Becoming a skillful teacher
is a life’s work
We define skillful teaching to include anything a teacher does that impacts the probability of intended learning. Thus it includes a wide array of skills such as:
- Communicating their belief in students’ capabilities
- Motivating and engaging students
- Demonstrating cultural proficiency
- Planning engaging lessons
- Making concepts and skills clear and accessible
- Continuously assessing student understanding
It also includes quite a range of activities beyond interactive classroom behaviors, such as:
- Analyzing data
- Designing re-teaching
- Involving families
- Being a good colleague and team member
The Knowledge Base On Teaching
Here’s the good news: there is a common core of research-based professional knowledge about every dimension of good teaching.
That knowledge base is accessible and practical. It is not a list of behaviors or do’s and don’ts on best practices. Rather, the knowledge base defines areas of performance – all those functions teachers carry out – and offers a rich repertoire of strategies and moves for each area. The art of teaching is in continuously expanding one’s repertoire and skillfully matching which tool or strategy best fits a given situation.
The Map of Pedagogical Knowledge is about Repertoire and Matching
