PPR

Mr. LaHaye is planning the arrangement of his fourth-grade classroom and deciding where to place students' desks. Which of the following is NOT an important consideration for this plan?

Desks should be in evenly spaced rows.

George, a seventh-grade student who has difficulty using his arms and his legs, is confined to a wheelchair. In making accommodations for his wheelchair, what would be the most important thing that his teacher could do in the classroom?

Make sure the classroom is free of obstructions for easy wheelchair maneuvering.

A sixth-grade history teacher wants to accommodate textbook reading assignments for English language learners (ELLs). Which of the following activities would best support this goal?

Segmenting the textbook passages into smaller sections for ELLs.

Which of the following is an element of constructivism approaches to teaching?

Student-centered instruction and authentic tasks.

Several students in a fourth-grade class have learning disabilities. Which of the following would not be an acceptable practice when communicating expectations to them?

Tell the students to remain seated until the entire assignment is completed.

Portfolios may be used to collect artifacts or to help with job interviews. Which of the following provides another use of the teacher portfolio?

The portfolio can be used by the teacher to promote reflection.

Lilly, a student in Ms. Ortiz's early childhood class, always has an excuse as to why she can't do something when asked to perform an activity by her teacher. She often tells her teacher that the activity is too hard. Ms. Ortiz has established a safe and supportive classroom environment for her students and encourages Lilly to participate in learning. Ms. Ortiz realizes that Lilly's negative attitude and emotional development can greatly affect-

development in other areas.

The following is an instructional objective for a ninth-grade biology class: List the major chemical elements in cells (i.e., carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, sulfur, trace elements). This objective reflects-

the Remember level of Bloom's Cognitive Domain.

A sixth-grade teacher wants to promote active learning through class discussions. The English language learners in class tend to be quiet and hesitant to share in class. Which of the following grouping configurations might engage ELLs in conversation?

Think-pair-share strategies where students have an opportunity to engage in language prior to whole-class sharing.

Mr. Lewis, a math teacher at the high school, has been evaluated by the principal for two years and each year the principal notes that Mr. Lewis needs to examine his questioning techniques. Which of the following would not improve his questioning techniques?

Using eye contact

Which of the following are reasons that children in grade levels EC-4 benefit from having hands-on, manipulatives during learning activities? Select all that apply.

-These materials encourage interaction. -These materials help generate interest. -These materials aid in knowledge construction. -These materials help accommodate various learning styles.

An elementary teacher is creating a reading benchmark assessment for her second-grade class. It is imperative that the teacher align the benchmark assessment questions with the-

-language that is appropriate to students' ages -interests of the student.

A teacher promotes an inclusive environment through differentiating and building meaningful relationships with students. Inclusive education is important because-

-the classroom climate impacts construction of knowledge. -the classroom climate promotes emotions that impact attitude.

When setting up her first-grade classroom, which of the following factors should Mrs. Star consider?

-The teacher should arrange desks, tables, and the classroom library so the teacher can see students at all times. -The teacher should plan for high traffic areas to keep these areas free of congestion.

Mr. Bierhalter teaches at a middle school which is widely diverse both culturally and socioeconomically. When teaching a lesson on communities, which of the following would be appropriate instructional strategies for enhancing and accommodating this diversity in the student population? Select all that apply.

All of them -Include references to communities that are representative of the student population. -Include references to communities that are not like those of the student population. -Activate students' prior knowledge to help personalize learning. -Activate students' prior knowledge to help build a foundation for learning. -Allow choice in the activities students use to demonstrate learning.

Which of the following is the likely result of including technology tools such as digital games in the curriculum for middle grade students?

Student motivation for learning will increase.

When teachers organize students into cooperative learning groups, all of the following should be decided and discussed before group work begins except-

all the possibilities for cooperative learning and the advantages and disadvantages of cooperative learning.

A fourth-grade teacher wants to monitor how well her behavior plan is working in her classroom. She can accomplish this best by-

recording behaviors and responses on a behavior log spreadsheet with the students' names, date, time, and the teacher responses. Analyze the patterns and response.

When a large oil company wants to drill on the site of the old university building, the town becomes embroiled in a bitter controversy over whether or not to allow the drilling. Mr. Jacobs, the twelfth-grade social studies teacher, decides to use the controversy as the basis for a class discussion. This discussion will most likely bring to the classroom-

the use of an external factor as a tool to promote student learning.

Which of the following descriptions represents a typical child in the cognitive stage of human development?

A child learning math, science, and reading.

Below are partial descriptions from the four levels of English Language Proficiency Standards for the speaking domain for Grades K-12. Please drag and drop each box to match the proficiency level with the correct description.

Advanced High: Can use English grammar structures and complex sentences to narrate and describe at a level nearly comparably to native English-speaking peers. Intermediate: Able to express simple, original messages, speaking using sentences, and participate in short conversations. Beginning: Mainly speak using single words and short phrases; have a very limited bank of high-frequency, high-need, concrete vocabulary words. Advanced: Are able to participate comfortably in most conversations and academic discussions on familiar topics.

Mr. Zapata has taught third grade for 11 years and has a real interest in becoming a school counselor. What would be the most appropriate course of action for Mr. Zapata to take to realize his new endeavor?

Contact the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) for requirements.

Scaffolding is a process in which students who are learning new or difficult task are given more assistance. Once students begin to demonstrate task mastery, what steps should the teacher take next?

Gradually decrease assistance or support.

Ms. Gonzalez routinely assess her teaching style, instructional strategies, strengths and weakness. Which one the following questions would not support the ideas of self-assessment and reflective teaching?

How long will this lesson take?

