Standards Expected From New Teachers in Texas

Most Texas school districts have set basic standards for new teachers, though these expectations are true also for experienced mentors. These recommendations can be divided in two separate areas: the ethical code of conduct and the actual performance in the classroom.

While most of the rules obey well-known societal standards, such as not submitting false statements in order to receive unwarranted payments, the most important ones touch on the relation with students. For example: The educator shall not reveal confidential information concerning students unless disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law. As teachers, we have access to students' personal files regarding not only their academic records, but also their possible disabilities, brushes with the law (teens especially), and even intimate family matters. Our total discretion is expected.

A different set of expectations deals with the actual performance of the teacher in the classroom in academic instruction. While the scope of this article does not allow a complete rendition of these standards, a couple of examples will illustrate what the state expects from novel teachers:

Competency:

The teacher understands human developmental processes and applies this knowledge to plan instruction and ongoing assessment that motivate students and are responsive to their developmental characteristics and needs.

This is one of the domains that any candidate will have to solve when taking the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities Test (Texas). It essentially means that a good grounding in educational psychology is highly recommended for any potential teacher. Alternative programs and regular teaching curricula offer that kind of preparation among other areas.

Another example of performance standards for novel teachers says: Accurately and effectively communicates concepts, processes and/or knowledge and uses vocabulary that is clear, correct and appropriate for students. A genius like Einstein might not have been an effective teacher; his vocabulary might have been too complex and difficult for his students. If you teach second grade, you obviously use a different level of English than you would for tenth grade; yet, some teachers fail to tailor their instruction time to the level of understanding of their students. One way to determine whether you teach effectively is to examine formal and informal assessment results. You can thus adjust your teaching to the needs of your learners.

Every year, teachers are expected to fill a form called Self-Appraisal in which they indicate what they did to become better educators during the past year. Constant professional upgrading is not only expected from competent teachers, it is mandatory in the state of Texas. One of the sections asks: Describe a specific instructional adjustment (e.g., materials, sequencing, etc.), which you have made based on the needs assessment of your students. Districts offer several training days during the school year which are designed to help teachers become more effective.

At the end of the school year, an appraisal is conducted by the teacher's supervisor which addresses various domains in the areas mentioned above. This evaluation goes into the teacher's file and may be used later on to recommend special training if needed. But a competent teacher, just like any professional and highly specialized employee, will make sure that he/she is always on top of the latest developments in his/her fields. Teaching is about children and their preparation toward a successful life as citizens and workers. We want to make a difference.