California Standards for the Teaching Profession
Standard 3 UNDERSTANDING AND ORGANIZING SUBJECT MATTER FOR STUDENT LEARNING
Teachers exhibit in-depth working knowledge of subject matter, academic content standards, and curriculum frameworks. They apply knowledge of student development and
proficiencies to ensure student understanding of content. They organize curriculum to facilitate students' understanding of the subject matter. Teachers utilize instructional
strategies that are appropriate to the subject matter. They use and adapt resources, technologies, and standards-aligned instructional materials, including adopted materials, to
make subject matter accessible to all students. They address the needs of English learners and students with special needs to provide
equitable access to the content.
Key Element
3.1 Demonstrating knowledge of subject matter, academic content standards, and
curriculum frameworks
What does this look like at Gunn and in your classroom?
These prompts/questions may help. Simply pick one and answer it!
“How do I...” or “Why do I...”
 ensure that my subject matter knowledge is sufficient to support student learning?
 continue to keep my subject matter knowledge current?
 identify, understand, and teach the key concepts and underlying themes and relationships in the academic
content standards and state curriculum frameworks?
 integrate key concepts, themes, relationships, and connections across subject matter areas?
 ensure that my knowledge of the subject matter incorporates different perspectives, appropriate to the
discipline?
 maintain and utilize current understanding of relevant content standards and frameworks?
EOI Skill
Formulating the Objective
Teaching to the Objective
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Relationship to Teaching Standard
(state as what teacher does)
Teacher formulates an objective
consistent within PAUSD standards
ESLRs and state standards framework.
Teacher demonstrates a knowledge of
content area, its broad organizing
themes and how to link to other subject
areas.
Go to professional development groups (i.e., problem solving)
Cross-curriculum alignment (math department)
In Geometry, integrating synthetic and transformations (EOI Anticipatory
Set)
Different ways of speaking Spanish in different countries
What to look for (simplify, and state
as a question: does the teacher . . .?)
Does teacher demonstrate knowledge
and expertise of relevant factual
information, including ESLRs and state
standards framework; central
organizing concepts and links to other
disciplines.
Does teacher demonstrate a knowledge
of relevant factual information?
Can teacher break down content into
small relevant chunks?
Is teacher able to answer questions at
an appropriate level?
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Example/Talking Points
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Essential questions for each unit
State and PAUSD standards are in
lesson plan
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Teacher gives answer to questions
clearly, or says “I don’t know.”
Different methods of approaching a problem and/or concept
When introducing a new concept, relate it back to prior concepts (EOI
Anticipatory Set)
Collaborate with others to enhance subject knowledge (language –
Spanish). Also watch movies
California Standards for the Teaching Profession
Standard 3 UNDERSTANDING AND ORGANIZING SUBJECT MATTER FOR STUDENT LEARNING
Teachers exhibit in-depth working knowledge of subject matter, academic content standards, and curriculum frameworks. They apply knowledge of student development and
proficiencies to ensure student understanding of content. They organize curriculum to facilitate students' understanding of the subject matter. Teachers utilize instructional
strategies that are appropriate to the subject matter. They use and adapt resources, technologies, and standards-aligned instructional materials, including adopted materials, to
make subject matter accessible to all students. They address the needs of English learners and students with special needs to provide
equitable access to the content.
Key Element
3.2 Applying knowledge of student development and proficiencies to ensure student
understanding of subject matter
What does this look like at Gunn and in your classroom?
These prompts/questions may help. Simply pick one and answer it!
“How do I...” or “Why do I...”
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apply my knowledge of human development and learning theory to the unique students that I teach?
acquire understanding of my students' individual cognitive, social, emotional and physical development?
connect content being taught to students' prior knowledge and experiences?
build understanding of my English learners’ levels of language acquisition in order to know how to best
support their learning?
 build understanding of my students with special needs in order to know how and when to differentiate
instruction?
EOI Skill
Formulating the Objective
Teaching to the Objective
Relationship to Teaching Standard
(state as what teacher does)
Teacher formulates an objective
consistent within PAUSD standards
ESLRs and state standards framework.
Teacher demonstrates a knowledge of
content area, its broad organizing
themes and how to link to other subject
areas.
What to look for (simplify, and state
as a question: does the teacher . . .?)
Does teacher demonstrate knowledge
and expertise of relevant factual
information, including ESLRs and state
standards framework; central
organizing concepts and links to other
disciplines.
Does teacher demonstrate a knowledge
of relevant factual information?
Can teacher break down content into
small relevant chunks?
