PTK Practice Tests

If a school wanted to compare how its students were doing with respect to students in other schools, what kind of assessment would be MOST appropriate? A. Norm-referenced test B. Criterion-referenced test C. Performance assessment D. Portfolio

A. A norm-referenced test is designed to give a percentile score that places each student on a continuum of 1 to 99+. The other assessments are difficult to use to compare large groups of students.

A third grade student struggles spelling even basic words. Her parents have come to the autumn parent-teacher conference and discussed the student's previous school experiences and their concerns about her lack of progress in spelling. How should her teacher respond? A. Inform them that she will consult the Special Education teacher to see if the student's difficulties may warrant testing for learning disabilities. B. Explain to the parents that many children have spelling difficulties that they outgrow as they become better readers. C. Suggest that the parents spend more time practicing the spelling of basic words at home with the student. D. Explain that she will create a plan to help the student memorize the spelling of basic words.

A. A primary-level teacher should know where spelling difficulties often originate, and he or she should feel comfortable consulting the Special Education staff about a student whose parents are concerned. Although the student could outgrow her spelling difficulties, poor spelling is an indicator of other learning disabilities, so it should not be ignored. Creating an impromptu plan for "fixing" the student's spelling difficulties may not address underlying problems.

A reliable test A. yields consistent results. B. is accurate. C. is free of bias. D. is valid.

A. A reliable test must simply produce consistent results. A test must be reliable to be considered valid, but valid tests are not automatically reliable as well.

Correctly listing all 50 states of the United States of America and their capitals involves which type of thinking skill? A. Knowledge B. Application C. Synthesis D. Comprehension

A. According to Bloom's taxonomy, learning to list states and capitals involves knowledge, a lower-order thinking skill. All other answers are higher-order thinking skills.

Which of the following is a stem for questions or directions that will lead students to apply what they have learned? A. "How is _____ related to _____?" B. "What ideas can you add to _____?" C. "Do you agree that g_____?" D. "What supports the opinion _____?"

A. Application typically requires the ability to transfer learning into a new situation. In turn, the act of transferring requires operating with the relationships between situations. Choice B invokes a type of elaboration or synthesis. Choices C and D aim at evaluation.

How should a teacher reinforce the "Be prepared and ready to work on time" rule in class? A. Stand outside the classroom with the door open for the students. A few seconds before the second bell rings, rush into class with a backpack and make a big show of being late. Afterwards, talk with the students about the rule for being ready on time. B. Call on the student who is last to his or her desk to stand up and read the class rules aloud. Then ask the student which rule he or she has just broken. C. Write down the names of the students who are not in their seats on time. Put their names on the board with a note that says ?5 minute recess penalty.? D. Give the students a journal-writing prompt to write about the importance of being ready to work on time.

A. By showing the students how disruptive their tardy behavior is, and following the example with a discussion of why the rule is important, a teacher is most likely to change their behavior. Journal writing (choice D) may be effective if it is combined with a discussion about the problem, but it must be linked to the behavior that the teacher wants to change. The other two choices are consequences, not methods of re-teaching the "Be prepared and ready to work on time" rule.

Which of the following knowledge units is a rule relationship? A. Prime numbers are only divisible by themselves and one. B. The rock cycle is the process by which rocks are broken down and re-formed. C. Through photosynthesis, plants convert sunlight into energy. D. Movement around the classroom should be minimized during class time.

A. Choice A is a rule that all prime numbers must follow in order to be classified as prime. Choices B and C are concepts. Choice D is a behavioral rule, not a knowledge rule.

Which of the following sets of verbs is best suited to assessment of how well students can evaluate a body of content? A. Interpret, justify, support B. Categorize, sort, subdivide C. Match, define, identify D. Show, prepare, produce

A. Choice B calls for analysis; Choice C for basic comprehension; and choice D for synthesis.

In order to gain your students' respect, which of the following would you MOST want to establish about yourself from the beginning? A. Your subject matter knowledge and your expectation that students can learn from you. B. Your educational background and professional credentials. C. Your positive experiences with previous classes. D. Your enthusiasm for teaching.

A. Competence in the subject matter and having high expectations for students are highly respected teacher qualities. Students are unlikely to respect a teacher simply because he or she is well educated or claims to have been well liked in the past. Choice D is incorrect because, while enthusiasm is appreciated, it matters less than competence.

When planning how students will practice correct spelling of the words "there," "their," and "they're," which of the following is the BEST pattern? A. Practice frequently at first, spread out practice after that. B. Begin with few repetitions and then build up the speed and number of examples. C. Use a flexible schedule during at least the first five days. D. Practice the same number of times and increase speed.

A. Frequent initial practice helps people to acquire a skill and develop frequency with it. Further practice aids retention. Choices B and D risk not getting the skill established and having students practice mistakes later on.

A fifth-grade student has just finished a three-week unit on the American Revolution in social studies. Which strategy would be BEST to use to culminate the unit? A. Give a free-response test on the "big ideas" of the unit and have students choose a project from a list of eight projects. B. Have students design a project that shows what they have learned about the American Revolution. C. Give a multiple-choice test that emphasizes remembering people, places, and dates of the American Revolution. D. Read a short story that is set during the American Revolution to tie the social studies and language arts curricula together.

A. In order to know whether the learning objectives of the unit have been met, the objectives must be measured. A test on the major concepts of the American Revolution achieves that goal. The project, from a limited number of choices that relate to the objectives, gives students another way to show what they have learned. Choice B is too free-form, and students may not show that they have met the learning objectives for the unit. Choice D is an excellent way to tie the subjects together, but it is not a culminating activity that shows what students have learned.

Which type of material is MOST easily memorized? A. Knowledge-based B. Application-based C. Synthesis-based D. Evaluation-based

A. Knowledge-based material requires recall and frequently includes information that must be memorized. An example would be to state the definition of a planet.

Which activity below would give second-grade students the best practice discriminating between mammals and non-mammals? A. Bring cut-out pictures of mammals and non-mammals to class, and have students sort them into "mammal" and "non-mammal" piles one at a time. B. Compare mammals (such as dolphins) found in the ocean with fish (non-mammals) found in the ocean. C. Investigate one mammal and one non-mammal more extensively for a class book. D. Watch a video about the animals, mammal and non-mammal, that live in their state or region.

A. Since the objective is for the students to practice discriminating between mammals and non-mammals, they need to look at many animals and decide in which they category they belong. Choice A is the only activity that provides exposure to a large number of "practice problems." Choice C may be a useful activity for the students to learn more about mammals and non-mammals, but it does not offer as much practice opportunity as A. Choice B does allow for some comparison, but it limits the environment and the animals to be compared, thereby hindering its overall effectiveness.

Suppose your objective for a lesson is "The student will demonstrate an ability to differentiate among igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks." Which of the following is the BEST activity for introducing students to the attributes of each type of rock? A. Students examine rocks belonging to each group and identify the similarities and differences. The activity is followed by a group discussion in which the teacher brings out the important characteristics of each type. B. The teacher writes a list of different types of rocks on the chalkboard and talks about the differences. C. Students take a field trip to a local park and find examples of each type of rock. This activity is followed by having the students make bulletin boards about igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. D. Students go to the library and look up the various kinds of rocks, making a chart of the important characteristics of each type. This activity is followed by a film that reinforces the concepts.