A third-grade teacher would be correct in having great concern over which of the following students?

Juan separates himself from the group and is not interested in spending time with others.

A biology teacher used a rubric to score a science project. The chart below represents a portion of the rubric. What would be a reasonable first step in developing a rubric for grading?

List key elements to assess.

Complete the table to show the appropriate characteristics related to communicating effectively in varied teaching and learning contexts. Click the appropriate box next to each characteristic that best identifies it as either a strategy for adjusting communication or an effective communication tool.

Repetition- Strategies for Adjusting Communication Offer tutoring- Strategies for Adjusting Communication Document camera/Projector- Ineffective/Effective Communication Tools Providing examples- Strategies for Adjusting Communication Online assistance- Ineffective/Effective Communication Tools Simplifying complex ideas- Strategies for Adjusting Communication

A junior high teacher wants to be sure to cover all concepts and skills that are designated for the students in his grade level. Which of the following resources are available to help him know what concepts and skills should be taught and in what order?

Scope and sequence

Mrs. Leonardo strives to end each lesson she teaches in her eighth-grade class with some closure. Which of the following is an activity most likely to provide closure at the ends of a lesson?

Students write an "exit ticket" telling something they have learned in the lesson.

Ms. Nice notices that Margo is having a particularly bad day. She is late for school, she forgets her homework, and she gets into an argument on the playground. During math, Margo appears frustrated with the assignment. Ms. Nice quietly goes over to Margo and places a hand on her shoulder. In performing this gesture Ms. Nice's most likely reason is that she is-

communicating that she understands by using nonverbal skills.

A biology teacher used a rubric to score a science project. The chart below represents a portion of the rubric. It is a good practice for teachers to-

provide the rubric to students before they complete the assignment.

A new teacher asks her mentor, Mr. Lara, for assistance in improving her questioning techniques. She requests that he come to her classroom and observe her teaching and then give her suggestions about ways to improve. Mr. Lara observes her teaching a class of twenty 9th graders and makes the following notes about her teaching: Teacher: "Gabby, what does parallel mean?" Gabby: "Those two lines are like a railroad track." Teacher: "That's an interesting definition." Teacher: "Miguel, are perpendicular lines parallel?" Miguel: "No." Teacher: "Gabby, what is the answer to problem number 4?" Gabby: "Parallel." What suggestion should Mr. Lara not give to the new teacher?

"Don't use wait time; too much wait time is no good."

The physical education teacher is a member of the Site-based Decision-Making Committee at the middle school. Several other physical education teachers express amazement that he is serving on that committee rather than something related to athletics. What is his best explanation for serving in the committee?

"If no one from the physical education department participated on this committee, the PE department will not be represented. This is a valuable committee for our department and for us as teachers."

Mr. Maywald, a fourth-grade teacher, uses cooperative learning activities regularly in his diverse classroom. Which of the following are the most likely reasons for incorporating cooperative learning in his plans? Select all that apply.

-Cooperative learning promotes student learning. -Cooperative learning includes all students despite their differences. -Cooperative learning allows students to highlight their strengths. Cooperative learning encourages communication between students.

Click and drag the selected technology or technical term to the statement that appropriately defines its use. -Google Docs -Class Website -Blogs or Wikis -Google Drive -Digital Media -Spreadsheet -Database -Application Software -Operating System -Digital Citizenship

-Google Docs: used for data aggregation where multiple users can work on the same document in real-time. -Class Website: used for posting homework assignments for everyone to access. -Blogs or Wikis: platforms that invite honest reflection and critical dialogues between students and teacher and between students and their peers. -Google Drive: a cloud storage solution for storing files, especially huge ones, and allows multiple users to have access to them. -Digital Media: digitized content that can be transmitted over the internet or computer networks. -Spreadsheet: a type that allows users to directly edit, record, sort, mathematically analyze, and represent numerical data in tabular and/or graphical forms. -Database: a type of software that can handle enormous amounts of data from where information can be presented in an orderly view. -Application Software: programs or instructions for a computer to do different things. -Operating System: the core software in a computer that essentially controls the basic chores of input, output, storage, and processing. -Digital Citizenship: the norms of appropriate, responsible, safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information.

Mrs. Raymond teaches kindergarten. She is choosing how to assess her student's knowledge of how to apply the concept of addition. She finds a written multiple-choice test that has word problems for students to read and answer using addition. Select the answer that best explains whether this is an appropriate assessment for her to use and why.

-No, this assessment is not appropriate because it is not responsive to the average kindergartener's current skills and knowledge. -No, this assessment is not appropriate because it does not math the developmental levels of the average kindergartener.

Which of the following describes the zone of proximal development that a middle grade teacher should look for when scaffolding learning for students? Select all that apply.

-The difference between a learner's ability to perform a task independently versus with guidance. -The "window of learning" where scaffolding should happen.

A first-grade teacher is observing her students problem-solve Math word problems. What is one of the most effective ways to encourage communication while students are engaged in problem solving activities?

Allow the students to work in small groups or choose their own partners.

Eighth-grade students have recently completed a unit on westward expansion. Which of the following student activities would demonstrate the highest level of critical thinking?

Investigate the relationship between Manifest Destiny and westward growth.

Mr. Jackson give his seventh graders a sheet with a rubric for the assignment they're about to start. What is the purpose of providing students with a rubric prior to the assignment?

It ensures that the assessment is congruent with the instructional objectives and communicates the assessment criteria standard to students.

