Principles and Methods of Teaching (Secondary) – EDSC 547
Instructor: Dr. Todd Cherner
Class Meetings: Tuesdays/Thursdays: 12:15-1:30 (Kearns Hall, Room 110)
Office Location: Spadoni College of Education, Prince Hall, Office 119B
Contacts: Email: tcherner@coastal.edu & Phone: ext. 3415 ~ Email is my preferred method of communication
Office Hours: Monday (1-3 pm) & Friday (1-5 pm)
Intended Audience: MAT English Candidates
Prerequisite(s): Admission to program and successful completion of summer course work
Spadoni College of Education Mission Statement: The Mission of the William L. Spadoni College of
Education at Coastal Carolina University is both to embrace the teacher-scholar model in preparing students
to be productive, responsible, reflective practitioners and leaders for professional careers in education; and
to embrace a leadership role through collaboration, service, and faculty research with P-12 schools,
institutions of higher education, community agencies, and professional associations.
EDSC 547 Catalog Course Description: A study of methods, techniques and materials appropriate to
teaching English. A clinical experience in public schools is included.
Conceptual Framework: The conceptual framework of all teacher
preparation programs in the Spadoni College of Education is The
Teacher as Reflective Practitioner. Through this framework, programs
are directed toward the development of knowledge, skills,
professional behaviors, and dispositions which will insure that all
candidates are highly qualified and meet all university, state, and
national expectations of pre and in-service teachers at the
completion of their respective programs of study. Intertwined in
our professional unit are the INTASC Principals, NCATE
standards, the state-mandated ADEPT framework, NBPTS
Principals (MED programs only) and nine of the Specialized
Professional Associations standards.
Course Text: Milner, J. O., Milner, L. M., & Mitchell, J. F. (2012). Bridging English (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Additional reading materials for this class will be posted to our class website or put on reserve in the
library. Also, students are required to engage in literature circles as part of this class. Our literature
circles require students to read young adult novels. Students will be responsible for obtaining the
novels their literature circle decides to read. Students are encouraged to check CCU’s library and
local libraries for copies of the novel in lieu of having to purchase them.
1 Course Objectives: This courses addresses:
1. M.A.T. candidates’ ability to plan a cohesive instructional unit that measures student knowledge before
and growth after the unit (Instructional Design Portfolio).
2. M.A.T. candidates will synthesize theories, concepts, and ideas in relation to their understanding of what
it means to be a high school English language arts teacher (Teaching Philosophy).
Student Learning Outcomes: By the end of this course, students will:
1. M.A.T. candidates will design a 10-day instructional unit aligned to a fulcrum text listed in Appendix B of
the Common Core State Standards (Instructional Design Portfolio).
2. M.A.T. candidates will create a pre/post-assessment aligned to a specific strand of the Common Core
State Standards that will be a focus of the instructional unit and explain how they will evaluate student
knowledge using their assessments (Instructional Design Portfolio).
3. M.A.T. candidates will articulate their beliefs about building their students’ capacities to read, think, listen,
view, write, and speak (Teaching Philosophy).
4. M.A.T. candidates will explain how they plan to address diversity and multiculturalism in their classrooms
(Teaching Philosophy).
5. M.A.T. candidates will describe their conceptualization about what it means to be an ethical teacher
(Teaching Philosophy).
6. M.A.T. candidates will draw on educational research to identify a theorist whose work they found to be
the most influential on them and explain how they embody that theorist’s ideas in their teaching
(Teaching Philosophy).
7. M.A.T. candidates will detail their conceptualization of being a reflective practitioner in writing and then
apply that idea to school leadership, collegial collaboration, meaningful professional engagement, and
community partnerships (Teaching Philosophy).
"The future of the world is in my classroom today, a future with
the potential for good or bad... Several future presidents are
learning from me today; so are the great writers of the next
decades, and so are all the so-called ordinary people who will
make the decisions in a democracy. I must never forget these
same young people could be the thieves and murderers of the
future. Only a teacher? Thank God I have a calling to the
greatest profession of all! I must be vigilant every day, lest I lose
one fragile opportunity to improve tomorrow."
~ Ivan Welton Fitzwater (Educator)
2 Course Policies
Attendance/Administrative Policy: Learning is a social process and this course is designed to
support collaboration. Therefore, it is critical for you to attend class and become a member of our
community of learners, which means taking responsibility for your own growth and the growth of
others. The attendance policy for this class is in accordance with the M.A.T. program, which is:
A M.A.T. candidate cannot have absences (for any reason) that exceed three class hours for summer semester courses
and five class hours for fall semester courses. If a candidate exceeds these requirements, he or she must submit
documentation to the M.A.T. Curriculum Committee. After reviewing a candidate’s information, the M.A.T.
Curriculum Committee may require the candidate to make-up assignments and class time or require the completion of
additional assignments. The M.A.T. Curriculum Committee can also recommend that a candidate be withdrawn from
the program for failing to meet the academic and/or professional disposition requirements. The M.A.T. Curriculum
Committee’s recommendation will be submitted to and reviewed by the Dean of the Spadoni College of Education.
