Domain 1 Components

1. Demonstrate knowledge of content and pedagogy
2. Demonstrate knowledge of students
3. Select instructional goals
4. Demonstrate knowledge of resources
5. Design coherent instruction
6. Assessing student Learning

   | MN Standard 1 | MN Standard 3 | MN Standard 7 | MN Standard 8 |

MN Standard 1: A teacher must understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines taught and be able to create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students. The teacher must:

1. understand major concepts, assumptions, debates, processes of inquiry, and ways of knowing that are central to the disciplines taught;
2. understand how students’ conceptual frameworks and misconceptions for an area of knowledge can influence the students’ learning;
3. connect disciplinary knowledge to other subject areas and to everyday life;
4. understand that subject matter knowledge is not a fixed body of facts but is complex and ever developing;
5. use multiple representations and explanations of subject matter concepts to capture key ideas and link them to students’ prior understandings;
6. use varied viewpoints, theories, ways of knowing, and methods of inquiry in teaching subject matter concepts;
7. evaluate teaching resources and curriculum materials for comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness for presenting particular ideas and concepts;
8. engage students in generating knowledge and testing hypotheses according to the methods of inquiry and standards of evidence used in the discipline;
9. develop and use curricula that encourage students to understand, analyze, interpret, and apply ideas from varied perspectives; and
10. design interdisciplinary learning experiences that allow students to integrate knowledge, skills, and methods of inquiry across several subject areas.

     Personal Reflections on Minnesota Standard 1

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MN Standard 3: A teacher must understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to students with diverse backgrounds and exceptionalities. The teacher must:

1. understand and identify differences in approaches to learning and performance, including varied learning styles and performance modes and multiple intelligences; and know how to design instruction that uses a student’s strengths as the basis for continued learning;
2. know about areas of exceptionality in learning, including learning disabilities, perceptual difficulties, and special physical or mental challenges, gifts, and talents;
3. know about the process of second language acquisition and about strategies to support the learning of students whose first language is not English;
4. understand how to recognize and deal with dehumanizing biases, discrimination, prejudices, and institutional and personal racism and sexism;
5. understand how a student’s learning is influenced by individual experiences, talents, and prior learning, as well as language, culture, family, and community values;
6. understand the contributions and lifestyles of the various racial, cultural, and economic groups;
7. understand the cultural content, world view, and concepts that comprise Minnesota-based American Indian tribal government, history, language, and culture;
8. understand cultural and community diversity; and know how to learn about and incorporate a student's experiences, cultures, and community resources into instruction;
9. understand that all students can and should learn at the highest possible levels in and persist in helping all students achieve success;
10. know about community and cultural norms;
11. identify and design instruction appropriate to a student’s stages of development, learning styles, strengths, and needs;
12. use teaching approaches that are sensitive to the varied experiences of students and that address different learning and performance modes;
13. accommodate a student’s learning differences or need regarding time and circumstances for work, tasks assigned, communication, and response modes;
14. identify when and how to access appropriate services or resources to meet exceptional learning needs;
15. use information about students’ families, cultures, and communities as the basis for connecting instruction to students’ experiences;
16. bring multiple perspective to the discussion of, including attention to a student’s personal, family, and community experiences and cultural norms; and
17. develop a learning community in which individual differences are respected.

Personal Reflections on Minnesota Standard 3

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MN Standard 7: A teacher must be able to plan and manage instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, and the community, and curriculum goals. The teacher must:

1. understand learning theory, subject matter, curriculum development, and student development and know how to use this knowledge in planning instruction to meet curriculum goals;
2. plan instruction using contextual considerations that bridge curriculum and student experiences;
3. plan instructional programs that accommodate individual student learning styles and performance modes;
4. create short-range plans that are linked to student needs and performance;
5. plan instructional programs that accommodate individual student learning styles and performance modes;
6. design lessons and activities that operate at multiple levels to meet the developmental and individual needs of students and to help all progress;
7. implement learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals, relevant to learners, and based on principles of effective instruction including activating student prior knowledge, anticipating preconceptions, encouraging exploration and problem solving, and building new skills on those previously acquired; and
8. evaluate plans in relation to short-range and long-range goals, and systematically adjust plans to meet student needs and enhance learning.

Personal Reflection on Minnesota Standard 7

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MN Standard 8: A teacher must understand and be able to use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the student. The teacher must:

1. be able to assess student performance toward achievement of the Minnesota Graduation Standards under chapter 3501;
2. understand the characteristics, uses, advantages, and limitations of different types of assessments including criterion-referenced and norm-referenced instruments, traditional standardized and performance-based tests, observation systems, and assessments of student work;
3. understand the purpose of and differences between assessment and evaluation;
4. understand measurement theory and assessment-related issues, including validity, reliability, bias, and scoring concerns;
5. select, construct, and use assessment strategies, instruments, and technology appropriate to the learning outcomes being evaluated and to other diagnostic purposes;
6. use assessment to identify student strengths and promote student growth and to maximize student access to learning opportunities;
7. use varied and appropriate formal and informal assessment techniques including observation, portfolios of student work, teacher-made tests, performance tasks, projects, student self-assessments, peer assessment, and standardized tests;
8. use assessment data and other information about student experiences, learning behaviors, needs, and progress to increase knowledge of students, evaluate student progress and performance, and modify teaching and learning strategies;
9. implement students’ self-assessment activities to help them identify their own strengths and needs and to encourage them to set personal goals for learning;
10. evaluate the effect of class activities on both individuals and the class as a whole using information gained through observation of classroom interactions, questioning, and analysis of student work;
11. monitor teaching strategies and behaviors in relation to student success to modify plans and instructional approaches to achieve student goals;
12. establish and maintain student records of work and performance; and
13. responsibly communicate student progress based on appropriate indicators to students, parents or guardians, and other colleagues.

Personal Reflections on Minnesota Standard 8

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