A. Students learn best when they are actively involved. Choice B is too passive; the teacher will be more involved than the students. Choice C is better for a follow-up or assessment activity after an introduction. Choice D is missing an important piece of the lesson—actual rocks.

Which strategy should a teacher impart to students to help them reduce their test-taking anxiety? A. Work through easier problems before tackling harder problems. B. Study a great deal the last three days before the test. C. Complete the review assignments for the test without any help. D. Picture getting the test back with a high grade on it.

A. Students who are anxious can build confidence on tests by completing easier problems first, then working on harder problems. Studying and completing review assignments helps students be prepared, but many anxious students do not find that preparation alleviates their anxiety. Positive visualization is not powerful enough to overcome many students' anxiety.

Which of the following phrases BEST completes the following sentence? "Vocabulary should be taught... A. in every subject area in order for students to master the subject matter." B. by giving students vocabulary lists to memorize every week." C. as a separate subject area." D. by the English department faculty because they are experts in teaching words."

A. The English department cannot possibly teach all of the vocabulary intrinsic to a particular subject. Rather than expecting students to memorize vocabulary, it is more effective to help "hook" the words to vocabulary words students already know and to use those words in context both in class and in homework. Choice C implies that more focused attention would lead to better student vocabularies, but vocabulary study without context is rarely retained.

Given the following set of scores on a standardized test, which choice most closely approximates the difference between the mean and median of the set- 89, 65, 77, 93, 80, 87, 79 A. 1 B. 3 C. 28 D. 80

A. The mean of the data is 81.43 and the median is 80. The difference between them is 1.43, which is closer to 1. Choice C is the range of scores and D is the median.

During a lesson, a teacher notices a student quietly folding a paper airplane rather than paying attention or participating. The MOST appropriate action to regain the student's attention would be A. moving to stand near the student. B. telling the student to pay attention. C. sending the student out of the room. D. giving the student a time out.

A. The student is not yet disrupting class or disturbing other students. Unless the problem escalates, proximity should properly indicate that you have noticed the misbehavior, and cause it to cease. Disrupting the lesson by using choices B, C, or D is not yet necessary.

The faculty adviser to a student website is training students to use photo processing software. What should the adviser plan to do after students have successfully tried the basic skills of importing an image file and saving it in an appropriate format for use on the web? A. Have students practice the skills until they meet a predetermined standard of quickness and accuracy. B. Learn how to upload the images to the web server without losing quality. C. Find out how much students already know about website development and transferring photos to websites. D. Explain how to do basic photo manipulations in the software program.

A. The students have acquired a skill, and the next steps should be to build fluency. Fluency is a combination of speed and accuracy. Choices B and D have to do with introducing new skills that can be acquired after the first is mastered. Choice C is incorrect because the adviser should find out what the students' current skills are before beginning training, not after

Which of the following would be the MOST relevant homework assignment for a lesson on the structure of a rain forest? A. Create a cluster diagram in class labeled "Layers of the rain forest" in the center and with the four rainforest layers as main ideas. Ask students to fill in details and examples at home. B. Divide students into groups. Have each group research a country that has a rain forest within its borders and collaboratively write a report to share with the class. C. Have each student search their home for items that came from the rain forest and bring these items to class for show-and-tell. D. Have students do Internet research on the burning of the rain forest, its causes and results.

A. This graphic organizer focuses on the structure of the rain forest and helps students organize the lesson material. Choice B asks for reports on nations that contain rain forest, not on rain forests themselves. Choice C is irrelevant because items from the rain forest tell nothing about its structure. This activity might be useful to engage students' interest when the topic of rain forests in general is first introduced. Choice D is irrelevant because it does not address the structure of the rain forest.

Which question below is MOST likely to generate the widest range of answers and discussions among students? A. Why would the author have ended the book this way? B. Which of these three books is your favorite? C. What is the main character's worst flaw? D. How did the narrator help the story?

A. This question allows for both a wide range of answers and discussion of those answers. The discussion is likely to be interesting because there are so many possible answers to the question. The remaining answer choices have a limited range of answers. Discussion may peter out more quickly because many students may share the same answer and reasoning. "Why" questions tend to be the most open-ended.

Which scenario demonstrates the BEST teaching strategy when posing higher order questions? A. The teacher poses a question, pauses for three to five seconds, and then asks for a student response. B. The teacher asks multiple questions and immediately calls on someone that does not volunteer. C. The teacher first calls on an individual student, asks a question, and waits for the student to respond. D. The teacher poses a question, pauses for students to think, and then provides the answer to the question.

A. Typically a question is asked, followed by a brief pause to allow students to formulate an answer, and then a volunteer or nonvolunteer is asked to answer. Asking multiple questions, as in choice B, can be confusing, leaving the students unsure of the point of questioning. Calling on a student before asking the question, as in choice C, gives no time for a student to formulate an answer, and it is likely to negatively impact the student's participation. Providing the question and the answer, as in choice D, does nothing to stimulate students to think about the new material. Student interest cannot be maintained if students know the teacher will provide all of the information required.

The following exchange between a teacher and a student occurs during a middle school science lesson: Teacher: "Identify one problem in wetlands ecology." Student: "Non-native plants?" Which of the following is the MOST appropriate teacher response? A. Why would non-native plants be a problem? B. Are they also invasive? C. What are some other reasons? D. "Yes."

A. When a student is correct but uncertain, it is helpful to follow their answer with a clarifying question to lead the student to a more developed level of understanding. Choices B, C, and D move on to additional concepts without reinforcing the student understanding.

A high school English teacher has assigned a novel for students to complete for a six-week unit. The teacher gives students a reading schedule. Each day the teacher gives students a pop quiz over the assigned chapters. The teacher then discusses the chapters and has students take notes. What other type of assessment tools can the teacher use to make sure students are keeping up with the reading and learning the content? A. Have students complete weekly worksheets, give students a test every other week, and assign a composition about one of the learning objectives. B. Have students write a summary of the assigned chapters before the pop quiz and take a test after reading the novel. C. Have students write a book report after reading the novel and create a movie poster that covers one of the learning objectives for the novel. D. Have students take turns leading the discussions for the chapters and give students a test at the end of the reading.

A. Worksheets that make students show that they are grasping the concepts of the novel will help the teacher know if he or she needs to review, re-teach, or slow the pace. Giving tests that carry more weight will also help motivate students to keep up with the reading. The writing assignment allows students to show that they can interpret the novel. Choice B does not provide enough feedback for the teacher or the student. Creating a movie poster is a good closure activity but does not encourage the students to keep up with the reading. Having students take turns leading the discussion may cause some students to stop reading after they have had their turn leading the discussion.

