The Teacher Work Sample & YOU!

Why the Teacher Work Sample? Demonstrate your Teacher Skills! Who are your students? What do they need to learn? How will you assess learning? What strategies will you use? Any modifications? What did your students learn? What did you learn about yourself? fall 2009

Contextual Factors The teacher uses information about the learning/teaching context and student individual differences to set learning goals, plan instruction and assess learning. Strategies Modifications Technology

Exemplary Discussions Include Characteristics of the community, school, and classroom that may affect learning. Differences (e.g. development, interests, culture, abilities/disabilities) that may affect learning. Different ways students learn (e.g., learning styles, learning modalities) that may affect learning. Students’ skills and prior learning that may affect learning.

Provides a comprehensive discussion of the implications for instruction and assessment based on each of the student individual differences and community, school, and classroom characteristics identified.

Learning Goals The teacher sets significant, challenging, varied and appropriate learning goals Measurable Learning Goals Identify: The skill that the learner demonstrates. Conditions under which the learner demonstrates the skill. Criteria for measuring success.

Example “Given the depth of roots, soil moisture reserve, rainfall and irrigation distribution, students will determine a watering system and schedule that will maintain a uniform turf scoring a 4 out of 5 on the rubric.“ The rubric would describe the indicators for “uniform turf”. Your discussion would describe how this goal meets the indicators and criteria of the TWS rubric.

Exemplary Discussions Include How all Goals explicitly reflect multiple types and levels of learning and are all significant and challenging. All goals are clearly and explicitly stated as learning outcomes. All goals are appropriate for the development; pre-requisite knowledge, skills, experiences; and other student needs. All goals are explicitly aligned with national, state or local standards.

Assessment Plan The teacher uses multiple assessment modes and approaches aligned with learning goals to assess student learning before, during and after instruction. This is where you tie into Contextual factors and Learning goals. Explain how each Of your assessments relate to Your students and what they should know/do

Exemplary Discussions Include How assessments are congruent with the learning goals in content and cognitive complexity. Criteria are clear and are explicitly linked to the learning goals. Explicit context and performance expectations are discussed. Multiple assessment modes to assess student performance throughout the instructional sequence. Explicitly discusses the type of assessment and why it is appropriate for the linked learning goal.

Assessments are valid, all prompts, directions and procedures are clearly written. Discussion is explicit in how the assessment provides feedback for student learning. Adaptations are tied to learning styles, individual needs, and special needs. Discussion explicitly relates to contextual factors.

Design for Instruction The teacher designs instruction for specific learning goals, student characteristics and needs, and learning contexts 2 week overview 3 full lesson plans Should demonstrate variety Address technology Teacher use Student use Address modifications Relate to specific students NOT strategies that you use for all students or differentiation

Exemplary Discussions Include All learning activities, assignments and resources are aligned with learning goals. All learning goals are covered in the design Focus of the content is congruent with the big ideas or structure of the discipline All learning activities, assignments and resources are aligned with learning goals. All learning goals are covered in the design Focus of the content is congruent with the big ideas or structure of the discipline

Significant variety across instruction, activities, assignments, and/or resources. This variety makes a clear contribution to learning. in-depth discussion justifying the use of appropriate technology for learner-centered instruction includes: technology available, teacher use, student use, assessment, and communicating the results of student learning All instruction has been designed with reference to contextual factors and pre-assessment data. All activities and assignments appear productive and appropriate for each student.

Instructional Decision-Making The teacher uses on-going analysis of student learning to make instructional decisions Sound Pedagogy and Best Practice Modifications are based on analysis of student data Contextual and assessment

Exemplary Discussions Include All instructional decisions are pedagogically sound (i.e. leading to increased student learning). Appropriate modifications of the instructional plan are made to address individual student needs. modifications are informed by the analysis of student learning/performance, best practice, or contextual factors. Includes an explicit discussion of why the modifications would improve student progress. All modifications in instruction are congruent with all learning goals.

Analysis of Student Learning The teacher uses on-going analysis of student learning to make instructional decisions This assignment provides the opportunity to analyze data accumulated regarding student performance related to learning outcomes.

Types of Assessments pre-assessments formative assessments post-assessments Checklist Observation sheet Student test Quiz

The Analysis is directly related to the learning goals/outcomes.

Three Level Analysis Whole Class Subgroups Two individual students

What Data is Needed? fall 2009

fall 2009

Words Once the data has been arranged in the spreadsheet and graphic representations have been developed, you will write a NARRATIVE, describing FACTUALLY, the data in the spreadsheet and the graphic representations. Words

Two Individual Students Who are these two students? What was their achievement on the learning goals? What caught your attention for these two students? Struggling GT Language Provide examples of student work when described

Reflection & Self-Evaluation The teacher reflects on his or her instruction and student learning in order to improve teaching practice. What happened? What learning occurred? What misconceptions were evident? How did the modifications work? What will you change for next time? What professional development do you need?

Exemplary Discussions Include Uses evidence to support conclusions drawn in “Analysis of Student Learning” section. Explores multiple hypotheses for why some students did not meet learning goals. Identifies successful and unsuccessful activities and assessments and provides plausible reasons (based on theory or research) for their success or lack thereof. Logically connects learning goals, instruction, and assessment results in the discussion of student learning and effective instruction.

Provides ideas for redesigning learning goals, instruction, and assessment and explains why these modifications would improve student learning. Presents a small number of professional learning goals that clearly emerge from the insights and experiences described in this section. Describes specific steps to meet these goals.