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What the TExES Likes

Terms in this set (28)

Learning Objectives
In the TExES exam classroom the most important thing is the learning objectives. They are the center of the classroom universe and almost every decision the teacher makes in the classroom should be based upon helping students achieve and master the learning objectives. Everything related to the classroom is linked to the instructional objectives and should focus on student progress toward the instructional objectives. Remember, also, that the exam may not always use the term learning objective to refer to this principle. Instructional objective, learning goals, lesson, content, assignment, or something similar might be used, but the principle is still the same, because the exam is consistent.
Time
The TExES exam believes that the more time students spend focusing specifically on the instructional objectiives (learning goals, etc.) the more they will learn. And students will spend more time on the objectives if they know what they are. So, in the TExES classroom teachers should make sure that students know exactly what it is they they are suppose to be learning. It is all about focus.
Building on Prior Knowledge
Learning does not take place in isolation but is linked to and connected with previous learning. The successful teacher employs various methods to activate prior knowledge, such as questions, discussions, surveys, etc. Find out where students are first, so you can connect the new knowledge to where they are. This is called the constructivist approach to teaching. Help students make a direct, personal, and experiential connection with learning. In this way, students learn to construct their own knowledge. Questions on the exam that reflect this principle usually have the teacher doing something to assist students in activating previous knowledge or experience so that they can make a direct or personal connection to new information or concepts.
Presenting Information
Effective teachers model for students what they want the students to do. So, answer choices that incorporate this concept are usually strong answers when the question deals with a teacher introducing something or trying to help students learn a particular process or behavior. Keep in mind, though, that it's the concept that's important and sometimes the word show or demonstrate might be used instead of model.
Teacher questions
Effective teachers also are skilled at using questions for a number of instructional purposes. Questions are a good way of interacting with a student to determine the exact nature or cause of a problem. They are an excellent way to determine what students already know so that the teacher can start instruction at the correct point. And, by allowing for what research calls wait-time, or wait-think-time, teachers can assist students in processing questions and constructing better responses.
Using higher order thinking skills.
Higher order thinking skills are based on the research of Benjamin Bloom. In general, the exam likes answers that describe instructional activities and lessons that require students to use higher level cognitive skills such as analyzing, exploring or evaluation, rather than lower level cognitive skills such as knowledge or comprehension. Instructional acivities that tap into higher order thinking skills are those that are most likely to result in the widest variety of student answers or responses. Remember, the more you expect students to do or think on their own, the more likely they are to use more complex cognitive skills.
Teacher as facilitator
Instead of being dispensers of information and simply telling students what they need to know, effective teachers facilitate and guide instruction while helping students become independent learners. On the TExES exam students are active participants in the learning process.
Child development: Early childhood
In the early childhood range of 3-5 years children are usually at a much earlier level of cognitive development and need instruction that is developmentally appropriate and that allows them to explore, discover, construct their own learning.
Child development: Middle school
At the middle school level students are going through transitions, physically, emotionally, psychologically, cognitively and socially. They need a supportive environment that will assist them with their growing need for self-management and search for identity and the increase in peer pressure.
Child development: High school
Students at the secondary level are beginning to move beyond an awareness of just their own world and those things that affect them personally to a growing awareness in the larger world and broader social issues. They begin to explore the concepts of fairness and justice and want to feel that they are valued by their teachers as individuals.
Active learning
The TExES exam likes answer choices that reflect direct, authentic and active learning. The exam understands that this helps students to make a better connection to learning and makes instruction more personal and direct. In general, answers that are close as possible to the real thing tend to be strong answers.
Classroom environment
In regard to classroom environment, arrangement and behavior management, one word to keep in mind is that of Community. The TExES exam believes that the classroom should be a place where everyone is accepted, included, successful and important and where everyone works together to help and support one another. Keep this concept in mind and it will help you to identify correct answers to questions related to this principle. Also, keep in mind that the test doesn't like mean, bossy and negative people. Answers that characterize those qualities are usually poor answer choices.
Classroom rules
Rules should always be consistent and impartially applied, students should be involved in the development of rules (which should always be positive and supportive of the community concept) and routines should be taught and practiced in order to make the classroom more efficient.
Assessment1
On the TExES exams assessment is a good thing because it provides feedback and information to both teacher and students. As teachers, assessment lets us know how well our students are learning, how well we are teaching, what kinds of problems our students may have that need our attention and what we need to do to help our students learn better.
Assessment2
Other important ideas to keep in mind in regard to the TExES exam's beliefs about assessment: Assessment should be aligned to the curriculum and used to measure students' progress toward achieving instructional objectives. Assessment should be multi-faceted and can and should take many different forms. The more information you can obtain about student learning, from as many sources as possible, the better. No type of assessment is necessarily bad, it just depends on what the teacher is trying to accomplish.
Assessment types
Formative assessment refers to assessment that is continuous and ongoing during the instructional process. It can take many forms, both formal and informal, and provides information to help the teacher guide or adjust instruction, if necessary. Summative assessment occurs at the end of instruction, typically the end of a lesson unit. It helps to demonstrate if the students mastered the intended objectives.
A diagnostic assessment helps a teacher to probe deeper to determine a more specific cause of a student's learning problem.
A norm-referenced test compares students to other students, such as an IQ test.
Authentic assessment is the "real" thing, such as a project or portfolio and is usually better at measuring a skill and determining if students can apply and use their knowledge.