The current lesson objective in a fourth grade class is for students to remember each prefix used in metric distances. The teacher has explained the different prefixes that the metric system uses and written each one on the board from largest to smallest: kilometer, hectometer, decameter, meter, decimeter, centimeter, and millimeter. To help students meet the objective, the teacher should A. share the common mnemonic device "King Henry Doesn't Mind Drinking Chocolate Milk" for remembering the order of the prefixes. B. tell students to recite the prefixes in order to a partner. C. have students make and use flashcards to memorize what metric unit each prefix letter represents. D. direct students to copy the information from the board into their science or math notebook.

A. Young students find mnemonic devices such as this very useful and memorable. Copying the information down does nothing to ensure that the students have met the objective. Flashcards are a good study tool, but do not help cement a new concept.

A teacher is planning a lesson for a unit on the portion of the Seven Years War fought in North America between England and France, known to Americans as the French and Indian War. The lesson's main goal is to show the relative strengths and weaknesses of English and French forces in North America. Which of the following aids would be MOST useful for reaching that goal? A. Maps showing which parts of North America each nation controlled at the start of the war B. A comparison/contrast chart for students to fill in as they work through the unit C. A timeline showing major events before, during, and after the fighting D. Projected or online facsimiles of original documents, letters, and diaries

B. A chart of this type helps students focus on similarities and differences as they study. Maps, timelines, and facsimiles of primary materials are all standard materials for teaching history, but they do not directly support the comparison and contract processes.

What kind of information can be gathered using a formative student assessment? A. A reliable performance grade B. Patterns of student errors C. A ranking of students based on learning D. A comparison of student achievement to grade-level norms

B. A formative assessment is designed to give immediate evidence of student learning and is not used to grade or evaluate students.

A nine-year-old student with diagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is in a regular education classroom. He has average ability in math. Which strategy below will MOST effectively help him memorize his multiplication facts? A. Provide the student with a multiplication table to help him complete the classwork. B. Have him spend 15 minutes per day using a computer program that practices multiplication facts. C. Partner him with another student who also needs to practice multiplication facts. D. Have him complete a multiplication fact worksheet at the beginning of math time until he learns the facts.

B. A multiplication fact program on the computer will probably hold his interest for more time than any of the other strategies, which means he will practice more. Working with another student may be a chance to goof off, rather than focus on practicing.

The reports that schools and parents receive when their students take norm-referenced standardized tests include the student's percentile ranking for each skill or subject areas tested. A percentile rank is the percent of A. questions that the student answered correctly in each area of the test. B. students from the sample group who scored less than or equal to the student. C. students from the sample group who scored more than the student. D. questions answered correctly by students in the same school.

B. A percentile rank compares a given student to the sample group by showing how many people in the sample group scored worse than or equal to the student. Scoring in the 70th percentile means that a student scored higher than 70% of the students in the sample group. The 50th percentile is considered "average" on a norm-referenced test. The percentile rank is not the same as the percent of questions answered correctly on the test.

Which teaching plan is the BEST way to begin a mathematics class? A. Go over the homework B. Begin a simple activity C. Discuss the new vocabulary D. Have students ask questions

B. A simple warm-up activity allows the students to transition their thinking to mathematics. It has the added benefits of giving students a review, preview, or extension activity and giving the teacher an opportunity to check in with students and recognize individual difficulties that may appear while students do the warm up.

A student comes to you and says, "I just can't do math. My dad can't either. I don't have that kind of brain. I just don't get it." Which of the following is the BEST response to this situation? A. Ease up on the student, and provide successful experiences to enhance what that student does know. B. Offer additional help and explain that you will pinpoint the areas that are causing problems and work through them. C. Tell the student you will meet with his parents to discuss the situation. D. Point out that everyone has strengths and weaknesses.

B. All students should be accountable. It insults students when the teacher assumes they cannot learn and gives them an excuse to avoid a challenge.

Which of the following statements, when used to begin a lesson on the respiratory system, encourages meaningful student participation? A. "Today we are going to learn about the respiratory system." B. "Take a deep breath and pay attention to how it feels to breathe deeply." C. "All mammals breathe; we're going to learn about breathing today." D. "You breathe all day every day. Do you know how breathing works?"

B. Beginning a lesson with overt or covert participation is effective in helping students focus and absorb material. Choice B gives students a specific task, focusing their minds on the topic. Choices A and C are passively received by the listener and do not give the student a task to help them participate. Choice D is shallow and if absorbed by the students at all, can be dismissed with a yes or no answer.

Which of the following approaches would be the MOST effective introduction to a lesson on quadrilaterals? A. Explain the difference between regular and irregular quadrilaterals. B. Give students examples and non-examples of a quadrilateral. C. Discuss the etymology of "quadrilateral". D. Have students use the term in a sentence.

B. By comparing and contrasting students are able to develop the definition and generalize to new examples, thus truly understanding the term on a conceptual level. None of the other choices is an appropriate introductory exercise.

Which of the following statements will require students to analyze what they are working on? A. "How many of the following ..." B. "What are the main features of ..." C. "What would you suggest for ..." D. "Retell in your own way..."

B. Choice B requires students to divide something into its constituents, the heart of analysis. Choice A calls for basic knowledge. Choice C invites a kind of evaluation plus generating options. Choice D requires comprehension.

A ninth-grade teacher plans to teach his students how to use latitude and longitude to locate places on a map. He wants to build upon students' prior knowledge, so which of the following would be MOST logical to link with lessons on latitude and longitude? A. Using a local map to find places they know. B. Graphing ordered pairs on a coordinate plane. C. Relating finding places to a scavenger hunt. D. Explaining how early explorers figured out where they were going.

B. Finding a specific location using its latitude and longitude is the same concept as plotting points using ordered pairs in math. By ninth grade, students have generally mastered this skill, so it is convenient and pertinent prior knowledge. Choice D would be pertinent, but is less likely to be common prior knowledge. The other two answer choices are not useful for prior knowledge links specifically to latitude and longitude.

What would be the MOST expedient way for a teacher to find out whether students know specific facts about whales? A. In small groups, students make webs showing what they know about whales. B. Students take a multiple-choice pretest about whales. C. The teacher takes notes during a class brainstorm about whales. D. Students write an in-class essay about whales.

B. If a teacher needs to know whether students know certain facts, a multiple-choice is a fast way to find out. Making webs in small groups would allow students the time to share everything they know about whales and build on each others' knowledge, and may give the teacher an idea of what they know, but it will not give her all the answers she needs quickly. The class brainstorm would generate similar information as the webs made by the small groups, but fewer students would participate and their participation would be limited to a few comments, making this even less effective for the teacher.

Which of the methods below will BEST hold students accountable for their full participation in cooperative learning groups? A. Allow students to evaluate each other on several measures of participation after the activity is completed. B. Assign each student in the group a specific role in accomplishing the objectives of the activity. C. Grade students' products from the activity individually and not based on group work. D. Group students with friends so they are highly motivated to work together.

B. If each student has a role in meeting the objectives and the activity is well structured, then all students will be drawn into participating because they all have something to do. Grading students' work individually can be appropriate during cooperative learning activities, but if group process is not also evaluated, then some students will decline to participate with their group. Evaluating each other can become awkward and unfair for numerous reasons, so it should be generally avoided.