Mr. Schultz has his sixth-grade students explore how carbon is taken from the atmosphere by observing and interacting with a touch-screen diagram that illustrates the carbon cycle before he discusses it with them. After debriefing the students, he shows a video that illustrates that plants, performing the process of photosynthesis, describe one way carbon is taken from the atmosphere. He then has the students work in pairs to write how the photosynthesis process takes place. Mr. Schultz always always asks himself how science lessons he plans to meet the needs of his students might be interpreted by the various cultures represented in his class. What is the primary reason that this such an important consideration for him?

It represents Mr. Schultz's commitment to plan and adapt lessons to address all students' diverse backgrounds and needs.

Teachers are better able to design and deliver effective instruction when they understand that learning styles affect student learning. In the graph below, indicate which learning style is best met with each learning activity. Even though many learning activities will meet more than one learning style, select the one that best matches each activity.

Listen to a podcast- Auditory Learners Color code information- Visual Learners Build a model- Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners Study a chart or graph- Visual Learners Present information using a skit or dance- Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners Teacher read-alouds- Auditory Learners Students orally quizzing one another- Auditory Learners Use manipulatives to solve a problem- Kinesthetic/Tactile Learners

Ms. Lara, a first-year teacher, is happily surprised with the response in achievement from her low-achieving students in her fifth-grade regular class after implementing the Cooperative Learning strategy. For several weeks she had tried different teaching strategies to help improve student learning to no avail until she started using cooperative learning. However, she is concerned that Mario, although a well-behaved student, consistently performs poorly in class. Which of the following is the best possible explanation for Mario's performance in class?

Mario has a learning disability.

Mrs. Green is helping her students with creating slide shows for presenting their upcoming project on Continents. She tells the students this technology allows them to insert figures, pictures and icons, and recommends them to minimize the verbosity and make text and visuals as large as possible in their presentations. At the end she reminds the students they are responsible for locating relevant information including geography, climate and countries' populations as the content of their presentations. Which of the following will best ensure that Mrs. Green has given explicit directions for both assignments?

Model for the students how to create a slide show, go over the outline of the project, and remain open for questions.

Mrs. Fields intentions this year is to implement activities that emphasize collaboration and teamwork. Parents have given their consent for the students to have internet access and post their responses. Which of the following is the next step the teacher should take?

Modeling the types of conversations the students should post when collaborating.

Complete the tasks that follows Select the correct options from the drop-down menus below.

Mrs. Cabbage is struggling to create a more collaborative classroom environment. Her short-term goal is to share her classroom strategies with parents to enhance family involvement in student learning. She has elicited ideas from the students and parents by providing a suggestion box outside of the classroom. However, very few students and parents have participated in giving suggestions to create a collaborative environment. Mrs. Cabbage has decided to keep a journal to document any collaboration that goes on for 1 week in her classes. After three days, she noticed a trend in her morning and afternoon classes. Mrs. Cabbage has now become frustrated and losing patience in the process. Mrs. Cabbage has elicited iDeas from the students and parents with no success in her endeavor. She has started a journal for her personal reflection. Mrs. Cabbage's third step in creating a more collaborative classroom environment would be to OBSERVE A COLLEAGUE WHO EFFECTIVELY IMPLEMENTS A COLLABORATIVE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT ON A REGULAR BASIS. She also realized that the trends she identified should be discussed with the MENTOR TEACHER. To effectively have concrete evidence of what she has seen, Mrs. Cabbage should CONTINUE TO DOCUMENT IN HER JOURNAL.

Ms. Renfro teaches first grade at a public school in Waco Independent School district. She regularly collects formative and summative assessment data on her students' progress across all subject areas. This fall, one student in particular has caught the attention of Ms. Renfro. Jhontei is a highly verbal seven-year-old who consistently performs in 95th percentile or higher on all class assessments. He always finishes his classwork quickly and usually asks to play games on the computer or to read a book. Jhontei is a friendly child and interacts well with both his peers and adults. Ms. Renfro is concerned that as the school year progresses, Jhontei may become bored with the first grade curriculum. The Gifted and Talented program at this school is not available to children until third grade. Which of the following ways can Ms. Renfro use to meet Jhontei's needs in the regular classroom?

Ms. Renfro should develop enrichment activities that allow Jhontei to choose a topic of interest to research and experiment with real-world applications.

The science teacher has few behavior problems in the science lab. Students begin on time and finish on time. What method would help a teacher establish this time-on-task in the classroom so that time is not wasted?

Post the time allowed for each project or assignment, and then at given intervals post on the chalk board how much time is remaining.

Sixth-grade students have recently completed a social studies unit in which they studied exploration to the New World. Which of the following student activities would demonstrate the highest level of critical thinking?

Producing the timeline of events regarding exploration to America from 1600-1700.

Mrs. Jakes' second-grade class is beginning an integrated unit that will focus on important historical figures of the state of Texas. As part of the activities, the class will create a bulletin board called "The Wall of Fame" where the biographies of these famous Texans will be highlighted. Next, she plans to extend the concept of autobiography by telling the students they will join the "Wall of Fame." Before the project is complete, Mrs. Jakes wants to share information with parents on each student's progress. What form of communication would be the most effective?

Send home a written report on the work the students have done so far and ask the students to return it the next day along with a parent's signature.

A new teacher asks her mentor, Mr. Lara, for assistance in improving her questioning techniques. She requests that he come to her classroom and observe her teaching and then give her suggestions about ways to improve. Mr. Lara observes her teaching a class of twenty 9th graders. Weeks later Mr. Lara returns to her classroom at her request. The teacher does the following activity: Teacher: "The first triangle is an isosceles triangle. The second triangle is an isosceles triangle. The third triangle is not an isosceles triangle?" What does this question illustrate about the geometry teacher's questioning techniques?

