TEACHER WORK SAMPLE:

A PRIMER Teacher  Work   Sample   is   a  methodology   used  by  teacher   education   programs   to   help   student  teachers   demonstrate   what   their   K-­‐12   students  know  and  are  able   to  do  by   the  end  of  a  unit  of  instruction.   The   Rowan   University   College   of  Education   Teacher   Work   Sample   model   is  comprised  of  seven  elements.  

 Element  1:  Context  

Context  is  key.  This  element  requires  researching  information   on   the   community,   school   district,  school   and   class.   Much   of   the   research   can   be  done  on  line.  The  student  teacher  must  also  learn  all   they   can   about   their   co   teachers   and   their  students,  through  observation  and  interaction.    

Element  2:  Learning  Outcomes  

Before   teaching   a   unit   of   instruction,   and   after  examining  the  teaching  context,  a  plan  should  be  made   that   addresses   three   stages:   what   the  students   should   know   and   be   able   to   do   by   the  end   of   the   unit;   how   it   will   be   determined   they  know   and   can   do   these   things,   and   what  instructional   activities   will   lead   them   to   this  

knowledge  and  performance  (Wiggins  &  McTighe,  2005).   Element   2   addresses   the   first   stage   and  requires  a  description  of  the  Big  Ideas  of  the  unit  and   the   overarching   learning   outcomes  anticipated.    

Element  3:  Assessment  Plan  The   second   stage   (see   above)   of   the   unit   is  assessment.   In   Element   3,   student   teachers   are  required   to   provide   assessment   instructions   and  rubrics,  which  includes  pre  assessment,  formative  (during   instruction),   summative/end   of   unit  assessment,  and  self/peer  assessment.  

Element  4:  Design  for  Instruction  Element  4  requires  the  student  teacher  to  provide  a   visual   organizer   or   block   plan,   and   four   lesson  plans   with   learning   activities   that   are   designed  based  on  pre  assessment  as  well  as  on  goals  and  intended  student  learning  outcomes  of  the  unit.  

Element  5:  Analysis  of  Student  Data  

Once  the  instructional  period  is  complete  and  the  assessment   activities   are   concluded,   the   student  teacher  presents  the  data,  and  provides  evidence  from   the   data   of   how   students   did   as   a   whole,  who  sub  groups   (e.g.,   girls  and  boys)  performed,  and   what   high,   low   and   average   performing  students  accomplished,  based  on  the  data.  

   

Peter  Rattigan  PhD,  Editor  

James Hall

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Element  6:  Instructional  Decision  Making  

For  this  element,  the  student  teacher   is  asked  to  provide   a   description   of   two   instructional  episodes,   and   the   instructional   decisions   they  made   in   responding   to   those   episodes.   These  instructional  decisions   should  be  made  based  on  formative   or   summative   assessments,   not   pre  assessments.  The  original  “Design  For  Instruction”  (Element   4)   is   based   in   part   on   results   of   pre  assessment(s)   conducted   with   the   class.   This  element  shows  that,  in  addition  to  planning  for  K-­‐12  student  learning,  student  teachers  (or  teacher  candidates)  can  make  appropriate  adaptations.  

 

Element  7:  Evaluation  &  Reflection  

Reflection   is   a   crucial   component   in   successful  teaching.   For   this   element,   the   student   teacher  identifies  which  educational  outcomes  were  most  successful,   which   were   least   successful,   and  explains   why.   They   are   asked   to   describe   what  went  well  and  what   they  would  do  differently   in  the   future,   and   to   reflect   upon   professional  development  activities  in  which  they  will  need  to  participate,  in  order  to  improve  as  teachers.  

References  Wiggins,   G.,   &  McTighe,   J.   (2005).  Understanding   By  Design  (2nd  Ed.)  Upper  Saddle  River,  NJ:  Prentice  Hall.  

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Table:  Six  Helpful  Links  for  Developing  a  Teacher  Work  Sample  Web  Site   Description   Link  

UNI  Teacher  Work  Sample  website  

Web  site  developed  by  the  University  of  Northern  Iowa  (UNI)  for  comprehensive  review  of  Teacher  Work  Sample  (TWS)  

http://www.uni.edu/teachered/tws

UNI  Teacher  Work  Sample  Manual  

Manual  provided  to  UNI  teacher  candidates  for  developing  a  TWS  

http://www.uni.edu/itq/PDF_files/

SE  Missouri  State  College  of  Education  

Teacher  Work  Sample  Exemplars  from  Southeast  Missouri  State  University  

http://cstl-coe.semo.edu/bratberg/tws.htm

Authentic  Education   Home  site  of  Understanding  By  Design,  including  articles  and  news  

http://www.authenticeducation.org/

Authentic  Education/  Big  Ideas  

Part  of  the  Authentic  Education  web  site  that  discusses  Big  Ideas  –  helpful  for  TWS  Element  2  

http://www.authenticeducation.org/bigideas/

Glen  Hammond  web  site/GRASPS  

This  page  of  the  web  site  explains  the  concept  of  GRASPS  (Wiggins  &  McTighe,  2005)  and  is  helpful  for  TWS  Element  3  

http://xnet.rrc.mb.ca/glenh/...

 

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