other and instead
pursue a common vision of student success. When
school leaders embrace a vision for student success
that considers students’ physical, emotional, and social
well-being in addition to academic outcomes, the
partnership is more likely to be successful than when
competing agendas operate during the expanded
learning day.
2. A diverse set of partners with effective
communications mechanisms and relationships among
multiple staff at multiple levels. Strong and sustainable
partnerships need relationships that are built at
multiple levels (for example, at the district, school, and
classroom levels) and among multiple school staff,
including district and nonteaching staff. Working with
partners at different levels helps the afterschool and
summer programs become integral to the daily life and
culture of the school at all levels, from the principal to
the custodian. In addition, relationships at various
levels can help mitigate the effects of staff turnover at
other levels; for example, strong relationships with
teachers can help sustain the partnership in the event of
a change in principals.
3. Intentionally blended staffing with role clarity to
promote understanding of how the work is relevant to
all. For afterschool and summer programs, this means
hiring staff who have legitimacy in the school building
and who are skilled at building relationships with
school staff. Some programs do this by hiring licensed
teachers, people who “speak the same language” as
school-day teachers, can substitute and consult in
classrooms, and can participate in professional
development activities. Hiring licensed teachers who
also teach at a host school facilitates information
sharing and forges connections with other teachers
who might not otherwise make time for “outside”
programs or services. Blended staffing may also mean
a liaison who serves an important bridging function
between the school and the afterschool or summer
program.
4. Clear data-sharing processes and agreements. One
feature of a strong collaboration is the ability of
partners to access information and data from each
other, including, if possible, student-level academic
data (e.g., test scores and grades). Afterschool and
summer programs can use these data both to track and
strengthen student performance and to demonstrate the
impact of their services. In addition to getting data
from schools, some programs provide their own data to
schools to promote reciprocal data sharing.
5. As efforts to expand learning opportunities and time
continue to grow under a variety of approaches and
models—whether after school, summer learning
expanded or extended learning day or year, or out-of-
school time—it is important that all these efforts build
on the strong base of effective partnerships already
present among schools and afterschool and summer
programs, capitalizing in particular on the rich history
of partnerships advanced by 21st Century Community
Learning Centers.
Unit 9 – School Leadership
IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
School leaders improve teaching and learning
indirectly and most powerfully through their influence
on staff motivation, commitment and working
condition. School leadership has a greater influence on
schools and students when it is widely distributed.
Some patterns of distribution more effective than
others.
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ROLE
1. SENIOR TEACHERS
 are experienced teachers committed to high
quality teaching and ongoing professional
learning.
2. CLASSROOM TEACHERS
 Classroom Teachers are highly skilled in:
meeting the learning needs of their students;
developing and implementing student
assessment and reporting strategies; reflecting
on and improving their teaching practices;
developing and delivering professional
learning for colleagues and providing
leadership in their school.
3. HEADS OF LEARNING AREA
 The curriculum leaders in secondary schools
have a line management responsibility for the
teachers in their teams. They are also the
program coordinator that is responsible to the
specific programs in their school such as
student service, or coordination of vocational
education and training.
4. DEPUTY PRINCIPALS
 They assist the principals with managing the
schools. Some deputies may manage the
school’s human resources or the middle school
in a large secondary school.
5. PRINCIPALS
 They are responsible for the overall
management of schools. They maximize
opportunities for teachers and students to be
deliver local education solutions for the
aspirations and demands of parents and the
wider school community.
Unit 10 – Classroom Management
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT 
  refers to the wide variety of skills and
techniques that teachers use to keep students
organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task,
and academically productive during a class.
When classroom-management strategies are
executed effectively, teachers minimize the
behaviors that impede learning for both
individual students and groups of students,
while maximizing the behaviors that facilitate
or enhance learning.  Generally speaking,
effective teachers tend to display strong
classroom-management skills, while the
hallmark of the inexperienced or less effective
teacher is a disorderly classroom filled with
students who are not working or paying
attention.
FIVE PRINCIPLES OF OUTSTANDING
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
1. Take care of yourself to take care of your students.
2. Focus on building relationships.
3. Set rules, boundaries and expectations (and do it
early)
4. Take a strength-based approach
Find ways to make your hardest student your favorite.
When you connect with him, it makes everything
smoother.
5. Involve parents and guardians.
UNIVERSAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
STRATEGIES
1. Model ideal behavior
2. Let students help establish guidelines
3. Document rules
4. Avoid punishing the class
5. Encourage initiative
6. Offer praise
7. Use non-verbal communication
8. Hold parties
9. Give tangible rewards
10. Make positive letters and phone calls
11. Build excitement for content
12. Offer different types of free study time
13. Write group contracts
14. Assign open-ended projects
15. Give only two marks for informal assessments
16.  Use EdTech that adjusts to each student
17. Interview students
18. Address bad behavior quickly
19. Consider peer teaching
20. Gamify personal learning plans
Unit 11 – Professional Development
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
 Refers to all training, certification and
education that a worker needs to succeed in his
or her career. It’s no secret that different jobs
require different skills. Even if a worker
currently has the necessary skills, he or she
may need additional skills in the future.
Through professional development, workers
can learn these skills to become better, more
efficient workers. Image achieving success in
your career requires ongoing training and
education, which is where professional
development comes into play. Also known as
continuing education and professional
learning, professional development is designed
to teach workers the skills needed to succeed
in their respective line of work.
BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FOR EMPLOYERS
Employers can benefit from professional development
in several ways: it promotes higher employee retention
rates and it signals competency on behalf of the
employer.
BENEFITS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
FOR EMPLOYEES
Professional development is beneficial for employees
through the following: employees that engage in
professional development will feel more confident
knowing that they have the skills needed to succeed in
their line of work; employees will also become better
workers through professional development and
professional development can open the doors to new
opportunities for employees.
In a broad sense, professional development may
include formal types of vocational education, typically
post-secondary or poly-technical training leading to
qualification or credential required to obtain or retain
employment. Professional development may also come
in the form of pre- service or in-service professional
development programs. These programs may be
formal, or informal, group or individualized.
Individuals may pursue professional development
independently, or programs may be offered by human
resource departments. Professional development on the
job may develop or enhance process skills, sometimes
referred to as leadership skills, as well as task skills.
Some examples for process skills are ‘effectiveness
skills’, ‘team functioning skills’, and ‘systems thinking  to assist individuals and their organization to
skills. improve by offering resources and
information, supporting networking and
Professional development opportunities can range change efforts.
from a single workshop to a semester-long academic
course, to services offered by a medley of different The following are a representative selection of
professional development providers and varying common professional-development topics and
widely with respect to the philosophy, content, and objectives for educators:
format of the learning experiences.