She believes in asking higher-level questions.

Mrs. Hoff, a third-grade teacher, is preparing a unit for her social studies class on communities. Students will work together in groups to discuss the components that are needed to make a community. With the individual portion of the unit, Mrs. Hoff will require students to demonstrate their understanding of communities by planning a community of their own. She designs a packet that outlines requirements for the assignment and includes Internet resources where students can turn to for assistance. She sends the packet home with the students and post the information about the activities of this unit on her school web page. Before posting the information on her school web page, Mrs. Hoff must adhere to which of the following guidelines?

The legal and ethical requirements regarding copyright, privacy, and acceptable use policies.

A biology teacher used a rubric to score a science project. The chart below represents a portion of the rubric. Which of the following statements about the rubric is accurate?

The rubric is a criterion-referenced assessment.

Aasiyah is an eleventh-grade student from the Middle East. She has had a challenging time transitioning to the United States. Aasiyah spends most of her time at school alone and very seldom engage in conversations with her peers. The teacher noticed that Aasiyah had three missing assignments and asked her if she would remain after-school two days a week for tutoring.Aasiyah responded with frustration in her voice that she is responsible or contributing to the family household finances and would not be able to stay after school. Disappointed with the response the teacher called the parents to see if there was a possibility something could be worked out so that Aasiyah could attend after-school tutoring, only to remember that Aasiyah's parents do not speak English. How could the teacher best support Aasiyah in gaining an understanding of the assignments that are not clear to her in this situation?

The teacher should arrange for a translator to contact Aasiyah's parents and set up a teacher-parent conference to discuss ways to support Aasiyah in school.

A sixth-grade English teacher would like to accommodate English language learners as they respond to writing prompts in the classroom? Which of the following activities would least likely support this goal?

Use only narrative writing prompts to prevent confusion.

In Mr. Perez's fourth-grade class, all of the students participate in an Author Study. He makes available books that are on the students' interest and ability levels. Then, letting children select a book, he divides the students into pairs according to their selections. Each student is responsible for reading a book of choice. The team may approach the Author Study in various ways. Some of the activities Mr. Perez suggests are: -read other books by the same author. -e-mail a question to the author. -write a dialogue journal between yourself and a character in the book you're reading. At the completion of the project, the team will present their Author Study by way of dramatization, a poster board, or a talk show format. Mr. Perez asks the students to self-assess their work by completing a rubric. They are asked: -Is your presentation neat? -Is your presentation easy to understand? -Did the presentation meet the goals and objectives? -Did I participate equally with my partner? What should Mr. Perez's primary role be while the children are working in small groups?

Walk around the room and monitor the students to see if they are actively engaged and on task.

Mrs. Lambert has been teaching for ten years and is well-liked and highly respected teacher, yet she continues to subscribe to professional teaching journals which now she accesses it online. The most important benefit she receives from doing this is-

being up to date with current trends in education and technology.

In Mr. Perez's fourth-grade class, all of the students participate in an Author Study. He makes available books that are on the students' interest and ability levels. Then, letting children select a book, he divides the students into pairs according to their selections. Each student is responsible for reading a book of choice. The team may approach the Author Study in various ways. Some of the activities Mr. Perez suggests are: -read other books by the same author. -e-mail a question to the author. -write a dialogue journal between yourself and a character in the book you're reading. At the completion of the project, the team will present their Author Study by way of dramatization, a poster board, or a talk show format. Mr. Perez asks the students to self-assess their work by completing a rubric. They are asked: -Is your presentation neat? -Is your presentation easy to understand? -Did the presentation meet the goals and objectives? -Did I participate equally with my partner? The Author Study teaching strategy that Mr. Perez has chosen to use will most likely-

encourage students' self-motivation and foster independent learning.

In Mr. Perez's fourth-grade class, all of the students participate in an Author Study. He makes available books that are on the students' interest and ability levels. Then, letting children select a book, he divides the students into pairs according to their selections. Each student is responsible for reading a book of choice. The team may approach the Author Study in various ways. Some of the activities Mr. Perez suggests are: -read other books by the same author. -e-mail a question to the author. -write a dialogue journal between yourself and a character in the book you're reading. At the completion of the project, the team will present their Author Study by way of dramatization, a poster board, or a talk show format. Mr. Perez asks the students to self-assess their work by completing a rubric. They are asked: -Is your presentation neat? -Is your presentation easy to understand? -Did the presentation meet the goals and objectives? -Did I participate equally with my partner? Mr. Perez understands the Author Study project will require work and cooperation between team members. The majority of the students want to do well for the sake of learning, but several students are not as enthusiastic as he would like. To keep the students motivated and involved in their own learning, Mr. Perez should —

encourage the students to do their best work and offer praise.

Mrs. Hoff, a third-grade teacher, is preparing a unit for her social studies class on communities. Students will work together in groups to discuss the components that are needed to make a community. With the individual portion of the unit, Mrs. Hoff will require students to demonstrate their understanding of communities by planning a community of their own. She designs a packet that outlines requirements for the assignment and includes Internet resources where students can turn to for assistance. She sends the packet home with the students and post the information about the activities of this unit on her school web page. George, a student confined to a wheelchair in the class, has difficulty using his arms and his legs. Mrs. Hoff wants to approach the principal about providing a special computer device for George to help him keep pace with his brilliant mind. Before going to the principal Mrs. Hoff reviews the Individual with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and realizes that it is her responsibility, as a teacher to-

ensure appropriate education for students with disabilities like this one.