One of your students is habitually late to class. He arrives without his books and seldom has his homework. In class, he answers without raising his hand and his comments are typically sarcastic. You have already assigned him to detention, but you are not getting the results you want. Which of the following actions should be taken next? A. Move his seat right next to your desk where you can constantly correct his negative behavior. B. Set up a parent conference and include the student. Ask an administrator to sit in. Create a list of changes you expect, addressing especially his verbal misconduct. C. Tell your administrator that there is a personality conflict with this student. Ask to have his class changed. D. Tell the student in private that he is responsible for his actions. Consequently, he will fail your class and continue to get detention for disrupting your class.

B. If you continue to comment on this student's outbursts, you are actually reinforcing his negative behavior. A parent conference with the student and another administrator will make the student realize that his actions are detrimental. The consequences should be clearly defined. By having a parent and administrator present, everyone knows what the consequences will be if the student does not correct his actions. Choice D seems reasonable. Chances are the student may fail your class, but the best action is to involve the parents and the administrator.

A teacher thinks a student is under a great deal of stress, perhaps because of a bad relationship with a parent and step-parent. Among the following choices, which is the first thing that the teacher should do? A. Arrange a conference with the parent and step-parent. B. Refer the student to a professional help provider. C. Adapt assignments to draw the student out. D. Watch for signs of destructive behavior emerging.

B. In such a case, the first order of business is getting the best available help for the student. The teacher may be valuable during or after another professional is engaged. A conference with the parent and step-parent is premature. As for Answer C, it is better for a teacher to stick to educational rather than therapeutic goals. Another professional might advise the teacher on what behaviors to look for as time goes along.

In order to use an inductive sequence for teaching about World War II, which of the following would be the BEST way for a class to work? A. Arrange events, persons, and groups along a timeline leading up to and through the war. B. Examine events leading up to the war and develop a general model of world war in the process. C. Learn a model of world warfare and examine how World War II fits into the model. D. Examine how different persons, groups, and events contributed to the war.

B. Induction is the process of building a general model. Choice C is deduction. Choices A and D are interesting and potentially valuable—either might fit into a general model—but neither one is inductive or deductive.

A science class has just completed a unit of study on ecology, including vegetative regions and biomes. Which of the following student activities demonstrates the highest level of content mastery? A. Compare and contrast ecological characteristics of various areas of the world. B. Discuss the effects of weather patterns on the ecology of other countries. C. Label biomes on a world map and provide a general definition of the terms used. D. Visit a nature preserve and identify characteristics related to the local vegetative region.

B. Intelligently discussing how a concept applies to other scenarios exhibits mastery of higher level thinking. Listing similarities and differences, as in choice A, labeling using new terms and definitions, as in choice C, and identifying examples based on information already learned, as in choice D, are among the first stages of content mastery.

A teacher is conducting a lesson on the Industrial Revolution and the significant changes in methods of transportation and travel during that time. After being called on, a student asks why steam engines are not used in cars today. The teacher should A. take the teachable moment when a student expresses an interest and contrast the steam powered engine to car engines of today. B. acknowledge the question as interesting, yet ask the student to wait until later for the class to travel that thread of thinking. C. ask the student to stay on task. D. assign the student the responsibility to go to the library and report back to the class.

B. It is important to maintain continuity and not digress from the teaching objective, yet the student's question is germane to the big picture of industrial progress so it should be honored as good thinking. Asking the student to go to the library could be misinterpreted by the students as punishment for asking a question. The entire class or the teacher should be involved in the task rather than assigning an extra task for an interested student.

Students are about to take a paper and pencil test. If there is time for only one of the following activities, which would BEST prepare the students for the test? A. Students should go over their notes and homework assignments. B. Students should make a chart of the important topics with notes on subtopics below each. C. Students should play a teacher-developed game as a class, answering test-type questions. D. Students should work individually on test-type questions.

B. Organizational structures help students to connect and remember. Choice A leaves students to their own devices to develop structure, which would work only with the most advanced students. Choices C and D, although they could be helpful, would not give as much support as an organizational structure.

Which of the following prompts require students to synthesize information? A. Compare and contrast B. Organize a plan C. Justify this thought D. Use an instruction manual

B. Organizing and planning are related to synthesis. Comparing and contrasting are part of analyzing. Justifying something is akin to evaluating it. Using a manual implies application of knowledge.

While observing an experienced teacher you notice that every time a student answers a question correctly, the teacher asks the entire class a new question, frequently related to the previous one, but sometimes pushing the students in a different direction. Which of the following is the MOST compelling reason a teacher might do this? A. There is a lot to cover, and no time to waste. B. Maintaining momentum is an important key to facilitating group attention. C. The students need to be pushed. D. A teacher asks questions to facilitate student thinking.

B. Pacing and momentum are very important when teaching groups. The teacher wants to make sure that all students are engaged while also making sure to cover the necessary content.

Two students work together to prepare visual aids that illustrate the major waves of immigration to the United States. The activity satisfies which of the following learning objectives? A. Analyzing cause and effect. B. Communicating in suitable ways. C. Providing adequate support for claims. D. Making inferences.

B. Preparing visual aids necessarily engages students in thinking about what's suitable for the content, purpose, and audience. Their content may or may not require analyzing for cause and effect, for making claims, or making inferences.

What must a teacher ascertain before designing a unit on the relationships between decimals, fractions, and percentages? A. Which of her students are most likely to have problems understanding number relationships B. What students already know about decimals, fractions, and percentages C. What kind of help is available to students from people outside the classroom D. Which part of unit will be the most interesting for students

B. Prior learning always influences new learning. Student interest is important, but an awareness of student interest is not a prerequisite to effective teaching.

A science teacher wants to introduce the concept of parasitism among animal species. She begins by describing several parasitic relationships between animal species. She then asks students to identify what is similar and different about these pairs, with the goal of determining the essential attributes of the relationships. What kind of instructional approach is she using? A. Deductive B. Inductive C. Socratic D. Synectic

B. She is asking students to generalize based on specifics. A teacher using a deductive approach would first give students a definition or rule, and then ask them to apply it to specifics. Synectics is a teaching model that encourages students to see old ideas in new ways. The Socratic approach involves asking students a series of questions designed to guide them toward understanding a concept.

A teacher asked his student to find the area of a triangle. The student's response was correct but was given in an unsure and timid manner. What could the teacher say to encourage the student's understanding of finding the area of triangles? A. "Excellent. Let's try another problem like this one." B. "You're right. How did you figure that out?" C. "Good. You multiply the base times the height and divide by two." D. Come up and show us what you did.

B. Since the student was unsure of his answer, it is helpful for the teacher to confirm his answer first, before challenging him to explain how he figured out the answer. Giving his own explanation will help him understand how to find the area of any triangle. Trying another problem does not help increase understanding if the concept behind the practice is not explained.