Class Web-Site: We will be using the ________________ as our electronic meeting space this
semester. To access this site, you must _____________________ and the access code is _______.
Late Work: Because your classmates and I will be depending on them, all assignments must be
submitted on time. Reading reflections and class presentations will receive a zero if they are late,
and other assignments will be penalized 10% of the assignment’s worth for each day it is late.
Please talk to me if you have an emergency situation.
Cell Phones and Laptops: Please respect your instructor and classmates enough to give them your
full attention. Silence cell phones and text messaging devices. The use of laptops and tablets during
class is strongly encouraged as long as they are used for academic purposes. Please refrain from
surfing the web or checking non-class related messages.
Respect: This class relies heavily on class discussion and group interaction. While you are
permitted and, in fact, encouraged to disagree with one another and your instructor during these
discussions, you must do so in a way that demonstrates respect and a willingness to hear differing
opinions.
Plagiarism: Pearson (2011) defines plagiarism as "Simply put, plagiarism is using someone
else's words and ideas in a paper and acting as though they were your own. This definition
includes copying someone else's ideas, graphs, pictures, or anything that you borrow without giving
credit to the originator of the words and ideas. It definitely includes anything you download from an
Internet site or copy out of a book, a newspaper, or a magazine. It also includes stealing the ideas of
another person without giving her or him proper credit"
(http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_understand_plagiarism_1/6/1668/427065.cw/). Plagiarizing is an
unethical practice and I will deal harshly with plagiarism or any work submitted as your own, or
original, which is not yours or original to this class. If you are not sure if your work contains
plagiarism, ask.
LiveText Policy: The Spadoni College of Education adopted LiveText as a candidate assessment
management tool in all programs (undergraduate and graduate) in 2006. Each program has identified
required key assessments at the course level which are entered by the student into LiveText.
The Spadoni College of Education requires all degree seeking and/or licensure-only seeking students
have a LiveText account. The purchase of LiveText is handled differently within each program and
course. Details regarding the purchase of LiveText can be found at
http://www.coastal.edu/education/livetext.html.
3 Please note: Failure to submit a required assignment or assessment into LiveText may result in
delayed processing of your final course grade (i.e, Incomplete) until this requirement is met.
Honor Code: Please review Coastal Carolina University’s Academic Integrity Pledge that all
students signed when first enrolling. It can be found at http://www.coastal.edu/aic/.
Format: All typed worked must be double-spaced and use a size 12 font. Students may choose any
font they wish to use as long as it is professional.
Miscellaneous, but still important:
1. If you have a disability or feel you need special accommodations, contact the Office of
Accessibility and Disability Services at (843) 349-2341. Please schedule a disability
accommodations conference with your instructor within the first two weeks of class.
2. Because technology is increasingly becoming part of PreK-12 education, this course places
high demands on students’ digital literacy abilities. If students have any questions regarding
technology, it is their responsibility to contact the instructor for a conference.
Note: This syllabus may be modified as deemed necessary by the instructor.
Weekly Class Schedule
I.
Introduction
II.
Text-Based Mini-Lesson
III.
Topic of the Week I
IV.
Activity
V.
Topic of the Week II
VI.
Activity
VII. Literature Circle
VIII. Conclusion
~After Hours Grammar Instruction~
4 Fall 2014 Class Schedule
Labor Day Holiday
Monday
September 1st
Thanksgiving Holiday
Monday-Friday
November 24th-28th
Exams Begin
Friday
December 5th
Week Date
Topics
Reading Assignments & Due Dates
1
8/19 &
• Introduction / Course Overview
8/21
• Where we are “now” in Education, the Common
Core State Standards and what they mean to you
• What Does It Mean to Teach English?
• Being Critical & Defining Reflection
• GRAMMAR (T): Parts of Speech – Nouns &
Pronouns
• GRAMMAR (R): Parts of Speech – Verbs
2
8/26 &
• Educational Research... What to Do With It?
• Parker Palmer’s The Heart of a Teacher
8/28
• Educational Resources Online… Where are they?
http://www.wou.edu/~girodm/library/palmer.pdf • Teacher Identity
• Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
8/24
• Bloom/Webb, Vygotsky, Piaget, & Daggett
• Contextual Understanding of a High School Due (R)
• Generating Questions
• GRAMMAR (T): Parts of Speech – Adjectives
• GRAMMAR (R): Parts of Speech - Conjunctions
3
9/2 &
• Unit & Lesson Planning I (Parts of a Lesson)
• Bridging English – Chapter 2 “Designing Instruction”
9/4
• Flow & the Mini-Lesson
• Bridging English – Chapter 14 “Planning Lessons”
• Rigor & Relevancy / Essential Questions
• Critique It! – Hunter Lesson Plan Model:
http://www2.econ.iastate.edu/classes/tsc220/hallam/MadelineHunterModel.pdf
• Does what you teach matter?