1. Furthering education and knowledge in a teacher’s

Some examples of approaches to professional subject area—e.g., learning new scientific theories,
development include: expanding knowledge of different historical periods, or
learning how to teach subject- area content and
1. CASE STUDY METHOD  concepts more effectively.
 The case method is a teaching approach that 2. Training or mentoring in specialized teaching
consists in presenting the students with a case, techniques that can be used in many different subject
putting them in the role of a decision maker areas, such as differentiation (varying teaching
facing a problem techniques based on student learning needs and
2. CONSULTATION  interests) or literacy strategies (techniques for
improving reading and writing skills), for example.
 to assist an individual or group of individuals
to clarify and address immediate concerns by 3. Earning certification in a particular educational
following a systematic problem-solving approach or program, usually from a university or
process. other credentialing organization, such as teaching
Advanced Placement courses or career and technical
3. COACHING  programs that culminate in students earning an
industry-specific certification.
 to enhance a person’s competencies in a
specific skill area by providing a process of 4. Developing technical, quantitative, and analytical
observation, reflection, and action. skills that can be used to analyze student- performance
data, and then use the findings to make modifications
4. COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE 
to academic programs and teaching techniques.
 to improve professional practice by engaging
5. Learning new technological skills, such as how to
in shared inquiry and learning with people
use interactive whiteboards or course-management
who have a common goal
systems in ways that can improve teaching
5. LESSON STUDY  effectiveness and student performance.

 to solve practical dilemmas related to 6. Improving fundamental teaching techniques, such as

intervention or instruction through how to manage a classroom effectively or frame
participation with other professionals in questions in ways that elicit deeper thinking and more
systematically examining practice substantive answers from students.

6. MENTORING  7. Working with colleagues, such as in professional

learning communities, to develop teaching skills
 to promote an individual’s awareness and collaboratively or create new interdisciplinary courses
refinement of his or her own professional that are taught by teams of two or more teachers.
development by providing and recommending
structured opportunities for reflection and 8. Developing specialized skills to better teach
observation and support certain populations of students, such as
students with learning disabilities or students who are
7. REFLECTIVE SUPERVISION  not proficient in English.
 to support, develop, and ultimately evaluate 9. Acquiring leadership skills, such as skills that can be
the performance of employees through a used to develop and coordinate a school-improvement
process of inquiry that encourages their initiative or a community-volunteer program. For
understanding and articulation of the rationale related discussions, see leadership team and shared
for their own practices leadership.
8. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE  10. Pairing new and beginning teachers with more
experienced “mentor teachers” or “instructional
coaches” who model effective teaching strategies,
expose less-experienced teachers to new ideas and
skills, and provide constructive feedback and
professional guidance.
11. Conducting action research to gain a better
understanding of what’s working or not working in a
school’s academic program, and then using the
findings to improve educational quality and results
12. Earning additional formal certifications, such as
the National Board for Professional Teaching
Standards certification, which requires educators to
spend a considerable amount of time recording,
analyzing, and reflecting on their teaching practice
(many states provide incentives for teachers to obtain
National Board Certification).
13. Attending graduate school to earn an advanced
degree, such as a master’s degree or doctorate in
education, educational leadership, or a specialized field
of education such as literacy or technology.