Mrs. Fields has a student teacher assigned for her mentoring. Ms. Touchstone has been with Mrs. Fields since the beginning of the semester and is just about to complete her teaching requirements. During the semester Ms. Toustone has taken an active role in working with the students, and with Sarah, a student with a learning disability, in particular. Because she has become so involved, she asks Mrs. Fields if she can attend Sarah's parent-teacher conference. Mrs. Fields' response should be to-

explain to the parents ahead of time the active role the student teacher has had and that she will be sitting in during the conference with her unless they object to it.

Mrs. McCaffery, a health teacher is discussing the typical sequence of physical development in adolescence with her middle school students. She's aware that the timing and rate at which puberty occurs vary widely. These differences mean that some of Mrs. McCaffery's students may be completely mature, while other have not begun puberty. Mrs. McCaffery is likely to be aware that late-maturing boys-

have less self-confidence than early maturers.

Mrs. Whitworth notes during her observation of Ms. Langkamp, a first-year teacher of fifth-grader, that she calls mostly on students who raise their hands to respond to open-ended questions. Mrs. Whitworth is likely to explain to Ms. Langkamp that this method of recognizing students for responses is-

limited, because students who don't volunteer may miss an opportunity to be actively engaged in the lesson.

Frequently, Ms. Rosa uses questioning strategies in her seventh-grade class in which she will call only on students who raise their rands to respond. This method of recognizing students for response is-

limited, because students who don't volunteer will miss an opportunity to actively participate in the lesson.

A teacher is worried about her job because her sixth-grade math STAAR test scores are lower than any other teacher's at the school. The principal has discussed this with her and offered her ways to bring up the students' scores. The teacher believes that she is teaching correctly. She believes that she is always given the lowest performing students because she is a good disciplinarian. This year she decides she will "look over the STAAR test guidelines" before it is given. When the tests arrive at her school, she comes in after hours and uses her master key to get into the storage closet and takes a test home. The teacher could-

lose her teaching certificate and have criminal charges filed against her.

Mrs. McCaffery, a health teacher is discussing the typical sequence of physical development in adolescence with her middle school students. She's aware that the timing and rate at which puberty occurs vary widely. These differences mean that some of Mrs. McCaffery's students may be completely mature, while other have not begun puberty. Mrs. McCaffery is also likely to be aware that early-maturing girls-

may develop precocious sexual interests.

Samantha, a fourth-grade student, was experiencing difficulty with word recognition skills and was not performing at the expected grade level. After the administration of a series of tests, it was determined that Samantha has mild intellectual disability. Her teacher can best address her problem by-

modifying instruction to address the program designed to meet Samantha's unique needs.

Mrs. McCaffery, a health teacher is discussing the typical sequence of physical development in adolescence with her middle school students. She's aware that the timing and rate at which puberty occurs vary widely. These differences mean that some of Mrs. McCaffery's students may be completely mature, while other have not begun puberty. As a health teacher, Mrs. McCaffery is likely to be aware that nutritional deficiencies among her students are-

more common among girls than boys.

The social studies teacher has one special needs student in her classroom who has difficulty staying on-task for more than a few minutes. The student wants to work only at the computer. The teacher has instigated a system that gives the student points for every 10 minutes that the student can remain on-task. After the student has earned 50 points, the student may go to the computer for a specified period of time. The teacher's primary goal in setting up the reward system is to-

move this student from external control to self-control and self-monitoring.

A fifth-grade teacher is correcting a student who has broken a class rule by damaging school property. The student responds, "I didn't do it." The teacher saw the student scratch one of the girls' name initials on the desk. The teacher should say-

"I know you did it. I saw you do it. The consequence for this is to repair the damaged desk or pay for it. We will discuss your choice after school."

To begin the unit on comparing fractions with different denominators, the fourth-grade teacher can best link this new knowledge with prior knowledge by saying-

"I've brought in this pizza today and will be using it to help you compare fractions with different denominators. Let's look at the whole pizza first. If I cut it into two pieces what will my denominator be? What if I cut it into four pieces?"

The chart below lists suggested characteristics of the STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) test and the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skill) standards. Complete the chart below to indicate whether each statement is True or False.

-The STAAR test is a norm-referenced test. FALSE -The STAAR test is a criterion-referenced test. TRUE -The STAAR test is given to students in grades 1-12. FALSE -The STAAR test measures students' knowledge of the TEKS. TRUE

Mrs. McCaffery, a health teacher is discussing the typical sequence of physical development in adolescence with her middle school students. She's aware that the timing and rate at which puberty occurs vary widely. These differences mean that some of Mrs. McCaffery's students may be completely mature, while other have not begun puberty. When Mrs. McCaafery sends three-week progress reports home, one-third of her students are failing. She wonders if physiological needs may be playing a role in her students' lack of academic achievement. Which of the following best describes the rol of physiological needs in students' academic performance?

A student with unmet physiological needs may show little interest in academic performance.

An effectively delivered lesson brings closure to students. Which of the following are benefits of providing closure in a lesson for middle grade students? Select all that apply.

All of them -Confirm understanding of what was learned. -Self-assess understanding of what was taught. -Share learning with peers. -Reinforce the concepts which were taught. -Reflect on how they engaged with the learning.

Which of the following is LEAST likely to promote positive interaction between students?

Always allow students to choose partners so that they have a friend to work with.

The sixth-grade social studies teacher shows a video about North American societies. A portion of the video focuses on the number of homeless families. A student runs out of the room crying. Other students explain that the student's family was evicted from their apartment and is living in the family car. The student would benefit most by the teacher doing which of the following?

Arrange for the school counselor to meet with the student and ask that the school social worker contact the parents.