Is teacher able to answer questions at
an appropriate level?
Example/Talking Points
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Essential questions for each unit
State and PAUSD standards are in
lesson plan

Teacher gives answer to questions
clearly, or says “I don’t know.”
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When teaching vocab, we present it in different ways: formally, informally, using proper math notation, using pictures, applying it to everyday life so students at
various ends of the developmental spectrum have different access points.
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We have a goal of generalization so students can apply this concept in other specific situations.
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A pre-lesson ritual (ice breakers) to gather info. about social/emotional development of his students.
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We create a safe environment so students feel comfortable.
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We use informal assessments to gauge student mastery of vocabulary, and identify needed areas of differentiation.
California Standards for the Teaching Profession
Standard 3 UNDERSTANDING AND ORGANIZING SUBJECT MATTER FOR STUDENT LEARNING
Teachers exhibit in-depth working knowledge of subject matter, academic content standards, and curriculum frameworks. They apply knowledge of student development and
proficiencies to ensure student understanding of content. They organize curriculum to facilitate students' understanding of the subject matter. Teachers utilize instructional
strategies that are appropriate to the subject matter. They use and adapt resources, technologies, and standards-aligned instructional materials, including adopted materials, to
make subject matter accessible to all students. They address the needs of English learners and students with special needs to provide
equitable access to the content.
Key Element
3.3 Organizing curriculum to facilitate student understanding of the subject matter
What does this look like at Gunn and in your classroom?
These prompts/questions may help. Simply pick one and answer it!
“How do I...” or “Why do I...”
 use my knowledge of student readiness to learn to organize, sequence, and enhance the curriculum?
 apply my knowledge of the subject matter to organize curriculum, plan lessons and units, and select
instructional strategies that demonstrate key concepts and their interrelationships?
 organize subject matter to reveal and value different cultural perspectives?
 incorporate subject or grade level expectations and curriculum frameworks in organizing subject matter?
 utilize standards-aligned and/or adopted curriculum in ways that support student learning?
EOI Skill
Formulating the Objective
Teaching to the Objective
Relationship to Teaching Standard
(state as what teacher does)
Teacher formulates an objective
consistent within PAUSD standards
ESLRs and state standards framework.
Teacher demonstrates a knowledge of
content area, its broad organizing
themes and how to link to other subject
areas.
What to look for (simplify, and state
as a question: does the teacher . . .?)
Does teacher demonstrate knowledge
and expertise of relevant factual
information, including ESLRs and state
standards framework; central
organizing concepts and links to other
disciplines.
Does teacher demonstrate a knowledge
of relevant factual information?
Can teacher break down content into
small relevant chunks?
Is teacher able to answer questions at
an appropriate level?
Example/Talking Points
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Essential questions for each unit
State and PAUSD standards are in
lesson plan

Teacher gives answer to questions
clearly, or says “I don’t know.”
 Formulate lessons around paragraph competencies in foreign language – scaffolding vocab., sentences, application of foreign language skills, prior language skills, etc.
 Formulate lessons and activities around literary “tools” such as using/understanding metaphors and literary tools walls and application through reading, writing and
evaluation through Bloom’s Taxonomy
 Align curriculum with state standards with units, calendars, labs, etc. to reveal and deepen understanding and application of content.
California Standards for the Teaching Profession
Standard 3 UNDERSTANDING AND ORGANIZING SUBJECT MATTER FOR STUDENT LEARNING
Teachers exhibit in-depth working knowledge of subject matter, academic content standards, and curriculum frameworks. They apply knowledge of student development and
proficiencies to ensure student understanding of content. They organize curriculum to facilitate students' understanding of the subject matter. Teachers utilize instructional
strategies that are appropriate to the subject matter. They use and adapt resources, technologies, and standards-aligned instructional materials, including adopted materials, to
make subject matter accessible to all students. They address the needs of English learners and students with special needs to provide
equitable access to the content.
Key Element
3.4 Utilizing instructional strategies that are appropriate to the subject matter
What does this look like at Gunn and in your classroom?
These prompts/questions may help. Simply pick one and answer it!
“How do I...” or “Why do I...”
 develop and use a repertoire of instructional strategies appropriate to the subject matter?
 build on students’ life experiences, prior knowledge, and interests to make subject matter relevant and
meaningful to students?
 use effective instructional strategies and approaches to illustrate a concept and its connections within and
across subject areas?
 challenge all students to think critically in the subject area?
 help all students develop enthusiasm for and a deep knowledge of the subject matter?
 use strategies that make the depth and complexity of subject matter understandable to all students?
