Competency 4 - Engaging Instruction

Front 1

Understands the role of learning theory in the instructional process and uses instructional strategies and appropriate technologies to facilitate student learning (eg: connecting new information and ideas to prior knowledge, making learning meaningful and relevant to students).

Back 1

Incorporate student interest, real life situations, and authentic behavior.
Draw on prior experiences/ connect old information to new.

Front 2

Understands that young children think concretely and rely primarily on motor and sensory input and direct experience for development of skills and knowledge, and uses this understanding to plan effective, developmentally appropriate learning experiences and assessments.

Back 2

Provide developmentally apppropriate instruction.

Front 3

Understands that the middle-level years are a transitional stage in which students may exhibit characteristics of both older and younger children, and that these are critical years for developing important skills and attitudes (eg: working and getting along with others, appreciating diversity, making a commitment to continued schooling.

Back 3

Understand importance/ confusion of middle level years

Front 4

Recognizes how characteristics of students at different developmental levels (eg limited attention span and need for physical activity and movement for younger children; importance of peers, search for identity, questioning of values, and exploration of long-term career and life goals for older students) impact teaching and learning.

Back 4

Have students examine their values.

Front 5

Applies knowledge of the implications for learning and instruction of the range of thinking abilities forund amoung students in any one grade level and students' increasing ability over time to engage in abstract thinking and reasoning.

Back 5

Have students examine their values.

Front 6

Stimulates reflection, critical thinking, and inquiry among students (eg supports the concept of play as a valid vehicle for young children's learning; provides opportunities for young children to manipulate materials and to test ideas and hypotheses; engages students in structured, hands-on problem-solving activities that are challenging; encourages exploration and risk-taking; creates a learning community that promotes positive contributions, effective communication, and the respectful exchange of ideas.

Back 6

uses student reflection as a learning strategy.
Foster learning through play.

Front 7

Enhances learning for students by providing age-appropriate instrucitno that encourages the use and refinement of higher-order thinking skills (eg: prompting students to explore ideas from idverse perspectives; structuring active learning experiences involving cooperative learning, problem solving, open-ednded questioning, and inquiry; promoting students' development of research skills.

Back 7

Engage students in higher-order thinking.
Use metacognitive prompts: thinking about thinking

Front 8

Teaches, models, and monitors organizational and time-management skills at an age-appropriate level (eg: establishing regular places for classroom toys and materials for young students, keeping related materials together, using organiational tools, using effective strategies for locating information, and organizing information systematically.

Back 8

Model by showing correct behaviors.

Front 9

Teaches, models, and monitors age-appropriate study skills (eg: using graphic organizers, outlining, note-taking, summarizing, test-taking), and structures research projects appropriately (eg: teaches students the steps in research, establishes checkpoints during research projects, helps students use time-management tools.

Back 9

Understand effectiveness of prictures/drawings as graphic organizers.

Front 10

Analyzes ways in which teacher behaviours (eg: teacher expectations, student grouping practices, teacher-student interactions) impact student learning, and plans instruction and assessment that minimize the effects of negative factors and enhance all students' learning

Back 10

Provide flexible grouping for students' self-esteem/ competence.

Front 11

Analyzes ways in which factors in the home and community (eg: parent expectations, availability of community resources, community problems) impact student learning, and plans instruction and assessment with awareness of social and cultural factors to enhance all students' learning.

Back 11

Understands that students from lower SES homes may perform at a lower level than upper SES students.

Front 12

Understands the importance of self-directed learning and plans instruction and assessment that promote students' motivation and their sense of ownership of and responsibility for their own learning.

Back 12

Promote self-motiviation; instrinsic/extrinsic motiviation.

Front 13

Analyzes ways in which various teacher roles (eg: facilitator, lecturer) and student roles (eg: active learner, observer, group participant) impact student learning.

Back 13

Know teacher roles: instructor, facilitator, problem solver, resource person, curriculum developer, respresentative of the school.
Teacher as a facilitator provides structure and answers questions as needed.

Front 14

Incorporates students' different approaches to learning (eg: auditory, visual, tactile, kinesthetic) into instructional practices.

Back 14

Promote student ownership and responsibility for learning.
Promote self-monitoring and reflection. Allow student choice/ control when possible.