What activity would BEST help students in a middle school social studies class understand why different Native American tribes had different trading practices? A. Give a carefully constructed lecture that covers the similarities and differences among tribal trading practices, while having students take notes on the outline of the lecture. Follow up with worksheet questions to answer. B. Assign a tribe to each group of students and give each group handouts that identify needs and oversupply for a particular tribe. Then stage trading activities among groups and have students identify important aspects. C. Have students compare and contrast trading practices of Native Americans with the trading practices of pioneer settlers, developing a list of differences and similarities. D. Show students pictures of Native Americans trading articles and explain the differences between the different types. Give specific reasons why different tribes traded certain articles.

B. Students engaged in active participation are more likely to learn and understand complex interconnections. Choices A and D are generally passive for students. Choice C is off-topic.

A social studies teacher wants students to consider the role of geography in population patterns. She asks her class, "What role did geography play in the growth of Chicago as a major U.S. city?" What should she do next? A. Allow students to call out answers and write them on the board. B. Tell students not to call out responses but to raise their hand when they think of an answer and wait to be called on. C. Call on a student and ask for an immediate response. D. List some possible answers on the blackboard and ask students which they think are best.

B. Students need various amounts of time to think through an answer to a question, particularly for complicated questions. Allowing students to answer right away can stop the thinking process for the other students. Calling on a student allows the rest of the class to stop thinking about the problem, too, and puts the student in an embarrassing position. Choice D may be an option if the discussion gets stalled, but students should be given plenty of time to come up with their own ideas before the teacher starts prompting them.

Which of the following is MOST likely to promote effective transfer of knowledge to students? A. Covering a large number of related topics quickly. B. Having students work on their own with specific information related to a topic before giving an organizing lecture. C. Having an open discussion on a topic before any specific information related to the topic is given. D. Covering organizational principles of a topic and then giving students information about specific subtopics.

B. Studies indicate that topics need to be organized and connected in order to promote transfer of knowledge, but that a large number of topics covered quickly will hinder student transfer because students have too little time to connect and organize the information. Introducing organizational structure early makes student learning difficult in that they first need specific information about the topic before the organizational structure can make sense and be remembered. Choice C is not likely to be instructive, as students need to have some knowledge about a topic before participating productively in a discussion.

A fourth grade class has been having a great deal of trouble settling down during transitions between activities, as well as after recess and lunch. The teacher has decided to speak to the class again about what behavior he expects and offers them a reward for exhibiting the acceptable behaviors during transition times. Which type of incentive is MOST appropriate in this situation? A. When the whole class behaves appropriately, they earn points toward a group reward that the class has chosen. B. When individual students behave appropriately, they earn points toward a group reward that the class has chosen. C. When individual students behave appropriately, they earn points toward a personal reward from a list of choices. D. When individual students behave appropriately, they earn a small reward immediately.

B. The more students who behave appropriately, the faster the students will reach their reward goal. This also encourages modeling of appropriate behavior, so that there is some peer pressure to help earn more points. It eliminates the punishing aspects of having a few students who cannot or will not behave appropriately, which is the problem with having the whole class behave appropriately in order to earn points. Since the behavior problems involve whole-class management, the incentive should be for the whole class, not the individuals.

The teacher has written the following objective for her fifth grade students: "The students will correctly locate 45 of the 50 United States on a blank map of the United States." Which of the following is the BEST way to assess whether students have met the objective? A. The students take a test where they match the individual shape of a state to its name. B. The students take a test where they are given a blank map and a list of all 50 states. The students write in the name of each state in its correct location on the map. C. A map of the United States is grouped into 5 regions, and each region is studied and tested separately. The test consists of writing the name of each state from memory onto a blank map of the region. D. The students work in pairs to fill in a blank map. Each pair has a list of all 50 states and an atlas to reference.

B. The students are not asked to memorize the names of all 50 states, only to locate the states on a blank map, so a list of the states is appropriate for them to work from as they fill in the map. They should not use an atlas during the assessment of the objective. Grouping the states into regions (choice C) may be a useful way to teach the location of the 50 states and to check the students' understanding as the unit progresses, but it does not assess whether they know 45 of the 50 states on a blank map.

A teacher wants to teach the scientific method by asking students to set up an experiment to learn what natural resources seeds need in order to germinate. What should be the first step in this process? A. Begin a class discussion by asking, "What do you think seeds need in order to sprout and grow?" B. Explain the scientific method giving several examples of research questions, hypotheses, and experiment designs. C. Show students a projected microscope slide of a germinating seed shown in cross-section. D. Break students into small groups and ask them to come up with proposals for setting up the experiment.

B. The teacher's goal is to teach the scientific method. Before students can design their own experiments or begin to think about seed germination as a research question, they must understand the requirements of the scientific method. Choices A and C would be useful activities after the basic guidelines are established. Choice D is also useful, but should come after students have enough information about both germination and experimentation to design a workable experiment.

Consider the following two questions a teacher might ask a high school social studies class. I: According to our textbook, what does the public welfare system do to solve the problems of poverty? II: What are some ways our country might solve the problems of poverty? Which of the following best describes the differences between these questions? A. I invites more critical thinking than II. B. II invites more divergent thinking than I. C. II is closed-ended and I is open-ended. D. I invites more divergent thinking than II.

B. This question is a matter of relative convergence and divergence. Question I converges on the textbook; that is, good answers will stick to what the textbook says. Question II allows for answers that may draw on sources other than the textbook. Both questions are open-ended.

Consider the following question asked by a first grade teacher: "What do the three stories we have read by Tomie de Paola have in common?" What is the main instructional value of asking a question like this? A. Factual recall of characters from the three stories B. Analysis of the separate stories and comparison between them C. Analysis of the themes the author carries across the stories D. Factual recall of specific events from the three stories

B. This question utilizes comparisons, which is part of the fourth level of Bloom's Taxonomy, analysis. The teacher is looking to see which students are able to think of all three stories at the same time and make comparisons between them. Choice C also covers analysis, but it limits the analysis to a single subject, themes. The teacher is not looking specifically for factual recall in this higher-order thinking question, although recall may also occur.

A student is returning to school after being hospitalized for three months. Which accommodations should a teacher consider? A. Relaxing behavior standards. B. Giving additional time to complete assigned work. C. Assigning another student to assist the returning student with classroom work. D. Lowering performance accuracy standards temporarily.

B. Time to complete work is typically the most important accommodation needed after a long absence. Most students who have been absent realize they will have adjustments to make and their classmates realize this as well. Lowering expectations for in-class behavior or performance does not help the student progress. Assigning another student to help only slows the student's recovery, and is unnecessary if extra time is granted for completion of assignments.

What is the BEST method for reinforcing the proper use of the pronoun "me "? A. Have students write a paragraph in which students discuss themselves, using the word me at least 10 times. B. Give students a structured worksheet that has sentences with a blank to be filled in by me or I. C. Use an oral practice exercise, in which students sit with a partner and each make up ten sentences that use me properly. D. Correct students whenever they use me improperly in class.

B. To reinforce newly learned material, students are most successful when practicing in a highly structured way. Therefore, the correct answer is B. The sentences can force the students to practice using the pronoun in a variety of sentence situations, which may not happen in any of the other three practice scenarios. Also, the worksheet only practices the concept learned.