Mr. Takamoto wants to help his sixth-grade students develop critical thinking skills, so he asks a lot of questions during each class. Typically, his questions are similar to the following: "What is the longest river in the U.S.?" "How can you check your answer?" "When was the North Korean war?" To improve his questioning technique, Mr. Takamoto should do which of the following?

Ask more divergent questions.

Mr. Bates uses mainly a lecture style of teaching to present information to his middle school students. This type of teaching would best meet the needs of which type of learner?

Auditory learners

Ms. Sinngh has a difficult time keeping her third-grade class quiet. She has tried various approaches and decides to ask her mentor to observe her class in hopes of discovering a solution. After the observation, her mentor discusses the following observations: -Children are out of their seats sharpening pencils, passing notes, and randomly going to centers. -Classroom rules are not visible. -The classroom teacher yells above the children to get their attention. What would be the most important first step Ms. Singh should take?

Clearly define and model expectations for behavior that include a well-established routine.

Fourth graders will be learning about trees. It is fall and each child will pick a tree to observe. The students will use a journal to sketch the tree throughout the year and record observations of how it changes from season to season. In the late spring or early summer, the teacher will ask students to describe the changes and cycle the tree went through. What type of learning is this an example of?

Discovery learning

During the weekly spelling test, Mario asks Mr. Travis if he can get another pencil. While he is looking in his locker he sneaks a peek at the list of spelling words he has tucked under a book. Mr. Travis is aware of what he is doing. What is the best strategy for Mr. Travis to take?

Discuss the cheating incident with the student and find effective means to help him study for the next spelling test.

Which are the appropriate responses associated with teachers interacting appropriately with all families in various situations, including those families that have diverse characteristics, backgrounds and needs?

Emails: communication Single-parent home: characteristics Shelter: needs Conferences: communication Both parents are deceased: characteristics Food: needs

Mr. Lloyd wants to inspire intrinsic motivation in his third-grade students throughout the school year. Which of the following would most likely spark intrinsic motivation in the students?

Have students set goals and keep track of the progress they are making.

A requirement of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for fourth-grade Social Studies is that students use critical thinking skills to make informed decisions. How might the teacher best accomplish this in a unit about early Texas history?

Have the students compare and contrast a book with its movie version about the battle of the Alamo.

The geometry teacher, Mr. Lara, is an experienced teacher and has been asked to mentor a new first-year teacher at the school. Mr. Lara uses excellent questioning as a method to obtain information from his 11th-grade students. He uses questioning as a way of helping his students understand the importance of logical reasoning, justification, and proof in mathematics. For example, he asks "You are able to solve math problems that use the Pythagorean Theorem, but can you prove the Pythagorean Theorem using three sheets of construction paper cut into squares? If so, show me how. If not, tell me why not?" What does this question illustrate about the geometry teacher's questioning techniques?

He believes in asking higher-level questions.

Mr. Rafael's fourth-grade social studies class was discussing the population expansion that occurred in Texas. They talked about how new businesses are springing up in every town and city, but along with that growth, there are always problems. Mr. Rafael asks the class to predict how they think Texas will meet the challenges brought on by the growth of the state. In responding to the question, Mr. Rafael is hoping for what kind of response?

He wants the students to engage in active, inquiry learning and higher-order thinking.

Marta is an elementary English language learner who can successfully participate in short and simple conversations on familiar topics. When she doesn't understand something you say, she will sometimes ask you to slow down or repeat it. Given this description, Marta is most likely at which proficiency level for the listening domain?

Intermediate

Each morning Mrs. Salazar's first-grade class begins with the daily goals. In a discussion format, children discover new vocabulary words, predict weather, and learn about exciting events. What is the greatest advantage of Mrs. Salazar scheduling these routines?

It encourages students to take turns, share new ideas, and cooperate with each other.

Mrs. Padua knows that her middle-grade students will enjoy school more and learn more when they are actively engaged in learning. Which of the following is NOT a good strategy for her to employ to help ensure this goal?

Maximize learning time by having students stay seated in their desks for most of the day.

Zhang entered Mrs. Rogers' room early one morning and slipped into his seat very quietly. When Mrs. Rogers asked the fifth grader if there was anything wrong, Zhang tried to explain that although he understood spoken English, he was having a difficult time reading the assigned passage in the book. Which of the following practices would help Zhang the most?

Pair the ELL student with a classmate when reading and have them alternate reading to each other.

Which of the following factors has been shown to be most important in developing a well-organized functioning kindergarten classroom?

Planning large blocks of time that allow for task completion and that reflects interests and abilities of the students.

Mr. Hicks, the social studies teacher, is planning a unit on Texas for his fifth graders. As he plans the activities for the unit, which of the following activities would help his students develop higher-order thinking skills?

Presenting a short skit with the students depicting the challenges faced by the early Texans and how they coped with these issues.

Which of the following seating arrangements would be best for promoting student interaction during cooperative learning work?

Seating arrangement 3 (the arrangement in groups)

Because this high school operates with a seven-period day, the teacher wants to find ways to maximize the time that is available for instruction because one hour of each day is taken up by hanging classes. Which of the following is best?

Set up each class on the computer so that attendance, grades, and communications can be available and updated quickly.

Which of the following professional strategies is most likely to help middle-school teachers connect with students of diverse backgrounds?

Share and discuss literature from a variety of cultures.

A teacher plans to allow her students the opportunity to communicate via technology their understanding of the Civil War from the curriculum-based lessons delivered in class. They can use their iPads to accomplish the task. Which of the following best demonstrates student knowledge of the subject?

