Tool 1.1
Teaching Quality Standard Related to Permanent Certification
School Act Appendix, Alberta Education, 2003
Quality teaching occurs when the teacher’s ongoing analysis of the context and the
teacher’s decisions about which pedagogical knowledge and abilities to apply results
in optimum learning by students.
Descriptors of Teaching Quality Standard Related to Permanent Certification
The descriptors listed below are for teachers holding a permanent teaching certificate.
There is a different set of descriptors for teachers holding an interim teaching certificate.
Read each descriptor, reflect on your current teaching context, write down what you do
well and identify areas in which you believe you could improve.
a) Apply appropriate pedagogy based on contextual variables such as student age and
abilities, school resources, class size and composition, teaching experience, parent
involvement, inter-agency support etc.
b) Understand the legislated, moral and ethical frameworks such as the Education Act,
Teaching Profession Act, Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act, Ministerial Orders,
Guide to Education etc.
c) Understand the subject disciplines including relevant Programs of Study, emerging
and core concepts and methodologies, links among subject disciplines, differing
viewpoints, multiple perspectives etc.
© 2006 The Alberta Teachers’ Association, Revised 2014
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d) Use many approaches to teaching and learning taking into consideration
developmental characteristics, learning styles, differentiated instruction etc.
e) Engage in a range of planning activities both individually and collaboratively that
reflect the context in which teaching occurs, curriculum and cross objectives etc.
f) Create and maintain learning environments that are stimulating, safe and secure
using proactive strategies, establishing routines, modelling behavioural expectations etc.
g) Translate curriculum into meaningful learning activities by varying teaching
strategies, framing curriculum, communicating learning expectations and assessment
criteria, current pedagogy etc.
h) Apply a variety of technologies by keeping abreast of educational technologies and
providing opportunities for students to build their own technology capacity.
© 2006 The Alberta Teachers’ Association, Revised 2014
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i) Gather and use information about students’ learning using a variety of diagnostic
methods, assessment strategies etc.
j) Establish and maintain partnerships with colleagues, students, parents and the
community.
k) Demonstrate career-long learning by contributing individually and collectively to the
quality of the school and teaching profession through being a reflective practitioner,
assessing my own professional practice, and continually striving to improve, sharing
professional expertise to the benefit of others in schools, communities, and the teaching
profession, maintaining a commitment to teaching practices through which students can
achieve optimum learning etc.
© 2006 The Alberta Teachers’ Association, Revised 2014
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