Which of the following would provide the BEST introduction for a lesson on writing bibliographic references? A. Tell students to find a book with bibliographic references and copy the format. B. Demonstrate to students the specific procedure and order expected. C. Have students read bibliographies at the end of various texts and identify the elements of the citations. D. Instruct students to list the important information given on the first two pages of the book.

B. Writing bibliographic references is a procedure, and procedures are best taught through demonstration. There are a variety of formats for citations, but students need to be consistent in their format, so the teacher needs to specify the important elements.

Which of the following is the MOST effective way to focus students' attention? A. Hand out a list of rules that will apply in the classroom. B. Give an ungraded quiz on the most important content. C. Use a visual aid that portrays main points. D. Have students choose study group partners.

C. A good visual aid portraying more than one point can be a focal point for a presentation that goes on for an extended time, say 10 to 15 minutes. It encourages everyone to pay attention to the same thing at the same time. A list, as in choice A, might be useful but is less effective in concentrating attention. Choice B is incorrect because students are less likely to pay attention to a quiz that they know does not count. Forming study groups may be counterproductive, as students are likely to forms groups with friends and be inclined to socialize.

Which of the following assessment methods BEST assesses a student's ability to write in several different literary styles? A. Multiple-choice test B. Quizzes for each genre C. Portfolio D. Essay test

C. A portfolio can contain the student's work in each genre. A multiple-choice test does not test writing effectively. A quiz after each genre is taught could test students' understanding of the characteristics of the genre, but not their ability to write in it. An essay can only test one type of writing at a time.

Curriculum planning is a major aspect of a teacher's job. Which teaching practice listed below will BEST help students to achieve grade-level outcomes? A. Consulting the state curriculum on a frequent basis. B. Planning units of study that are interesting and then consulting the state curriculum to be sure that the standards are incorporated into the lessons. C. Using the state curriculum at the beginning of the school year to determine the learning objectives for the year, which are then incorporated into units of study. D. Using the textbooks and materials mandated by the school district because they have been chosen to meet the standards for each grade level.

C. A teacher should have a plan for the school year before the year begins, so that he or she is sure to teach the required learning objectives. The units of study can then be constructed around the objectives, rather than the reverse, which is suggested in choice B. The textbooks and materials will most likely cover the grade-level objectives and more; they are rarely designed specifically enough to meet a teacher's exact needs.

Which of the following statements BEST illustrates a proven technique for encouraging student effort? A. "I know you can do it if you really try." B. "You do this better than any student I've ever had." C. "You're exactly right here and here. Now check this." D. "You look great today. How's it going?"

C. Choice C gives a student specific feedback about successful learning or performance and also points ahead to even better performance. Choice A tries to be encouraging, but it's not specific and hints at a lack of effort. Choice B sounds exaggerated. Choice D does not encourage effort directly.

Which of the following presentations is the MOST promising way to communicate how supply and demand affect each other to a whole class of middle school students? A. Show students selected passages from several standard textbooks. B. Quote famous people that students are likely to know and like. C. Use an analogy to a water system's supply lines, control valves, and faucets. D. Review facts about the two concepts and tell students to imagine them connected.

C. Choice C is a mental picture that will allow the teacher to state (or induce from students) a series of interconnected points. Choice A may or may not add anything to what students have already worked on. Actual examples of choice B are likely to be hard to find. Choice D gives no direction to students apart from urging them to be imaginative.

A teacher is planning how to explain classroom assessment practices to a group of parents. Which of the following could be used as an example of formative assessment? A. Comparing student performance on a posttest compared to a pretest. B. Analyzing standardized test scores to show how students in one school compare to those in other schools. C. Evaluating whether teaching practices need to be changed based on student self-evaluation. D. Using a diagnostic test to predict whether students will do well on a standardized test.

C. Formative assessments are those that give indications of what needs to be adjusted, corrected, or otherwise improved based on feedback. They guide instruction that is taking place. Choices A and B are examples of another category of assessments: summative. They sum up instruction that has been completed.

Of the following verbs or verb phrases, which one is most fitting for an objective concerned with students' ability to generalize? A. List and describe what you remember... B. Define and explain each of the following... C. Find and explain additional cases of... D. Evaluate how well...

C. Generalizing is the process of extending what has been learned. In its most precise sense, it calls for finding identical cases or uses of what has being learned. At the very least, it calls for finding very similar cases or uses. Choices A and B do not call for generalization. Instead, they operate with what students can recall or are given. Choice D clearly calls for an evaluation of some kind.

After grading a test, a teacher notices that the scores are significantly below the students' usual scores. The teacher decides that he did not communicate the material effectively. Rather than discard the test scores or unfairly penalize the students, the teacher decides to grade on a curve. Which of the following distributions will BEST describe the data once it has been adjusted? A. Bernoulli distribution B. Continuous probability distribution C. Normal distribution D. Poisson distribution

C. Grading on a curve fits the set of test scores along a bell curve, or normal distribution, in which the majority of students score near the mean—few students score significantly higher or lower than the mean.

Which of the following language arts activities requires the highest order of thinking skills? A. Summarizing a chapter from a novel. B. Comparing and contrasting two main characters from a novel. C. Imagining and writing a new ending to a novel. D. Identifying the major and minor characters in a novel.

C. Imagining and writing a new ending to a story is an example of the synthesis level of thinking on Bloom's Taxonomy. The six levels of thinking skills that Bloom identifies are (1) knowledge, as in choice D; (2) comprehension, as in choice A; (3) application; (4) analysis, as in choice B; (5) synthesis; and (6) evaluation.

During an exam, a teacher notices one of her students attempting to look at a classmate's test. Which tactic is the MOST appropriate response before she considers more serious disciplinary actions? A. Say to the class, "I think I see someone cheating." B. Go over to the student and ask if he or she is cheating. C. State that it is expected that everyone do his or her own work. D. Stop the exam and compare the answers of the two students.

C. Making a statement of an expectation is a simple way to handle situations like this. All of the students are made aware that the teacher is watching to make sure that everyone is on task. All of the other choices may cause unnecessary anxiety and disruption.

A teacher should use metaphors during a lesson in order to A. help students relate parts of concepts to larger concepts. B. enhance student ability to communicate ideas. C. explain new concepts by identifying the similarities they share with known concepts. D. develop student literary ability with figures of speech.

C. Metaphor can build understanding of new ideas by building on the foundations of previously taught concepts.

A student, usually well-behaved, is being disruptive at the moment. Which of the following techniques is an effective first intervention? A. Ask, "What's up with you today?" B. Say, "Watch what you're doing." C. Move closer to the student. D. Tell the student to stay after class.

C. Moving closer is a good nonverbal cue that the teacher has recognized something that needs attention, yet it gives the student a chance to correct things on the spot.

When teachers share standardized test results with parents, there is a large amount of information in the score report to be discussed. Which information will be of MOST use to the typical parent? A. How the student compares to other students in the nation B. The student's approximate reading grade level C. Specific areas of academic strength and weakness D. Average scores in their child's school and grade

C. Parents will generally benefit most from specific information about how to help their child succeed. When parents know their child's weaknesses, they can emphasize working to improve them. Parents may want to know how their child has done in comparison to other students, locally and nationally, but the information does not help their child improve.

