Reflective Teaching Practice

The Standards Continuum Guide for Reflective Teaching Practice work as a support and evaluation system for educators. This guide not only grounds teachers, in regards to their subject material, it also develops self-awareness in the classroom, and encourages teachers to continue learning. Standards are essential to classrooms growth and should be used by all teachers.
Organization
According to the Standards Continuum Guide for Reflective Teaching Practice, standards “are broken down into indicators and three interrelated components: Essential Knowledge, Critical Dispositions, and Performances” (2015, p. 6). These three sections are then dissected through the use of reflective questions. Often, reflective questions then lead into activities that promote teaching
development, application, integration and innovation. How It Can Be Used to Improve Practice The Standards Continuum Guide improve practice, because they make a teacher accountable. For example: when a teacher uses the Continuum Guide, they focus on three critical sections known as Essential Knowledge, Critical Dispositions, and Performance. With this three guides, a teacher has to ask themselves essential reflective questions that uncover the reason for inclusion of certain materials and lessons. For essential knowledge a teacher asks How can I do this? For Critical Disposition a teacher asks Why am I doing this? Finally, for Performance a teacher asks, “What can I do?” These questions keep a teacher accountable, because it focuses on the who what and why of the classroom.
If something isn’t working, a teacher can’t wave it off, instead they have to ask, why did I do this, and what can I do to improve what didn’t work.
The Standards can also improve practice, because they create a roadmap for teachers. Essential Knowledge acts out as the transportation for learning, Critical Dispositions acts out as the road, while Performance acts as the driver. Without all three a class cannot arrive to its final destination. The Standards Continuum Guide for Reflective Teaching Practice shows a teacher what stopping point they need to reach, while still allowing the teacher to choose which path they want to take to get there. Finally, Standards improve practice, because they establish professionalism. They create standardization in classrooms across the globe while holding teachers to higher standards. According to James Milgram, a Mathematics Professor at Stanford University, when standards are enforced by teachers, the new improved classes “are better than 85 or 90 percent they replace” (2014). The fact is, standards incorporate all manners of essential learning. They tell a teacher what needs to be done, and because of this, teachers are able to create educationally sound
classes. InTASC and the Lifelong Learner and Creator
I think the InTASC professional standards encourage growth in teachers. Many argue that standards discourage individuality in the classroom environment, but I beg to differ. If anything, the standards help narrow down what needs to be taught so teachers can spend more time developing their own unique and creative teaching style. Similarly, the InTASC professional standards encourage teachers to be lifelong learners. In order to teach the correct curriculum and be effective, teachers need to become masters of their own subject. When a teacher begins using the standards, they can identify their own strengths, while also highlighting areas that need improvement. Rather than sticking with what they know they are good at, the standards push teacher to master all areas of their curriculum