•
Literature Circle: 1st 1/3 of Book One (R)
• GRAMMAR (T): Adverbs
•
Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
• GRAMMAR (R): Prepositions & Interjections
8/31
• Unit Plan Calendar Due (R)
4
9/9 &
• Types of Teaching: Transactional and Inquiry
• Bridging English – Chapter 1 “Envisioning English”
9/11
• Assessment Overview (Formative & Summative)
• Bridging English – Chapter 3 “Centering on Language”
• Analyzing the Common Core State Standards
• Text-Based Mini-Lesson Presentations Begin (T)
• Graphic Organizers as Formative Assessment
• Literature Circle: 2nd 1/3 of Book One (R)
• Technology in the Classroom
• Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
9/7
• GRAMMAR (T): Parts of a Sentence (Subject &
Predicate) & Introduction to Sentence Patterns
• GRAMMAR (R): A “Stump the Chump” Review
5
9/16 &
• Literacy: Reading & Writing’s Marriage
• Bridging English – Chapter 7 “Unlocking Texts”
9/18
• The Reading & Writing Processes
• Bring in a novel you would like to teach (T)
• Types of Texts in ELA and the CCSS
• Literature Circle: 3rd 1/3 of Book One (R)
• The Great Canonical Debate
• Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
9/21
• Selecting/Assessing Texts for Instruction
•
Post a 200-word reflection about your practicum experience by
• GRAMMAR (T): Defining/Types of
midnight on 9/21
Prepositional and Appositive Phrases
•
Pre/Post Assessment Due (R)
• GRAMMAR (R): Defining/Types of Verbal and
Gerund Phrases
6
9/23 &
• Methods for Reading Texts in the ELA Classroom • Bridging English – Chapter 5 “Responding to Literature”
9/25
• Teaching Fiction & Plays
• Bridging English – Chapter 8 “Engaging Drama”
• GRAMMAR (T): Defining/Types of Participial & • Bring in a short story or play you would like to teach (T)
Infinitive Phrases
• Literature Circle: 1st 1/3 of Book Two (R)
• GRAMMAR (R): A “Stump the Chump” Review
• Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
9/28
7
9/30 &
10/2
•
•
•
•
Teaching Nonfiction & Expository Texts
Close Reads
Teaching Vocabulary
GRAMMAR (T): Direct Objects
• Bridging English – Chapter 9 “Assaying Nonfiction”
• Bring in an article (news, entertainment/sports, etc.) you would like
to teach (M)
• Literature Circle: 2nd 1/3 of Book Two (R)
5 • GRAMMAR (R): Indirect Objects
8
10/7 &
10/9
• Teaching Poetry & Songs/Music
• The Writing Workshop
• GRAMMAR (T): Independent & Dependent
Clauses
• GRAMMAR (R): Simple Clauses
9
10/14 &
10/16
•
•
•
•
•
10
10/21 &
10/23
10/28 &
10/30
11
12
13
14
15
16
11/4 &
11/6
11/11 &
11/13
11/18 &
11/20
11/25 &
11/27
12/2
• Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
10/5
• Lesson Plan I Due (R)
• Bridging English – Chapter 6 “Celebrating Poetry”
• Bridging English – Chapter 11 “Inspiring Writing”
• Bring in a sing (both audio and lyrics) that you want to teach (T)
• Literature Circle: 3rd 1/3 of Book Two (R)
• Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
10/12
• Lesson Plan II Due (R)
• Bridging English – Chapter 12 “Enabling Writing”
• Bring in a draft of your first lesson plan to workshop (T)
• Literature Circle: 1st 1/3 of Book Three (R)
• Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
10/19
• Lesson Plan III Due (R)
Teaching Expository & Persuasive Writing
Teaching Writing for Research Projects
Teaching Narrative & Poetic Writing
GRAMMAR (T): Compound Clauses
GRAMMAR (R): Compound-Complex Clauses
No Class - Fall Practicum I
• Lesson Planning II
• Differentiated Instruction & Grouping Students
• GRAMMAR (T): Types of Sentence Structures
Day I
• GRAMMAR (R): Types of Sentence Structures
Day II
• Classroom Instruction that Works
• Overview of Ed History in America & Note
Taking Skills
• What to look for during your practicum
• GRAMMAR (T): Good vs. Well & Since vs.
Because
• GRAMMAR (R): Parallelism
• Bridging English – Chapter 13 “Evaluating Learning”
• Literature Circle: 2nd 1/3 of Book Three (R)
• Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
10/26
• Lesson Plan IV Due (R)
•
Classroom Instruction that Works located on Google Books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=c25kDO0adxwC&printsec=frontcover&dq=cl
assroom+instruction+that+works&hl=en&sa=X&ei=hVwNUu6LEsfe4AOGm4G
ADg&ved=0CEMQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=classroom%20instruction%20that%
20works&f=false
• Literature Circle: 3rd 1/3 of Book Three (R)
• Post a reflection in response to this week’s reading by midnight on
11/2
• Lesson Plan V Due (R)
No Class - Fall Practicum II
No Class - Fall Practicum II
• Instructional Portfolio Commentary Due (R)
A Turkey sat on the backyard fence
and he sang a sad, sad tune.
