State of Alaska > Department of Education & Early Development > Teacher Certification > Teacher Education Standards

4 AAC 04.200. Teacher Education Standards

(a) A classroom teacher in a public school should reflect the highest abilities and qualities of the teaching profession.

(b) A classroom teacher should be able to describe the teacher’s philosophy of education and demonstrate its relationship to the teacher’s teaching practice. A teacher who meets this goal should be able to

1. demonstrate consistency between the teacher’s philosophy of education and the teacher’s teaching practice; and
2. engage in thoughtful and critical examination of the teacher’s teaching practice.

(c) A classroom teacher should understand how students learn and develop and should be able to apply that knowledge in the teacher’s teaching practice. A teacher who meets this goal should

1. know the characteristics of human development and teach to the developmental abilities of students; and
2. understand students’ differences in intelligence, perception, and cognitive processes and should be able to broaden the teacher’s teaching practices to incorporate these differences.

(d) A classroom teacher should be able to teach students with respect for their individual and cultural characteristics. A teacher who meets this goal should

1. be able to recognize and build on the cultural strengths of the teacher’s students and community; and
2. understand and address a student’s individual and special needs.

(e) A classroom teacher should know the teacher’s subject and know how to teach it. A teacher who meets this goal should

1. be able to demonstrate an understanding of the complexities of the teacher’s subject;
2. understand the particular instructional challenges that the teacher’s subject presents to students who are at different developmental levels;
3. be able to draw from a wide repertoire of strategies and adapt them to fit the instructional context; and
4. be able to connect the teacher’s subject to other subjects and to practical situations encountered outside of school.

(f) A classroom teacher should be able to facilitate and monitor student learning. A teacher who meets this goal should

1. be able to organize instruction based on the characteristics of the students and the curricular goals;
2. be able to create, select, adapt, and use a variety of instructional resources that are aligned with the curricular goals;
3. be able to create and select a variety of evaluation strategies that provide information about student learning, that are aligned with the curricular goals, and that assist students in reflecting on their own progress;
4. be able to reflect on information gained from assessment and adjust the teacher’s teaching practices as necessary; and
5. understand the advantages and disadvantages of a variety of methods of reporting to students and parents.

(g) A classroom teacher should be able to create and maintain an environment where students are contributing members of a learning community. A teacher who meets this goal should

1. be able to create and maintain
   1. a stimulating, inclusive, and safe learning community in which students take intellectual risks and work independently and collaboratively; and
   2. high expectations for all students, and
2. understand and be able to use a variety of classroom management techniques to support student learning.

(h) A classroom teacher should be able to use technology as an educational tool. A teacher who meets this goal should be able to

1. enhance instruction and student learning;
2. access current trends, strategies, and resources in the teaching profession;
3. organize and maintain information about student learning; and
4. connect classroom activities to practical situations encountered outside of school.

(i) A classroom teacher should be able to work as a partner with student families and with the community. A teacher who meets this goal should be able to

1. promote clear two-way communication among the school, student families, and the community;
2. support comprehensive programs for parental involvement;
3. help student families support their children’s learning efforts;
4. participate in the community; and
5. connect school and classroom activities with student homes, work places, and the community.

(j) A classroom teacher should be able to participate in and contribute to the teaching profession. A teacher who meets this goal should be able to

1. maintain a high standard of professional ethics;
2. maintain and update the teacher’s knowledge base;
3. engage in program, instruction, and curriculum development; and
4. work cooperatively with the teacher’s colleagues in the learning community.

(Eff. 12/17/94, Register 132)

Authority: AS 14.03.015; AS 14.07.060; AS 14.20.020; AS 14.07.020; AS 14.20.010;