EOI Skill
Teaching to the Objective
Relationship to Teaching Standard
Teacher gives information, asks
questions, implements activities, and
responds to student effort in a way that
helps students learn subject
matter/content.
Active Participation, Set, Closure
Teacher uses these principles of
learning to effectively teaching subject
matter/content.
Monitor and Adjust
Teacher checks to see if students have
understood subject matter/content and
reteaches if necessary.
What to look for
Does teacher give information, ask
questions, provide activities, and
respond using a variety of materials,
resources and instructional settings in
order to accommodate a variety of
learning styles?
Does teacher use a variety of
instructional strategies and material to
accommodate a variety of different
learning styles during set, closure, and
active participation?
Does teacher use a variety of strategies
to monitor and adjust instruction?
Example
 Powerpoint, hands-on, varying
activities
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Small group activities,
manipulatives, discussion lecture,
technology components,
kinesthetic (interpretive dance).
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Questioning strategies, walking
around, listening to small group
discussion, using specific
examples to check for
understanding.
 Teach students paragraph structure (brainstorm, graphic organizers, prioritize, develop unifying theme (EOI Task Analysis, levels of cognition, motivation)
 Treats/prizes competition (EOI Motivation)
 Differentiation: levels of questions (basic comprehension, analysis, connection to their life) (EOI Levels of Cognition)
 Collaborate with other teachers and try new things
 Immediate current events (within days). Tie event to students’ lives, reading and text (EOI Motivation)
 Stress different perspectives (walking in other people’s moccasins) (EOI Motivation)
 Experiential activities (EOI Motivation, Active Participation)
 Debates – what would you do? With character motivation (EOI Anticipatory Set)
 How would you feel if . . . ? Immigration/college prompt (EOI Levels of Cognition, Motivation)
 Essay Building (thesis drafting, modeling, outlines, peer edit) (EOI Task Analysis)
California Standards for the Teaching Profession
Standard 3 UNDERSTANDING AND ORGANIZING SUBJECT MATTER FOR STUDENT LEARNING
Teachers exhibit in-depth working knowledge of subject matter, academic content standards, and curriculum frameworks. They apply knowledge of student development and
proficiencies to ensure student understanding of content. They organize curriculum to facilitate students' understanding of the subject matter. Teachers utilize instructional
strategies that are appropriate to the subject matter. They use and adapt resources, technologies, and standards-aligned instructional materials, including adopted materials, to
make subject matter accessible to all students. They address the needs of English learners and students with special needs to provide
equitable access to the content.
Key Element
3.5 Using and adapting resources, technologies, and standards-aligned instructional
materials, including adopted materials, to make subject matter accessible to all students
What does this look like at Gunn and in your classroom?
These prompts/questions may help. Simply pick one and answer it!
“How do I...” or “Why do I...”
 know the full range of materials, resources, and technologies provided by the school or district?
 select materials, resources, and technologies to support differentiated student learning of the subject
matter?
 select and use learning materials and resources that reflect the diversity in my classroom?
 use technologies to convey key concepts in the subject matter?
 learn about and access new instructional resources to support student learning?
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EOI Skill
Teaching to the Objective
Relationship to Teaching Standard
Teacher gives information, asks
questions, implements activities, and
responds to student effort in a way that
helps students learn subject
matter/content.
Active Participation, Set, Closure
Teacher uses these principles of
learning to effectively teaching subject
matter/content.
Monitor and Adjust
Teacher checks to see if students have
understood subject matter/content and
reteaches if necessary.
PLATO
Kahn Academy
Talking/large number calculators
Noodle tools for research
Movie trailers, documentaries
InClass
Infinite Campus
What to look for
Does teacher give information, ask
questions, provide activities, and
respond using a variety of materials,
resources and instructional settings in
order to accommodate a variety of
learning styles?
Does teacher use a variety of
instructional strategies and material to
accommodate a variety of different
learning styles during set, closure, and
active participation?
Does teacher use a variety of strategies
to monitor and adjust instruction?
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Notes for students
Talk to Tech Team
Attend D.O. meetings
iPad
PPT
Google docs
Example
 Powerpoint, hands-on, varying
activities
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Small group activities,
manipulatives, discussion lecture,
technology components,
kinesthetic (interpretive dance).
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Questioning strategies, walking
around, listening to small group
discussion, using specific
examples to check for
understanding.