The most effective group discussion questions... A. are organized to allow for specific correct answers that lead to the main idea of the lesson. B. address a variety of cognitive levels in order to reach students of different thinking styles. C. are open-ended to allow for students to explore a range of possible correct answers. D. are preceded by a thorough discussion by the teacher, outlining all possible acceptable answers beforehand.

C. Questions with correct answers do not promote student achievement and expansion. Addressing cognitive levels does not relate to thinking styles.

Which of the following is the BEST example of effective cooperative learning? A. The teacher identifies specific tasks for the group and then grades based on individual efforts of every student. B. The groups are formed by self-selection and all members participate equally in all activities. C. Each group member has a specific task and the group has a clearly identified objective. D. Each group completes a task and each individual is graded based on the overall results of the entire group activity.

C. Studies indicate that setting individual tasks for group members will lead to effective cooperative learning. Because self-selection seems to weaken a group, the strongest answer in the collection is C.

How should a teacher generally begin almost every class? A. By engaging in some casual conversation with students. B. By reminding students to pay attention. C. By telling students what they will be covering that day. D. By reviewing skills learned during the previous class session.

C. Telling students what they will be covering helps focus students' attention. A teacher should remind students to pay attention if she notices that their attention is wandering, but she need not start every class with this reminder. Reviewing skills is helpful on occasion, but not in every class. Casual conversation with students builds rapport but should be reserved for before or after class.

A student who is usually well-behaved is consistently interrupting the class routine and annoying nearby students. The teacher has already reminded him that he must obey the classroom behavior standards, but that has not changed the behavior. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate teacher response? A. Ignore the student and expect that his usually helpful nature will resurface. B. Ask the student to explain the standards of classroom behavior to the class. C. Separate the student from his classmates and have him take a five-minute time-out. D. Send the student to the school discipline officer so that his behavior does not influence other students' behavior.

C. The behavior is consistent so ignoring it is ineffective. Rules must be enforced consistently, and if the student actively chooses to disobey, a consequence must follow. Referring the student to the school discipline officer is far too severe a response at this early stage, and telling him to explain behavior standards is unlikely to be effective since he has already ignored reminders. The problem is not that he cannot comprehend what the rules are, but instead why he has to follow them.

How could a teacher effectively model the use of key concepts involved in everyday economic decisions? A. Teach students the general model of how supply and demand affect each other. B. Use well-chosen and well-prepared visual aids during discussions. C. Describe an actual or plausible economic decision he or she has made. D. Give two or more examples; ask students to give additional ones.

C. The key here is the nature of modeling, which is a careful version of "This is how I do it." It is best accomplished with a personal account similar to a case study. None of the other choices use that process.

A group of students wants to produce an electronic magazine that publishes original student writing and art. Their adviser is planning a unit to train them how to use a word-processing application to create pages that include features such as images, multi-column layouts, sidebars, headers, footers, links, and page backgrounds. Which of the following would be the BEST culminating activity for this portion of the training? A. A mastery test that includes essay and multiple-choice questions and has a high standards for a passing score B. Each student producing a document under proctored conditions, using a set of specific features, and without reference materials C. Small teams producing a document under proctored conditions, using specified features, and within a time limit D. Each student working under proctored conditions to produce a document with six different features they select

C. The purpose of the training is to prepare students to apply what they learn. The team and time limit conditions make the performance more realistic; the whole activity promotes retaining and transferring what has been learned. Written tests are not ideal for gauging student mastery of a process. Since students will be working in groups to produce the magazine, testing their solo performance is also unhelpful.

Which of the following questions BEST promotes discussion? A. Why did Martin Luther King, Jr. admire Mahatma Gandhi? B. Why did Malcolm X break with the Black Muslims? C. Why do we still struggle to end racism? D. Why did President Eisenhower call out the National Guard?

C. This question allows for a large number of answers and a wide-ranging discussion. The discussion is likely to be interesting because it can include so many points of view. Choices A, B, and D involve recall of specific information.

Which type of educational test BEST measures students' performance on specific skill objectives as compared to a performance standard of those skills? A. Multiple-choice B. Norm-referenced C. Criterion-referenced D. Portfolio assessment

C. Unlike a norm-referenced test, a criterion-referenced test does not compare students against a sample group of students who took the test, only whether they have mastered specific skills. Choice A is incorrect because a multiple choice test can be norm-referenced or criterion-referenced.

A seventh grade class has just finished reading two novels. Which graphic organizer would be most appropriate to compare and contrast the two novels in an essay? A. T-chart B. Story map C. Outline D. Venn diagram

D. A Venn diagram is the most useful graphic organizer for comparing and contrasting information. When students work in small groups, deciding where to put information in the Venn diagram stimulates discussion. It gives them a visual representation of what is in common and what is not, which is very useful to students as they organize their thoughts for a writing assignment. Making an outline would be a useful follow-up to the Venn diagram, but it does not help most students sort the information into categories.

Ms. Brown has just taught a lesson on the major battles of the Civil War. Which of the following student activities would demonstrate mastery of the material? A. Students choose a Civil War general and write a report about him. B. Students write a fictional account of a young soldier in the war. C. Students write an essay entitled "The Worst Battle of the Civil War." D. Students make a detailed timeline of the war.

D. A timeline would name the battles and arrange them in chronological order, which would provide a graphic organizer to frame students' knowledge. They would then demonstrate more mastery by filling in the details. Choice A would demonstrate knowledge only of the events in the life of one general. Choice B could be fulfilled with little knowledge of actual battles, instead using imagination to create a picture of a young soldier's experiences. Choice C would demonstrate knowledge only of one battle.

When students cannot transfer a concept from the classroom to other settings the most common reason is A. irrelevance of the concept to their lives. B. inattention during key lessons. C. hostile attitudes toward school. D. insufficient practice with transferring it.

D. According to researchers, most people do not transfer what they learn unless they are encouraged or required to do so.

On a standardized history achievement test, a student scored at +2 standard deviations. From this, the teacher can determine that the student A. is a relatively average student. B. is a relatively smart student. C. has learned an average amount of history. D. has learned a great deal of history.

D. At +2 standard deviations, a student is at approximately the 95th percentile, which would mean that the student has achieved well in history. It does not indicate the student's intelligence, only his achievement level.

Which of the following learning objectives uses a higher order thinking skill? A. The student will name the capitals of all 50 states. B. The student will classify given astral bodies (given their important attributes) as comets or meteors. C. The student will solve a quadratic equation. D. The student will create a metaphor to describe an emotion.

D. Bloom's Taxonomy identifies thinking skills in increasing order of sophistication as knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Answer D requires synthesis in order to complete the task.

At the start of a new unit a teacher uses a one-page handout containing a 25-item checklist designed to get information about what students know and do not know about the unit's subject matter. No names appear on the handout. The teacher sorts the information into categories including: (a) what most students seem to know already, (b) what most students do not know, and (c) what misconceptions seem widespread. How should the teacher proceed from this point? A. Discuss the misconceptions and explain how to eliminate them. B. Start with what students do not know, building toward their previous knowledge. C. Explain how the misconceptions develop from not knowing. D. Start with what students know and move from there to new material.