Show a multimedia presentation of the subject in the iPad based on what was learned in class.

This type of software allows students to record, sort, mathematically analyze and represent numerical data in tabular and/or graphical forms.

Spreadsheet software

A fifth-grade social studies teacher, as part of the unit they have been studying, has all the students in the class do a 4-minute presentation about the intent, meaning, and importance of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The teacher uses a rubric to grade the students' presentations. The teacher includes a section on the rubric entitled "Self-evaluation" for each teacher to self-evaluate the presentation prior to presenting it to classmates. What is the most likely reason for having students do a self-assessment?

Students become self-directed learners. Their motivation is improved; they become more responsible and take ownership of the project.

A high-school teacher is collecting money for the school yearbook. The teacher collected more than $480 the first day. Last year the book orders totaled $7000. Where is the best place for the teacher to keep this $480 until the sale is finished in six weeks?

Submit monies to the school principal or designee to be deposited in the appropriate activity fund account.

Mrs. Flowers a senior Literature teacher at Eastside High School, would like to have her students purchase a novel so that they can read the book together as a class. If Mrs. Flowers is unsure if her request can be asked by the students, which of the following would be the most appropriate for her to find out if it would be acceptable?

Texas Educator Code

A teacher has a new student in the classroom who is reading at an intermediate level of proficiency. The teacher listens to the student read in order to assess reading ability and comprehension. Which of the following is most likely a true statement about the student?

The learner will have the ability to read and understand simple, high-frequency English used in routine academic and social contexts.

A sixth-grade student has found information on a Web page that she would like to include in her research report. Which of these guidelines should the students follow with regard to referencing the source found on the internet?

The student should cite the Web page as she would any other source because she is using information obtained from it.

A teacher is facilitating a class discussion and a student offers an incorrect or only partially correct answer to a question. Of the following responses by the teacher, which of the following is most likely to create an environment where students feel safe to participate in class discussions and activities?

The teacher affirms the student's effort and especially any part of the answer that is correct. If possible, he guides the student's thinking toward the correct answer.

Mrs. Jakes' second-grade class is beginning an integrated unit that will focus on important historical figures of the state of Texas. As part of the activities the class will create a bulletin board called "The Wall of Fame." The students will write biographies of these famous Texans and place them in the bulletin board. What would be the most appropriate assessment technique when evaluating the autobiography product?

The teacher should develop a rubric prior to the start of the unit on famous Texans so students will know the requirements.

Five-year-old Maria Valdez is in a kindergarten class at Villa Nova Elementary School. Her teacher asks her to name the colors pointing to several figures on the wall. As Maria starts naming all the colors in Spanish correctly, the teacher follows her through the list telling the colors in English. Which is the best analysis of the teacher's response?

The teacher should have acknowledged Maria's appropriate use of her native language before introducing the colors in English.

An English teacher notices her English language learners lack comprehension of the stories used in class. Which of the following statements best reflects ways a teacher may scaffold comprehension?

The teacher should use stories with predictable storylines and familiar topics.

Before beginning a unit on marine mammals, a teacher asks students the question, "What do you know about the ocean?" Which of the following statements reflects the primary reason for this question?

The teacher wants to assess prior knowledge of the topic.

Teachers at Apple Academy are concerned about the low involvement of families in their children's education on campus. Which of the following is the best way teachers can accomplish the goal of building an effective community partnership?

The teachers should establish a positive and welcoming atmosphere all year long and share information with parents.

A second-grade teacher is observing her students problem-solve Math word problems. What is perhaps the most important drawback when students go directly to writing a number sentence first in order to solve a problem?

They may not be able to show their problem-solving strategy on paper without using manipulatives first.

Mr. Rafael's fourth-grade social studies class was discussing the population expansion that occurred in Texas. They talked about how new businesses are springing up in every town and city, but along with that growth, there are always problems. Mr. Rafael continues with his questioning on the population expansion in Texas. According to Bloom's Taxonomy, the highest-order question Mr. Rafael asks is-

What effect will the population expansion in Texas have on your lives 15 years from now?

Students at Scarborough middle school are regularly assessed using various methods. Some of the teachers were discussing about using the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) as a form of assessment. Some are of the opinion that it is a snapshot of one day in school and should not be used to evaluate students' learning. Other teachers believe that the STAAR test is a good test to assess schools and school district performance. Many think that is "high stakes testing." The STAAR is actually-

a criterion-referenced test.

If a teacher has developed skilled questioning techniques, the teacher should-

ask questions that help children see relationships among ideas.

Students in Mr. Coleman's six-grade English class are asked to read and actively engage in discussion after the completion of a story or book. Mr. Coleman regularly asks questions such as, "Justify your reasons for making the previous statement," "Critique the following conversation that took place between the main characters in the book," "Establish the way you think the author should have ended the book," or "Predict what you think will happen in the next chapter." In asking these questions of his students, Mr. Coleman's focus is most likely on-

encouraging the use of higher-order thinking skills.

Mrs. Jakes' second-grade class is beginning an integrated unit that will focus on important historical figures of the state of Texas. As part of the activities, the class will create a bulletin board called "The Wall of Fame" where the biographies of these famous Texans will be highlighted. Next, she plans to extend the concept of autobiography by telling the students they will join the "Wall of Fame." But for that, the students must first conduct an interview with their parents, asking such questions as "How did I get my name?" or "Where was I born?" Mrs. Jakes' primary objective for this exercise would be to-

engage the parents in various aspects of the educational experience.

The fifth-grade social studies teacher is getting more and more English Language Learners (ELLs) in her classroom each year. She wants to make the learning meaningful to them and is looking for ways to improve her professional knowledge and skills about teaching these students. She decides to-

go to summer school at the local university to get the necessary classes to become certified as an ESL teacher.

