Katherine Hewett

Domain III: Instructional Practice

Students learn not only by what the teacher says but also what they do. Teachers then

must present the curriculum in exciting ways so students may make the most of learning

opportunities. The particular ways a teacher presents content within a rich context is referred to

as her instructional practice, and it creates the foundation for a successful classroom. Expert

instructional practice allows the students to actively participate in their learning, all while

developing essential skills for educational success. An elementary teacher should be competent

in instructional practice because it demonstrates her professional development and allows her

students to produce the best possible learning results. Instruction from the teacher’s instructional

practice should plan for, facilitate, and assess student learning (3.0).

The effective teacher uses appropriate assessments to evaluate her students’ learning

accurately. The teacher uses formative assessment to monitor her student’s learning progress and

determine what content needs to be retaught. Summative assessment is used to determine how

much the students know, as well as provide feedback for her in how well she teaches (3.1, IDS

4). Her assessment strategies vary from student to student to further individual growth, as well as

to monitor educational progress (3.2, IDS 4). In addition to creating individualized assessments,

the teacher also designs and implements a variety of methods to accurately evaluate student

learning and teacher effectiveness (3.3, I-6, IDS 4). As a result of her assessments, she has a clear

picture of her students’ performance and can use this information to positively and productively

influence her future instruction.

 A vital strength of the exemplary teacher is her ability to create rich learning experiences

for her students. To do this well, she must take on the role of the learner, not only deepening her

understanding of the content to teach well, but also to model to her students the best way to go

about the learning process (3.4). She has a great understanding of how to apply her classroom

content to real-world issues, engaging her students, and helping them develop their critical

thinking and problem-solving skills (3.5). Students have the opportunity to apply what they learn

in the classroom to practical settings, further deepening their understanding of the content, and

creating richer learning experiences for all.

The effective teacher demonstrates her strength as an educator through her use of

instructional strategies. She does not use only one approach in her teaching, but rather a variety

to facilitate active learning for her students. Procedures such as scaffolding and the use of

multiple intelligences help students learn in their own ways. Additionally, she monitors her

teaching and adjusts her use of strategies accordingly to help her students learn best (3.6, I-8,

IDS 3). She understands that not every teaching strategy will help each student equally, so the

variation in her use of strategy maximizes the learning opportunities for each of her students.

Learning objectives are explicitly communicated to students, helping them to increase their

motivation and find purpose in learning. The effective teacher incorporates her background

knowledge into the classroom curriculum, deepening her students’ understanding. Even though

she is the educator, she is continually learning new ideas to implement in her classroom. She is

up-to-date on the most current research and uses the most effective teaching practices. Her class

is arranged in such a way that she has many opportunities to conduct experiments to create active

learning opportunities for students (3.7).

 Instructional practice is a critical component of the exemplary teacher’s professional

training. She prepares and implements assessments that accurately and effectively measure her

students’ progress and uses the results to guide her instruction. In all teaching scenarios, she

creates rich learning experiences to help her students grow not only academically, but also as

well-rounded individuals. She uses a variety of instructional strategies to meet all of her students’

individual needs. Overall, she makes wise educational decisions to benefit her students.