Thanksgiving Day is coming
Gobble, gobble, gobble, gobble
and I know I'll be eaten soooon,
• Thanksgiving Break / No Class
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Technology-Based Projects
Analyzing ADEPT & Teacher Evaluations
Reflections on Fall Practicum
Teaching Media and Online Citizenship
Professionalism & Resumes
School Culture & Tips for a Successful Internship
GRAMMAR (T): Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble
I don’t like Thanksgiving Day-ay-ay
Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble, Gobble
I think I’ll run away-ay-ay.
• Bridging English – Chapter 10 “Making Media Matter”
• Critique ADEPT: http://ed.sc.gov/agency/programsservices/50/adeptoverview.cfm
• Post a 200-word reflection about your practicum II experience by
midnight on 11/30
• NO POST ON ADEPT, BUT PREPEARED TO DISCUSS IT
• Final Exam Due must be submitted between 12/2-12/5
Class Assignments
Weekly Reading Reflection (120 points = 12 @ 10 points each)
Students will compose a 150-word reflection that critiques or expounds on weekly reading
assignments. Students are encouraged to be critical and reflective in their responses while remaining
focused on the text. Each reflection must be posted to the correct discussion board on the class
website by midnight on the Sunday of the assigned readings. For instance, the posting for Week
6 Two’s reading must be posted by midnight, Sunday the 24th. This activity will allow you to share
your thoughts and respond to your peers in a collaborative environment. This post is a
completion grade and tardy posts will not be read or scored.
Weekly Literature Circle (120 points = 12 @ 10 points each)
Starting the third week of class, we will reserve the last 15-minutes of our Wednesday class meeting
for literature circles. The specific procedures for our literature circles will be explained during the
first of week of class. However, students will be graded by participation, which means students must
have completed their weekly reading, fulfilled their literature circle role, actively engaged their fellow
literature circle mates, and completed any additional assessments/organizers. The list of books for
the first three literature circles is below. Students are responsible for obtaining a copy of these books
and bringing that copy to class (electronic copies are permitted).
Book One – The Traditional Young Adult
Plot
Notes from the Midnight Driver by Jordan
Sonnenblick
It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
After by Amy Efaw
Speak by Laurie Halls Anderson
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Peak by Roland Smith
Book Two – First Books of Young Adult
Series
Chaos Walking Series, Book I by Patrick
Ness
The Hunger Games, Book I by Suzanne
Collins
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D.
Taylor
The Bully by Paul Langan
Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer
7 Book Three – Alternative Young Adult
Story Structures
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Maus I and II by Art Spiegelman
The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Crank by Ellen Hopkins
The Two Wes Moores by Wes Moore
Tears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper
I Beat the Odds by Michael Oher with Don
Yeager
Text-Based Mini-Lesson (100 points)
Essentially, this assignment is a think-aloud about how you would teach a text. Starting the third
week, students will present a mini-lesson about how they would teach a text. The mini-lesson should
open with an objective for teaching a text and an explanation of how the text would be introduced
to a class (discuss a pre-reading strategy for activating or building student schema about the text).
Next, the mini-lesson should address how students would engage the text during class (discuss how
the text will be read and what students will do while reading the text). The mini-lesson should then
transition to a post-reading activity, which our class will actually do. If there are key concepts you want
students to know or specific questions you want students to answer, please discuss those aspects of
the text at this point of the presentation. The mini-lesson should conclude with an explanation of
how, at least, four or more Common Core Standards were taught and provide three sources where
your classmates can find additional information about the teaching methods presented. Please note,
to complete this assignment, students must:
• Email out a link of where an electronic copy of the text can be found or provide all class
members a copy of the text that does not break any copyright laws. The email or copies must
be sent out/given to classmates a week before the presentation date. NO EXCPETIONS.
• Once a strategy is used in a presentation, that strategy may not be used again by another student.
However, a variation/modification of the strategy can be used. If you have questions about if a
strategy you want to use has already been part of another presentation, please ask me.
• You must provide all students in our class with a handout that accompanies your presentation the
day of your presentation (no electronic copies). The handout can be as creative as you like;
however, on one side it must include the name of the text, all reading strategies (pre, concurrent,
post) you used, an overview of your assessment (75 words), and three APA citations for where
your classmates can find additional information about the teaching methods presented. Please do
not use multiple bulleted list or blocks of text on this handout. Make it engaging. On the other
side, you need to include a mini-lesson lesson plan (please ensure that all this information is on
the front-and-back of one piece of paper). Please use the provided template.
Please keep in mind, the overarching concept behind this assignment is for you and your classmates
to begin filling their toolboxes full of texts and teaching strategies they can use during their
internship and into their teaching careers. As such, please ensure that what you are teaching us is
meaningful and worthwhile for us to learn and engage, not just something you like. 8 Text-Based Mini-Lesson Template
Unit Title
Lesson Plan Title
& Title of Text
Lesson Objective
Common Core
Standards
Materials
Pre-Reading
Strategy
Concurrent
Reading Strategy
Post-Reading
Strategy
Assessment
• What is the title of the unit?
• What is the title of the lesson?
• What is the title of the text?
• What is the objective of this lesson?
(SWBAT + Bloom’s Verb + “by” statement)
• What Common Core Standards will this lesson cover?
• What materials will be needed for students to complete this lesson?
