Conceptual Framework - What Teachers Know and Do

An outstanding teacher engages students in negotiating ideas in a manner that develop a desire and skill to be life long learners. Having an able to create and communicate understanding in a variety of experience and in a manner that respects all life while contributing to a variety of community structures.

Observing outstanding teachers is - seeing artistry in action.

Every decision teachers make is based on their questioning (inquiry) and thinking (reflection) about what they know (knowledge base) and can be represented with a conceptual framework.

What teachers know (knowledge base) and how to represent it (conceptual framework) can be organize into four very general categories: knowledge, process skills, disposition, and perspectives of knowledge.

Teachers use process skills to assess a situation and inquire on possible choices of action or in action. As they reflect on the possible outcomes for each choice and move toward making a decision, their ability to evaluate each choice depends on their knowledge of the situation, of individuals, group dynamics, the desires of the local and global community, knowledge of the educational research base, and wisdom of practice. Their desire to intervene or not and selection of how to intervene is strongly influenced by their values and attitudes for learning, community, all living organisms, and how to live a good life.

It is important for teachers to understand the values and attitudes; ideas, knowledge, and theories; and processes they use when they assess, reflect, and evaluate different options to make ethical decisions based on sound research and wisdom of practice for their students' success.

Comprehensive statements can be created to prepare for, guide, and document decision making. Following is an educational philosophy, more specific subject related principled procedures, and more comprehensive management plan:

Educational Philosophy
Mathematics Principled Procedures
Science Principled Procedures
Literature Principled Procedures
Management Action Plan

To use principled procedures to guide decision making an outstanding teacher has a comprehensive knowledge base. A knowledge base can be divided into broad categories:

1. Teacher process for improvement - inquiry and reflection.

2. Teacher knowedge of the subject matter they teach. They know how to use the discipline processes to investigate and create knowledge in the disciplines they teach, how to choose appropriate disposition to be successful, and apply different perspective of the disciplines to successful. Subject matter

3. Teachers facilitate learning

Know how to plan minute to minute, lesson plans, daily plans, weekly plans, and yearly plans to meet the needs of individual students within a K-12 curriculum. For different disciplines, social skills, and moral development. How to plan
How to teach so students create knowledge and assess their learning
Communicate skillfully
Understand child and adolescent development
Manage a classroom

4. Teachers have the desire and skill for continual professional development. Professional development.

However, before you continue your investigations it would be good to reflect on your present personal ideas of teaching and learning. The following activity may be helpful. Goal setting activity