Mrs. Green is helping her students with creating slide shows for presenting their upcoming project on Continents. She tells the students this technology allows them to insert figures, pictures and icons, and recommends them to minimize the verbosity and make text and visuals as large as possible in their presentations. At the end she reminds the students they are responsible for locating relevant information including geography, climate and countries' populations as the content of their presentations. The reason Mrs. Green incorporated the slide show as part of the research project is most likely to-

have students use productivity tools to communicate information.

One reason why the driver's education program at the high school includes information about the consequences of drinking and driving is because-

many young people take risks, feeling that nothing bad will happen to them.

A fourth-grade teacher explains to her students that they will be using a new group discussion method called Reciprocal Teaching where she will first model reading and understanding, and then each student will have an opportunity to lead the discussion of a selection the class has read. The teacher's primary objective for using this method is to-

promote intellectual involvement and stimulate active student engagement and learning.

Ms. Clara's third-grade science class is learning about motion. The students have been directed to use a ramp and a toy car and record what affect, if any, the change in angle on the ramp has on the motion of the car and how fast or how slowly the car descends down the ramp. By posing these questions to the students for this experiment, Ms. Clara is-

promoting student engagement through creative discussion and student involvement.

During center time in Ms. Lynn's kindergarten class, the students rotate to activities that have been introduced during shared reading time. Several children at a time are at each center and are working on beginning sounds with magnetic letters, retelling a story with a flannel board, drawing pictures based on an incident from the story just read, or dictating what the picture is showing. During the time students are at centers, Ms. Lynn's most important role is to-

rotate to each center, observe students' behavior, and make sure students are on task and productive.

Ms. Herrera and her first graders have been learning about their community and those who work in it. Ms. Herrera has asked each of her students to choose one of the community workers they have learned about and make a non-fiction book to share what they have learned about that worker with the class. While Ms. Herrera has worked with the children about the information to be included in the book, she has asked Mr. Kim, the school media specialist to work with the children about the structure and parts of a non-fiction book. What subject areas are being integrated in this activity?

social studies and language arts

When students in Mrs. Simmons' eighth-grade science class get ready for laboratory assignments, Mrs. Simmons begins by connecting the present lesson to prior learning and explaining lesson objectives. By organizing the class in this manner, Mrs. Simmons knows-

students learn best in an atmosphere in which routines are present and procedures are well established.

Ms. Trinity accepted a position at an elementary school in a small rural community and was preparing for a parent-teacher conference for the first time. She was really looking forward to the exchange that would take place. Many of the children's best friends were related so they came together for the conference. Two mothers arrived outside Ms. Trinity's door, and she motioned them to come in. She proceeded to hold the conference with both mothers present. By conducting the conference with both parents in the room, Ms. Trinity demonstrated that she-

was not following the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators.

Some of the teachers at the middle school prefer to use a form of assessment that examines student academic growth over time by collecting work selected by the student and the teacher to include in a portfolio. Mrs. Payne, the sixth-grade science teacher, thinks that the best way to see if her students understand a science process is to use assessment that required the student to demonstrate the knowledge to the teacher, for example, demonstrating evidence of chemical reactions. The type of assessment that Mrs. Payne is referring to is-

performance-based assessment.

Mr. Blackwell, a new fourth-grade teacher, is eagerly awaiting the first day of school. Before class begins, however, room arrangement decisions will need to be made. In deciding on where the desks should go, it is important for Mr. Blackwell to remember that-

the arrangement should be flexible and meet the ends of the students.

James is an active four-and-a-half-year old. He has just entered a preschool setting for the first time. Ms. Lara observes that he shies away from the other children. In addition, she notes he has no interest in developing a leadership role or in joining the others while they are playing at the centers. Ms. Lara's best assessment of James' actions as he plays in the classroom would be-

the student may not be in the mood for cooperative play or have a sense of belonging with the other children.

An eighth-grade math teacher gives weekly math quizzes to gauge student understanding and retention of concepts. Which of the following are benefits to this ongoing assessment? Select all that apply.

-The weekly quiz results provide ongoing feedback to students. -The weekly quizzes can provide accountability to students. -The weekly quiz results provide information about the effectiveness of instruction. -The weekly quiz results can help show a need for a change in instructional strategy.

Which of the following tasks would promote students' intrinsic motivation?

A social studies teacher allows students to select a historical figure for a class report.

Mrs. Stanton is planning the physical arrangement of her sixth-grade classroom. She knows she wants to make regular use of small group instruction. Which of the following best helps her plan the small group area?

Position herself so that she will be able to see both the small group and the rest of her students.

In a classroom of the students at the beginning and intermediate levels of English proficiency in listening and speaking, which of the following activities would the teacher implement to reinforce new concepts?

The teacher should provide hands-on materials to practice new concepts.

A third-grade teacher, Ms. Contreras, is planning a lesson on media literacy. One of the Ms. Contreras' goals is for students to be able to compare various forms of written conversations used in digital media. Which of the following student activities best supports the goal?

Using a Venn diagram to distinguish characteristics of a blog from those in a Webb-based newspaper article.

Mr. Quintino's third-grade class operated in a rather unorganized manner. Mr. Quintino didn't believe in strict rules and routines, but rather in letting students form their own idea of a functioning "community." As a result, disorder persisted throughout the day, and the principal spent more time than was desired trying to settle disputes. Mr. Quintino's primary problem was caused by-

a lack of effective, consistent rules and routines that need to be implemented at the beginning of the year.