The Framework for Teaching

Domain 4
Professional Responsibilities
 Professional Responsibilities
Similar to Domain 1 (Planning and Preparation)
Domain 4 is behind the scene work
associated with teaching.

Teachers demonstrate ethical and professional

Standards and seek to improve their practice
based on their skills in domain 4
 Professional Responsibilities
• This Domain consists of six components:
A. Reflecting on teaching
B. Maintaining Accurate Records
C. Communication with Families
D. Participating in a Professional Community
E. Growing and Developing Professionally
F. Showing Professionalism
Each component consist of a number of elements
 Reflecting on Teaching 4a
Rationale & Explanation
• Educators and researchers recognize that the ability to reflect
on teaching is the mark of a true professional.
• Through critical reflection teachers are able to asses the
effectiveness of their work and take steps to improve it.
• Teachers expand their skills of practice by trying to
understand the consequences of their actions and finding
alternative approaches.
• Given the complex nature of teaching, it can never be
perfect. However, good a lesson was, it can always be
improved. (not because its poor and must be fixed rather
it is hard/difficult that some aspects can always be
improved).
 Reflecting on Teaching 4a
Rationale & Explanation
• Reflecting on teaching includes the teacher’s thinking that
follows any instructional event.
• It includes also the analysis of the many decisions made in
both the planning and the implementation of a lesson.
• By considering these elements in light of the impact they
have on the student learning, teachers can determine
where to focus their efforts in making revisions and choose
which aspects of the instruction they will continue in future
lessons.
• Teaching is about the students learning, so if teachers are
not constantly making sure that their students are learning,
they are not being effective teachers.
 Reflecting on Teaching 4a
• Through students’ engagement, teacher will know if the
approach they are using is appropriate or they need to change it.
• Of course teacher made hundreds of decisions, so by reflecting
“replay the tape” on these decisions teachers can realize if they
made the right decision or not.
• Although reflecting on practice is a natural activity for all
professionals, doing it well is a learned skill.
• So, effective reflection requires deep thinking and analysis of the
experience that one want to reflect on.
• Although teachers may not engage in a complete analysis
following every lesson, he/she may runs down the elements of
the lesson design (activities, material, grouping …etc) to identify
what need modification.
 Why is it important for teachers
to know Component 4a?
• Component 4a is important because without it teachers would
never be able to make sure that the way they teach and the
lessons they teach are being effective.
• Reflection includes asking questions of yourself as the teacher
such as:
1. If I were to teach this lesson again, what would I do
differently? and How?
2. What went well? 
3. What needs improvement?
4. How did the students respond to this strategy or that tool?
5. Did the students misunderstand any information?
6. What can I do better next time? 
 Reflecting on Teaching 4a
2 Elements
1- Accuracy
• All reflections should be done soon and thoughtfully so that
they are as accurate as they can be.
• Skilled reflection is characterized by accuracy, specificity and
ability to use the analysis in future teaching.
• Global judgment such as saying: the lesson is “fine” or
“terrible” is not enough for the reflection to be effective. Why?
• As teachers gain experience, their reflections on practice
become more accurate, corresponding to the assessments that
would be given by an external and unbiased observer.
• Not only that the reflections are accurate, but teachers can
provide specific examples from the lesson to support their
judgments. How?
 Reflecting on Teaching
2 Elements
2- Use in Future Teaching
• For reflection to be effective teachers must use their
reflections to make adjustments in their practice.
• Most teacher teach the same topic the next semester,
sometimes on the same day, so, by reflecting on what went
right and what went wrong teacher can improve their
performance.
• As their experience and expertise increases, teachers draw
on an ever-increasing repertoire of strategies to inform these
adjustments.
• The importance of reflecting on teaching practice is due to
the fact that teaching is complex to the point that never be
perfect.
 Demonstration and Evidence
• Professional Conversations: Teachers demonstrate their
skill in reflection through professional conversations with
colleagues by making specific suggestions about how a
lesson could be improved, including how these changes
may impact student learning.
• In some situations, a written reflection may encourage
more thoughtful results.
• Following a classroom observation, teachers will complete
the Post-Observation Conference Form before meeting
with a school administrator to discuss the lesson observed.
• This reflection will touch on many aspects of Domains 2
and 3 to aid in future planning.
 Demonstration and Evidence
Some sample artifacts and tools include:
• Post-observation conference form
• Lesson or Unit Review Checklist
• Personal Blog
• Teacher Reflection Journal
 Elements Definitions & Examples
Element Definition
Effectiveness As teachers gain experience, their
reflections on practice become more
accurate, corresponding to the
assessments that would be given by
an external and unbiased observer.
Not only are the reflections
accurate, but teachers can provide
specific examples from the lesson to
support their judgments.
Use in Future In order for the potential of
Teaching reflection to improve teaching to be
fully realized, teachers must use
their reflections to make
adjustments in their practice. As
their experience and expertise
increases, teachers draw on an ever-
increasing repertoire of strategies to
inform these plans.
Example
A teacher collects consistent feedback from peers
through scheduled observations, and solicits
feedback from students. The teacher uses that
collected data to determine patterns or habits that
support or limit their effectiveness.
After a teacher conducts a deep-dive reflection on his
Spanish vocabulary lesson, he recognizes that
students struggle to understand the concepts he
presents at the end of the introduction to new
material section. The teacher realizes that he is
spending too long on that segment and students are
becoming disengaged. He reconfigures lesson plans to
break up concepts, and move more quickly to guided
practice in order to keep students engaged before
continuing with new concepts.
 Levels of Performance
  LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE
  ELEMENT        
UNSATISFACTORY BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED

  Teacher does not know

whether a lesson was
Teacher has a generally
accurate impression of a
Teacher makes an
accurate assessment of a
Teacher makes a
thoughtful and accurate
Accuracy effective or achieved its
instructional outcomes,
lesson’s effectiveness and
the extent to which
lesson’s effectiveness and
the extent to which it
assessment of a lesson’s
effectiveness and the
or teacher profoundly instructional outcomes achieved its instructional extent to which it
misjudges the success of were met. outcomes and can cite achieved its instructional
a lesson. general references to outcomes, citing many
  support the judgment. specific examples from
  the lesson and weighing
the relative strength of
each.
 

  Teacher has no
suggestions for how a
Teacher makes general
suggestions about how a
Teacher makes a few
specific suggestions of
Drawing on an extensive
repertoire of skills,
Use in future lesson could be improved lesson could be improved what could be tried teacher offers specific
another time the lesson another time the lesson another time the lesson alternative actions,
teaching is taught. is taught. is taught. complete with probable
successes of different
courses of action.
 
 Group Activity

What Is the Level?

Explain?