• What will students do to activate their schema or build background
knowledge?
• How will students read the text?
• What will students do while they read the text?
• What will students do after reading the text?
• How will you know students learned something after completing this
lesson?
• How will students know they learned something after completing this
lesson?
Text-Based Mini-Lesson Criterion Checklist
Category
PreReading
During
Reading
PostReading
Activity
Assessment
Points Possible
__ / 20
__ / 20
__ / 20
__ / 20
Essentials
__ / 20
MustHaves
If missing,
students will not
be allowed to
present.
Descriptors
• The objective(s) for teaching this class are clear and rigorous & relevant.
• How does this activity build or activate student schema?
• There is a clear plan for how students are to engage the text.
• Expectations for what students are to be doing while engaging the text are explained.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Activity is rigorous & relevant and engaging
Instructions are clear
Teacher actively monitors students
Teacher anticipates future challenges with activity
A clear plan of how to evaluate student learning is presented
The assessment allows for students to gauge their own learning
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Teacher expressed enthusiasm for lesson
Teacher was professional throughout presentation (words, actions, appearance, etc.)
Teacher was prepared
Explanation of which Common Core Standards were covered
Text was provided a week in advance to students
A handout & lesson plan was provided to all students on one piece of paper
Three recommendations for additional information about the strategies used for teaching the
text (Bibliography)
Comments:
Total: ___ / 100
9 The Instructional Design Portfolio
The Instructional Design Portfolio consists of multiple interconnected assignments. The
assignments are designed for candidates to go through the process of planning an instructional unit,
and candidates add content to their portfolio over the course of the semester. The candidates’
portfolios must be aligned to an essential question (e.g. What makes a parent’s love for his/her child a
timeless universal theme that spans across cultures and literary genres?), and that essential question must serve
as the basis for all of the portfolio’s contents, which include:
Ø A contextual description of a local high school;
Ø A 10-day unit plan calendar;
Ø A pre/post assessment design;
Ø Five lesson plans (Candidates should plan how reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing,
and critical thinking are part of multiple lesson plans);
Ø Commentary about how the portfolio develops high school English students’ skills for
engaging and using: (a) content-specific language, (b) grammar and composition skills, (c)
tier two and three vocabulary words, and (d) reading strategies for narrative, informational,
digital, and multimedia texts;
Ø Commentary about how students must engage the portfolio’s content through: (a) reading,
(b) writing, (c) speaking, (d) listening, (e) viewing, and (f) critical thinking.
10 Contextual Understanding of a High School (48 points)
Candidates are to identify a high school in Horry County or Georgetown County that interests them
and research it. They are to respond to the prompts in this rubric while staying in the allotted word
count.
Contextual Understanding Rubric
Rubric
Indicators
School
Population
Analysis
(150-200 words)
Not Acceptable (2 points)
Acceptable (6 points)
Exemplary (8 points)
The candidate does not
offer deep consideration
pertaining to the school
population
The candidate identifies
how many students are in
each grade level and the
entire school. The
candidate offers an
explanation for their
findings.
School
Demographics
(150-200 words)
The candidate does not
offer deep consideration
pertaining to the
demographic information of
students and/or teachers.
History of the
School
(250-300 words)
The candidate does not
provide information
pertaining to the history of
the school.
SchoolCommunity
Relationship
(250-300 words)
The candidate does not
provide information
regarding the relationship
between the school and its
community.
Testing
Performance
(200-350 words)
The candidate does not
provide an analysis of
student test performance.
Writing
The candidate’s writing does
not meet the expectations.
The candidate offers
specific demographic
information about
teachers (e.g. race,
advanced degrees,
experience, teachers per
academic tier, etc.) OR
students (race, SES,
achievement).
The candidate offers an
overview of the school’s
history that touches on
the school’s founding,
significant events in the
school’s history, and/or
notable alumni.
The candidates describes
the school’s community
including its
demographics, interaction
between the school and
community, OR outreach
opportunities between the
school and community.
The candidate traces the
history of the student test
performance in
Reading/Writing
spanning the last 5 years
provides an explanation
for the scores.
The candidate’s writing is
within 20 words of the
allotted word count,
contains 3-5 or fewer
grammatical mistakes,
and/or is professional
written.
The candidate identifies
how many students are in
each tier of academics (IB,
AP, CP, etc.), grade level,
and entire school. The
candidate offers an
explanation for their
findings.
The candidate offers
specific demographic
information about teachers
(e.g. race, advanced
degrees, experience,
teachers per academic tier,
etc.) AND students (race,
SES, achievement).
Total __ / 48
Feedback:
11 The candidate offers a
meaningful history of the
school that discusses the
school’s founding,
significant events in the
school’s history, and
notable alumni.
The candidates describes
the school’s community
including its demographics,
interaction between the
school and community,
AND outreach
opportunities between the
school and community.
The candidate analyzes the
history of the student test
performance in
Reading/Writing spanning
the last 10 years and
provides a detailed
explanation for the scores.
The candidate’s writing is
within 10 words of the
allotted word count,
contains two or fewer
grammatical mistakes, and
is professionally written.