Variety of instructional approaches
As teachers we tend to teach the way we learn best, with the way we feel comfortable or find the most convenient. We know, though, that students differ greatly in their learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses. The teacher in the TExES classroom understands that to meet the needs of a wide range of students s/he must use a variety of instructional approaches, activities, and methods. When we have students in our classroom who have a wide range of learning needs, abilities and interests the exam believes that the best way to address this is by using a wide variety of instructional approaches, methods, and activities. This will make it more likely that you will meet the needs of a wider range of students. Think "diverse needs and abilities" then "diverse or variety of instruction and approaches."
Inclusion
The TExES exam believes strongly in inclusion. Answers that reflect approaches and activities that include students in the classroom community and the instructional process, rather than resulting in exclusion are usually better answers. That's why, in general, the exam does not like the practice of ability grouping or putting students in groups based upon any single characteristic, such as gender, ability, ethnicity or language. In teaching students with disabilities the classroom teacher should modify, adapt, and accommodate materials, equipment, assignments and strategies to insure that these students are able to associate with and learn alongside their typical peers.
Diversity
Keep in mind that the TExES exam believes that diversity is a good thing. It should not be ignored or minimized in the classroom, but rather highlighted and celebrated. The exam believes that by working, learning and associating with students different from themselves the learning and instructional process is enhanced and enriched for all students. Remember, also, not to stereotype by assuming that just because a group of students have the same label or share one characteristic in common, such as language or ethnicity, that they are alike in everything.
Ability grouping
We know from research that ability grouping has a particularly bad effect on low achieving students. It results in lowering expectations for them as the teacher, in effect, is saying, "I don't believe you are capable of learning like the other students, so I'm putting you in a group with all the other students who can't learn." Research also tells us that ability grouping usually does not improve academic achievement. So, avoid answer choices that involve grouping students based on one characteristic such as ability or ethnicity.
Scaffolded instruction
Scaffolded instruction, much like its name implies, provides support and assistance to a student when a new skill is being learned. But, as the student masters the skill the scaffold, or support, is gradually reduced until the student is using the skill or performing the task on his or her own without assistance. Scaffolded instruction is a very common and effective instructional approach. It can assist with supporting students with diverse learning needs in the regular classroom and is also useful in teaching at-risk or low-achieving students.
Low achieving (at-risk) students
We can help these students be more successful by applying some of the principles we've already discussed when teaching them. Ability grouping says that we agree with them about their beliefs about their inability to be good students. Instead, we need to keep our expectations high for them by not lowering instructional goals or putting them in remedial groups or classes. Instead, break the learning down in smaller steps so that they can experience success as leaners. Provide support and assistance for them while at the same time pushing them to achieve. Provide lots of feedback so that they can see that they are making progress. And, remember to always give them assignments and learning tasks that are age-appropriate and meaningful.
Collaboration
Teachers in the TExES classroom understand that collaboration is very important and is more effective when all parties communicate and relate as equal partners to share information and combine efforts in order to solve problems and help all students to be successful. The emphasis should be on equality, mutual relationships, and sharing.
Remember, the TExES exam does not like mean, bossy and negative people. Try to avoid answer choices that reflect negative and bossy practices when collaborating and communicating with parents and other professionals. Think, teamwork, equality, sharing, mutual efforts and partnerships.
Legal and ethical standards and practices of teachers
Teaching is an awesome responsibility. As teachers accept a job, they accept responsibility for the well-being of the students in their classrooms. Teachers in the TExES classroom thoroughly understand the law and how it impacts what they do as professional educators, both in the classroom and outside the classroom. At the same time, educators are expected to abide by high standards of professional and ethical conduct. In Texas, the state has adopted an Educators' Code of Ethics that describes the rules for standard practices and ethical conduct toward students, professional colleagues, school officials and members of the community. Be familair with this code and look for answer choices that reflect it's principles.
Confidentiality
Student confidentiality is governed by both federal and state laws. The most familiar of these is the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act or FERPA. This law says that personally identifiable information about a student or the student's family can only be shared with individuals who have a legitimate educational interest. This means that only a professional who needs the information in order to provide appropriate educational services for the student, as part of the professional's job, should have access to the information.
IDEA
This is the federal law that governs the education and related services schools provide to students with disabilities. Two terms in particular with which you should be familiar is the Admission, Review and Dismissal, or ARD, process and the Individual Education Program or IEP. The ARD committee is responsible for developing a student's IEP and the ARD committee must be involved in any revisions to that IEP.
Professional Development
According to the TExES exam teachers are expected to be lifelong learners who engage in ongoing professional development to continue to grow and develop as effective teachers. The purpose of professional development is to assist teachers in becoming better teachers. In the TExES classroom teachers know how to use professional development activities appropriately so that their students receive the maximum benefit. Research tells us that teachers who engage in professional development activities and then immediately implement in their classroom what they learned in the PD activities are more likely to use the new knowledge and skills they have gained and to use them effectively.
Fair Use Guidelines
Many people assume that anything found on the Internet is OK to use anyway one wants to use it. This is not true. Fair use guidelines should always be followed when using such information. According to the U.S. Copyright Office there are four factiors to consider in determining if a particular use of copyrighted material is fair use:
•The purpose and character of the use, including whether the use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes
•The nature of the copyrighted work
•The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole
•The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work
Keep in mind the amount of the material used and whether or not the use is for strictly educational purposes.
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