California Standards for the Teaching Profession
Standard 3 UNDERSTANDING AND ORGANIZING SUBJECT MATTER FOR STUDENT LEARNING
Teachers exhibit in-depth working knowledge of subject matter, academic content standards, and curriculum frameworks. They apply knowledge of student development and
proficiencies to ensure student understanding of content. They organize curriculum to facilitate students' understanding of the subject matter. Teachers utilize instructional
strategies that are appropriate to the subject matter. They use and adapt resources, technologies, and standards-aligned instructional materials, including adopted materials, to
make subject matter accessible to all students. They address the needs of English learners and students with special needs to provide
equitable access to the content.
Key Element
3.6 Addressing the needs of English learners and students with special needs to provide
equitable access to the content
What does this look like at Gunn and in your classroom?
These prompts/questions may help. Simply pick one and answer it!
“How do I...” or “Why do I...”
 address the English Language Development (ELD) standards as they relate to my English learners’ levels
of language acquisition?
 address the Individual Education Plan (IEP) goals and objectives of my students with special needs?
 select materials, resources, and technologies to support subject matter instruction of my English learners
and students with special needs?
 ensure access to the critical concepts and themes in the academic content standards and state curriculum
frameworks for students at various levels of English proficiency and for students with special needs?
EOI Skill
Formulating Objective
Relationship to Teaching Standard
Teacher formulates an objective that
will make knowledge accessible to all
students recognizing individual
differences within a diverse group
What to look for
Does teacher create objective that
makes knowledge accessible to all
students within a diverse group? Does
the teacher have an objective
formulated so that it is differentiated
enough so that objective can be
achieved in different ways?
Teaching to the Objective
Teacher uses a variety of ways of
presenting (IQAR).
Does the teacher present IQAR to
accommodate a variety of learning
styles?
Active Participation, Set, Closure
Teacher varies active participation (by
keeping content the same but varying
level of cognition, form of active
participation, conditions of activity,
level of performance) in order to
accommodate individual differences
Has teacher planned lesson to take into
account individual difference in
learning style and ability?
Example
 Make sure objective also meets
standards
 Teach to different learning styles
 Know students’ needs without
pointing out differences
 Take into account a variety of
academic and personal
backgrounds
 Incorporate cultural/language
diversity into the curriculum
 Take into account 504
accommodations
 Teacher demonstrates they can
differentiate when a student asks a
question and the teacher can
answer it in a variety of ways
 Teachers teach to different
learning styles as much as possible
(visual/auditory)
 Able to answer a wide array of
questions
 Organization of material (matrices,
etc.)
 Scaffolding in terms of
organizational skills
 Transitions (into, through, and
beyond)
 Structured notes
 Assignment sheets
 Posting or copying notes
 Variety of presentation skills
(lectures, video discussion,
overheads, notes on board)
 Extension activities built into an
assignment provides for
differentiation
 Allow student to master objective
over time
 Projects: students make children’s
books, artistic posters, go dovolunteer, interview someone in
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Monitor and Adjust
Teacher monitors learning and adjusts
teaching (by keeping content the same
but varying level of cognition, form of
active participation, conditions of
activity, level of performance) to
different levels of learning and
achievement. (Monitoring is not about
differentiating, but rather diagnosing
learning problems and reteaching.
Formulating the objective is more
relevant here.)
Does teacher check for understanding,
re-teach as necessary using approaches
that make the objective and content
clear to a diverse student population?
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field, make a game
Group projects
Labs
Powerpoint
Advanced warning for
participation
Give questions ahead of time to
allow processing
Do we as teacher provide several
ways to achieve a certain
objective? (Math) allow students to
do test/quiz corrections orally to
show they know the material –
very time-consuming
Teacher allows different ways t o
complete a project
Have a student who understands
concept teach it
Ask students to voice what
questions they still have and build
next unit or activities
Give options for completing
projects or assessments
Posting solutions, not just answers,
student can check own work
One-on-one appointments for extra
help
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Anticipatory Set: vocab. Games, vocab. Flashcards, vocab. Sentences with prior knowledge, current events, pop culture, demonstration, experiential
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Formatting and Teaching to the Objective: assess conditions under which goal will take place (time constraints, etc.)
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Raise/lower performance level
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Reteach/reword lessons to fit needs (differentiation)
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Monitoring and Retention and Memory (checking for understanding, walking around the room, giving feedback, homework assessment, tests/quizzes, re-teach
lesson to teacher/class)
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Active Participation and Motivation (“someone new,” pause/wait for new hands, rubrics, model, real life experience, group work/partner, journals/share
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Levels of Cognition (critiques)