Unit Plan Layout (48 points)
Design a two-week unit plan. Using the attached calendar template, candidates are to go through the
stages of planning a complete unit. Candidates will decide the progression of how they are going to
introduce students to a new unit of learning, build their knowledge-base, identify key topics for
instruction, and formally assess them. Each day must have a clear objective(s), list of content/topics
to be covered, and an accompanying assessment.
Unit Plan Calendar
Essential Question:
Day I
Day II
Objective:
Objective:
Day III
Objective:
Day IV
Objective:
Day V
Objective:
Content:
Content:
Content:
Content:
Content:
Formative
Assessment:
Formative
Assessment:
Formative
Assessment:
Formative
Assessment:
Formative
Assessment:
Day VI
Objective:
Day VII
Objective:
Day VIII
Objective:
Day IX
Objective:
Day X
Objective:
Content:
Content:
Content:
Content:
Content:
Formative
Assessment:
Formative
Assessment:
Formative
Assessment:
Formative
Assessment:
Summative
Assessment:
Unit Plan Rubric
Rubric
Indicators
Essential
Question
Not Acceptable (4 points)
Acceptable (9 points)
Exemplary (12 points)
A low-quality essential is
provided
A high-quality essential
that is rigorous and
relevant is stated
Objective
Fewer than seven lessons
have a complete objective
aligned to the EQ
An essential question that
is has direct implications
for a “right” or “wrong”
answer is provided
Only 7-9 days have a
complete objective
aligned to the EQ
Content
Fewer than seven lessons
have a complete objective
Assessment
Fewer than seven lessons
have a described assessment
Total __ / 48
Feedback:
A bulleted list of content
that aligns with each
objective and includes all
the materials needed for
the lesson is included 7-9
days
Three sentences
describing an assessment
(formative or summative)
aligned to the objective is
included for 7-9 lesson
12 Each day has a complete
objective (SWBAT +
DoK + “by” statement)
aligned to the EQ
A bulleted list of content
that aligns with each
objective and includes all
the materials needed for
the lesson is included for
each day
Three sentences
describing an assessment
(formative or summative)
aligned to the objective is
included for each lesson
Pre/Post Assessment (48 points)
Candidates are to create a pre/post assessment tool that aligns with their unit. The pre-assessment
should evaluate students’ pre-existing knowledge about the essential question before teaching the
unit. The post-assessment should describe how students will answer the essential question.
Rubric
Indicators
Pre-Assessment
Commentary
Copy of the
Pre-Assessment
PostAssessment
Commentary
Copy of the
PostAssessment
Total __ / 48
Not Acceptable (4 points)
Acceptable (9 points)
Exemplary (12 points)
The candidate provides a
rudimentary explanation
explaining the alignment
between the pre-assessment,
essential question, and
content
The candidate’s preassessment and preassessment commentary are
not aligned
The candidate provides a
limited explanation
regarding how the preassessment aligns with the
essential question and
content
The candidate provides a
copy of the preassessment, but it is
loosely aligned to the preassessment commentary
The candidate provides a
limited explanation
regarding how the postassessment requires
students to answer the
essential question
The candidate provides a
copy of the postassessment, but it is
loosely aligned to the
post-assessment
commentary
The candidate provides a
detailed explanation
regarding how the preassessment aligns with the
essential question and
content
The candidate provides a
copy of the preassessment as described by
the pre-assessment
commentary
The candidate provides a
detailed explanation
regarding how the postassessment requires
students to answer the
essential question
The candidate provides a
copy of the postassessment as described by
the post-assessment
commentary
The candidate provides a
rudimentary explanation
explaining the alignment
between the postassessment, essential
question, and content
The candidate’s postassessment and postassessment commentary are
not aligned
Feedback:
13 Prepare a Lesson Plan (5 @ 48 points each = 240)
Candidates are to go through the process of planning a lesson using the M.A.T. lesson plan
template. When creating their lesson plans, candidates are to consider how reading, writing,
speaking, listening, viewing, and critical thinking are part of each lesson.
Lesson Plan Template
Subject Area &
Grade Level
Unit Title
•
What grade level and subject area does this lesson address?
•
What unit does this lesson fall under?
Essential
Question(s)
Lesson Title &
Instructional
Objective
Assessment
Materials &
Media
Standards
•
What overarching question(s) will students be exploring in this lesson?
•
•
What is the name of this lesson?
State the lesson’s instructional objective
•
•
•
•
Instructional
Procedures
•
•
What assessment(s) will evidence students met this lesson’s objective?
What are the materials needed for this lesson and how will they be used?
Include blank copies of all materials
List the national and state content standards, subject area, and/or Common Core
Standards this lesson addresses
Write out the “recipe” of your lesson
Remember to include:
- Questions you plan to ask
- Steps for activities
- Descriptions of what you and students will be doing during the lesson
Grading
•
Describe the methods used to establish and distinguish a student’s grade including
rubrics, assignments, discussion, anecdotal notes, etc. (Remember to include all copies
of assessment instruments)
Reflection
(or Predictions)
•
•
•
•
Identify the strengths and weaknesses of the lesson?