D. By starting with what students know, a teacher can help students create connections between their prior knowledge and new concepts.

A teaching unit should be designed so that key skills are A. mastered well before the midpoint of the unit. B. presented in substantial chunks and practiced before proceeding. C. practiced early and in substantial chunks. D. practiced frequently until students retain them.

D. Frequent practice distributed across the available time period helps students develop fluency. In most cases, smaller chunks work better than big ones.

Which of the following techniques BEST promotes student comprehension? A. Giving students a pretest and a posttest on the material covered in the unit. B. Ensuring material is covered using both teacher demonstration and student practice. C. Encouraging students to come in for extra help whenever they need personal attention. D. Dividing major objectives into small learning units, each with objectives and assessment

D. Identifying and mastering all of the skills and concepts that make up each objective ensures that students truly understand what is taught. Testing, student practice, and extra help are all methods you can use to teach the material, but only once you have first divided it up appropriately.

A struggling student comes to pick up a paper at your desk during class time. You have determined that this student needs extra help. Which of the following would be BEST to say to the student? A. "Come in at lunch and I'll help you work on the problems in this paper." B. "This paper needs work. Would you like my help?" C. "I had another student like you who needed help with this topic. When can you get help?" D. "I'd like to talk to you about this paper in a little more detail. Let's set up a time when we can talk in private."

D. It is important to protect student privacy and avoid embarrassment. The vital issue is not to share lack of success with the rest of the students.

A student has struggled with math for as long as he can remember. Now, as an eighth grader, he resents having to do math, which often shows in his attitude towards the teacher and class. However, he still wants to understand the material and pass the class. He turns in his homework regularly, but does not always do very well on it. What strategy should the teacher employ to help him be more successful in math? A. Grade the student's papers more generously than those of students who do not struggle. B. Call on the student more often in class. C. Compliment the student on his work so that he will be motivated to turn it in. D. Check in with the student during in-class work time and answer his questions patiently.

D. Middle school students tend to respond best to a quiet check-in to be sure that they are on track. At that time or another private time, they can ask questions that they know the teacher will answer respectfully. Eighth-grade students are old enough to recognize when they are being falsely complimented and graded with different standards than their peers, so choices A and C are more likely to fail. Drawing attention to a student's difficulties by calling on him more often will only increase his resentment.

While in science lab, a student who is repeatedly off task and disruptive is pretending to make pancake batter by mixing chemicals together. The appropriate response is to A. tell the student to stop and stand nearby to make sure the student behaves. B. give the student to the count of ten to stop the behavior. C. make an example of the student so other students will not imitate the behavior. D. get the student out of the room and under the supervision of another adult.

D. Mixing chemicals is risky behavior. Because the student is repeatedly off task and disruptive, an immediate consequence is in order. A science lab class offers many distractions, and the teacher cannot ignore the rest of the students in order to control one child.

Why should a teacher always spend time explaining classroom rules during the first few days of class? A. To allow more relaxed and friendly conditions to evolve later. B. To establish authority. C. To give students a chance to participate in making the rules. D. To establish clear expectations for performance and behavior.

D. Students benefit from clear, firm guidelines from the outset. The rules should be changed only when necessary, not casually or according to student demands, as implied in choices A and C.

Which of the following tasks requires knowledge of a concept? A. Converting a fraction to a percentage and a percentage to a fraction B. Constructing a 45-degree angle C. Calculating the area of squares, triangles, and circles D. Categorizing numbers as rational numbers, integers, or whole numbers

D. Students must have an understanding of each set of numbers in order to categorize new numbers. There is no step-by-step process, or strategy, to determine the set of a number. The other three answer choices use cognitive strategies to accomplish the task.

High school seniors at your school are required to pass a comprehensive, standardized, multiple-choice exam in order to graduate. What sort of assessment is this? A. Behavioral B. Formative C. Informative D. Summative

D. Summative tests, in effect, "sum up" what has been learned. Choice B is incorrect, because a formative assessment involves feedback that might change teaching practices.

The four major steps to planning a lesson are: task analysis, determining objectives, determining goals, and identifying necessary prerequisite knowledge. In what order should those steps occur? A. Objectives, goals, prerequisite knowledge, task analysis B. Prerequisite knowledge, task analysis, goals, objectives C. Task analysis, objectives, goals, prerequisite knowledge D. Goals, objectives, task analysis, prerequisite knowledge

D. The first thing is to determine the overarching goal and then measurable objectives to reach that goal. A task analysis is completed to help guide the lesson plan, including determining the necessary prerequisite knowledge.

Suppose you want students to learn to distinguish between the words imply and infer. Which of the following sequences would be MOST effective? A. Have students apply the terms to their own examples and then explain the distinction. B. Be sure students can work without your direction, then ensure the skill is retained. C. Explain the distinction, then have students evaluate their own examples. D. Explain the distinction, then have students apply the terms to their own examples.

D. The first three choices are all out of sequence in one way or another. For instance, B is incorrect because students cannot work independently until a skill is retained.

Which of the following strategies BEST maximizes students' learning time? A. Use a quiet signal directly after the bell rings, then take attendance when the students are quiet. B. Explain to the students how their time for learning is limited, so they need to come in and be quiet immediately. C. Do not answer student questions at the beginning of class, but instead ask students to come before or after school to ask any questions. D. Have an assignment on the board for students to complete in the first five minutes of class while answering questions and taking attendance.

D. To maximize students' learning time, a teacher should ensure they are engaged in a productive activity. A short assignment to be done at the beginning of class can be part of the normal classroom routine, allowing the teacher to take care of necessary tasks while the students are working. While a quiet classroom may help a teacher move more quickly to the lesson, the students still will be waiting instead of working.

Which of the following first-day techniques is MOST clearly directed toward building a sense of community in the classroom? A. Giving students one or two examples of your personal interests B. Asking students to introduce themselves to the class and talk a little about their hobbies C. Telling students you will expect progress each and every day D. Describing a problem and solving it as a class

D. Working together builds community effectively. Working on a specific problem is preferable to an open-ended conversation, particularly on the first day. Choice A focuses on the teacher, not so much the classroom community. While choice B may help students learn each other's names, it does not establish a sense of community. As for choice C, you may want to tell students this, but the expectation will develop over time.

Students are often wary of literature because they do not feel it plays a role in their everyday lives, or that it is something too high-brow for them to appreciate. Which of the following is a teaching technique that will bring students' previous experience into the lesson? A. Remind students that they probably have read some of the poems and stories before. B. Tell students why you have chosen the poems and stories used in the unit. C. Ask students to tell what they know of the writers included in the unit. D. Ask students to talk about their favorite stories, songs, and movies.

D. You can safely assume that most students, perhaps all, have experience with stories told by family members and friends, rhymes, songs, movies, television programs, and more. You probably cannot expect all students to have read from a given set, as choice A assumes, nor to know about the writers, as in choice C. Choice B can be a valuable step, but it may not necessarily relate to students' previous experience.