edTPA Response

At the beginning of the edTPA layout, there is a short introduction that says where the framework came from and some basic instructions on how to read the TPA layout. I found this beneficial because it helped me to understand possible reasons why Eastern adopted this TPA layout. The instructions also helped to clarify what is expected when we write our own TPAs.

Under the first section, context for learning, the questions really help direct our focus on who we are teaching and not what we are teaching. Some questions really get me thinking. One that may often be overlooked is, “what are the represented socio-economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the students and how might these influence planning, teaching and assessment?” This is a powerful question that can seriously affect the way we teach a specific lesson. I like that the questions really got me to focus on the students and the impact they have on preparing a lesson.

A part of the TPA layout that I always dread is the EALRs and GLEs. To be honest, I plan out my lesson, and then look for the standards that it covers. I believe that if we as future teachers are taking the time to plan out a lesson in detail, we do not need to consult with Washington standards because the odds are that we have hit many of them. It is just a waste of time to copy and paste the GLEs and EALRS on a TPA.

When I work on something, I often have a goal in mind. The same goes for the TPA. A section is allotted to established goals. I believe this is important because when we plan out lessons we should have something we are reaching for. To come up with goals helps to focus our lesson.

A section I always stumble on is academic language. I know it is important to list vocabulary words that the students will be learning, but I don’t quite understand what instructional language is. If it is supposed to mean, discussing, sharing ideas, asking questions and summarizing, I believe this is something that just comes naturally when we are teaching and interacting with the class, it does not need to be in a TPA.

Formative and summative assessments are two things that I put a lot of thought into when I plan out lessons. I believe this is a valuable part of a TPA and the questions are very clear in directing us in the way of student understanding. It is vital to have a formative or summative assessment that measures concepts accurately.

The TPA, as a whole, may be a pain to do, but it really does help. It focuses on many important aspects such as student voice, differentiated instruction, and lesson rational, all things that are key components to having a good lesson.

The TPA is a plan that we create before we teach the lesson. It prepares us in many different ways. I believe it would be beneficial if it had a section that was to be filled out after teaching the lesson. This way we could look back on it and be able to see that the lesson was a success or failure. Feedback is always good!