What were the students’ reactions to the lesson?
Did the environment affect the lesson?
Any other thoughts, concerns, critiques, or comments about the lesson?
Lesson Plan Rubric
Rubric
Indicators
Alignment of
Lesson
Identifiers
Not Acceptable (4 points)
Acceptable (9 points)
Exemplary (12 points)
The subject area, grade level,
unit title, essential question,
lesson title, instructional
objective, materials, and
standards are loosely aligned
Assessment
An assessment aligned to
the objective is
underdeveloped OR the
The subject area, grade
level, unit title, essential
question, lesson title,
instructional objective,
materials, and standards
are mostly aligned
An assessment aligned to
the objective is provided
and a copy of the
The subject area, grade
level, unit title, essential
question, lesson title,
instructional objective,
materials, and standards
are tightly aligned
An assessment aligned to
the objective is welldescribed and a copy of
14 Instructional
Procedures
Grading
Total __ / 48
copy of the assessment is
not included
Underdeveloped directions
are provided and a
“substitute” may struggle
teaching this lesson
An underdeveloped rubric
or checklist is provided to
distinguish grade intervals or
total points
assessment is included
the assessment is included
Directions for leading this
lesson are offered, so a
“substitute” could teach it
Well-described directions
for leading this lesson are
offered, so a “substitute”
could teach it
A detailed rubric or
checklist is provided to
distinguish grade intervals
or total points
A rubric or checklist is
provided to distinguish
grade intervals or total
points
Feedback:
Instructional Portfolio Commentary (48 points)
Commentary about how the portfolio develops high school English students’ skills for engaging and
using: (a) content-specific language, (b) grammar and composition skills, (c) tier two and three
vocabulary words, and (d) reading strategies for narrative, informational, digital, and multimedia
texts;
Commentary about how students must engage the portfolio’s content through: (a) reading, (b)
writing, (c) speaking, (d) listening, (e) viewing, and (f) critical thinking.
Rubric
Indicators
ELA Skills
(300-500 words)
Portfolio
Engagement
(300-500 words)
Writing
Total __ / 48
Not Acceptable (8 points)
Acceptable (12 points)
Exemplary (16 points)
The candidate provides
underdeveloped
commentary regarding how
the instructional portfolio
teaches (a) content-specific
language, (b) grammar and
composition skills, (c) tier
two and three vocabulary
words, and (d) reading
strategies for narrative,
informational, digital, and
multimedia texts
The candidate provides
commentary regarding
how the instructional
portfolio teaches (a)
content-specific language,
(b) grammar and
composition skills, (c) tier
two and three vocabulary
words, and (d) reading
strategies for narrative,
informational, digital, and
multimedia texts
The candidate provides
underdeveloped
commentary regarding how
students use reading,
writing, speaking, listening,
viewing, and critical thinking
skills to engage the
instructional unit.
The candidate’s writing does
not meet the expectations.
The candidate provides
commentary regarding
how students use reading,
writing, speaking,
listening, viewing, and
critical thinking skills to
engage the instructional
unit.
The candidate’s writing is
within 20 words of the
allotted word count,
contains 3-5 or fewer
grammatical mistakes,
and/or is professional
written.
The candidate provides
meaningful commentary
regarding how the
instructional portfolio
teaches (a) contentspecific language, (b)
grammar and composition
skills, (c) tier two and
three vocabulary words,
and (d) reading strategies
for narrative,
informational, digital, and
multimedia texts
The candidate provides
meaningful commentary
regarding how students
use reading, writing,
speaking, listening,
viewing, and critical
thinking skills to engage
the instructional unit.
The candidate’s writing is
within 10 words of the
allotted word count,
contains two or fewer
grammatical mistakes, and
is professional written.
Feedback:
15 English Language Arts Teaching Philosophy – Final Exam (150 points)
The teaching philosophy is designed to be a “living” belief statement about how candidates’
conceptualize what it means to be a high school English language arts teacher. The teaching
philosophy requires candidates to reflect back on their experiences as a high school student and
teacher candidate in order to articulate their understanding of what high school English language
arts teachers do and their purpose(s) for doing so. Candidates are to compose a 1,500-word essay
that addresses each of the following prompts:
1. As the world grows more diverse and multicultural, public school classrooms reflect this
trend. Moreover, we know that there are gaps in achievement when comparing different
PreK-12 student demographic groups. Explain how you are going to address diversity and
multiculturalism in your teaching practice and include any ideas related to social justice
beliefs as related to maintaining a diverse, inclusive, equitable society through your teaching
practice.
2. To be an effective English language arts teacher, employing ethical teaching practices in the
classroom is a non-negotiable. Explain what it means to be an ethical English language arts
teacher and how analyzing your performance and your students’ performance is part of
being an ethical teacher.
3. Over the course of your teacher preparation program, you have been introduced to multiple
educational theorists and research. Reflecting back on your beliefs about effective teaching,
identify which educational theorist(s) and research best aligns with your beliefs about
teaching and explain why. Additionally, explain how the theorist(s) and research contributes
to planning effective instruction related to your students’ race, ethnicity, gender expression,
age, appearance, ability, spiritual belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, community
environment, and language abilities.
4. Embodying the traits of a “reflective practitioner” is a hallmark of the Spadoni College of
Education. At this point in your teaching career, explain what it means to be a teacher who
is a reflective practitioners by first defining the term and then applying ideas to leadership,
collaboration, ongoing professional development, and community engagement to it.
16 Rubric
Indicators
Diversity &
Multiculturalism
Not Acceptable (10 points)
Acceptable (25 points)
Exemplary (30 points)
The candidate provides
limited, if any, information
regarding how they will
ensure they honor diversity
and multiculturalism as part
of their teaching practice.
Ethical
Teaching in
ELA
The candidate provides an
underdeveloped explanation
of what it means to be an
ethical ELA teacher and how
monitoring performance,
both his/her and student
performance, is part of being
an ethical teacher.
The candidate provides
information regarding
how they will ensure
they honor diversity and
multiculturalism as part
of their teaching
practice.
The candidate provides
an explanation of what it
means to be an ethical
ELA teacher and how
monitoring performance,
both his/her and student
performance, is part of
being an ethical teacher.
Education
Theorist
The candidate provides an
underdeveloped description
and of an educational
theorist’s work and applies it
to the ELA classroom.
The candidate provides a
description and of an
educational theorist’s
work and applies it to
the ELA classroom.
The Reflective
Practitioner
The candidate provides an
underdeveloped definition
for the term Reflective
Practitioner and applies to
leadership, collaboration,
ongoing professional
development, and
community engagement.
The candidate’s writing is
within 30 words of the word
count and contains 3 or
more grammatical errors.
The candidate provides a
definition for the term
Reflective Practitioner and
applies to leadership,
collaboration, ongoing
professional
development, and
community engagement.
The candidate’s writing
is within 20 words of the
word count and contains
1-2 grammatical errors.
The candidate provides
detailed information
regarding how they will
ensure they honor
diversity and
multiculturalism as part of
their teaching practice.
The candidate provides a
detailed explanation of
what it means to be an
ethical ELA teacher and
how monitoring
performance, both
his/her and student
performance, is part of
being an ethical teacher.
The candidate provides a
thorough description and
of an educational
theorist’s work and
applies it to the ELA
classroom.
The candidate provides a
detailed definition for the
term Reflective Practitioner
and applies to leadership,
collaboration, ongoing
professional development,
and community
engagement.
The candidate’s writing is
within 10 words of the
word count and contains
no grammatical errors.
Writing
Total __ / 150
Feedback:
17 Alignment to Professional Standards
Assessment
Instructional Portfolio
Student Learning Outcome
Instructional Portfolio
M.A.T. English candidates will
create a pre/post-assessment
aligned to a specific strand of the
Common Core State Standards
that will be a focus of the
instructional unit and explain how
they will evaluate student
knowledge using their assessments
M.A.T. English candidates will
articulate their beliefs about
building their students’ capacities
to read, think, listen, view, write,
and speak
M.A.T. English candidates will
explain how they plan to address
diversity and multiculturalism in
their classrooms
M.A.T. English candidates will
describe their conceptualization
about what it means to be an
ethical teacher
M.A.T. English candidates will
draw on educational research to
identify a theorist whose work
they found to be the most
influential on them and explain
how they embody that theorist’s
ideas in their teaching
M.A.T. English candidates will
detail their conceptualization of
being a reflective practitioner in
writing and then apply that idea to
school leadership, collegial
collaboration, meaningful
professional engagement, and
community partnerships
Instructional Portfolio
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching Philosophy
Teaching Philosophy
M.A.T. English candidates will
design a 10-day instructional unit
aligned to a fulcrum text listed in
Appendix B of the Common Core
State Standards
SCOE CF: http://www.coastal.edu/education/framework.html
18 Standards
CF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.2
ADEPT: 1.B, 1.C, 2.A, 2.B, 2.C,
3A, 3.B, 4.B, 4.C, 5.A, 5.C, 6.A,
6.B, 6.C, 7.A, 7.B, 7.C
SPA/NCTE: 3.1, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6,
4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1, 5.3, 5.4
CF: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5, 5.2
ADEPT: 1.A, 1.D, 3.A, 3.C, 7.A,
7.B
SPA/NCTE: 3.2, 3.4, 4.2, 4.3, 5.3
CF: 4.3
ADEPT: 4.A, 5.A
SPA/NCTE: 3.5, 4.3
CF: 3.1, 3.2, 4.3
ADEPT: 8.A
SPA/NCTE: 4.4, 6.1
CF: 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 5.1
ADEPT: 8.C
SPA/NCTE: 7.1
SPA/NCTE: 1.2, 2.3, 4.1, 6.2
CF: 4.2, 4.3
ADEPT: 10.A, 10.B, 10.C
SPA/NCTE: 5.1, 5.2, 7.2
ADEPT Standards: https://ed.sc.gov/agency/programs-services/50/documents/InTASCStandardsCrosswalk.pdf
SPA/NCTE: http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Groups/CEE/NCATE/ApprovedStandards_111212.pdf
19