Read the Task 2 Learning Environment Rubric document in the Module content. We are going to do a 3-2-1 response to this rubric.
- What are three things that you learned about edTPA Task 2 from reading this rubric?
- What are two things that are important for YOU to think about in preparing to be successful on edTPA Task 2 (specifically, with respect to this rubric)?
- What is one way that this rubric relates to the content of the chapter we read for this week?
Instruction Rubric 6: Learning Environment
MTH6: How does the candidate demonstrate a respectful learning environment that supports students' engagement in learning?
The Guiding Question
The Guiding Question addresses the type of learning environment that the candidate establishes and the degree to which it fosters respectful interactions between the candidate and students, and among students.
Key Concepts of Rubric:
Respect—A positive feeling of esteem or deference for a person and specific actions and conduct representative of that esteem. Respect can be a specific feeling of regard for the actual qualities of the one respected. It can also be conduct in accord with a specific ethic of respect. Rude conduct is usually considered to indicate a lack of respect, disrespect, whereas actions that honor somebody or something indicate respect. Note that respectful actions and conduct are culturally defined and may be context dependent. Scorers are cautioned to avoid bias related to their own culturally constructed meanings of respect.
Rapport—A close and harmonious relationship in which the people or groups understand each other's feelings or ideas and communicate well.
For the following term from the rubric, see the handbook glossary:
Learning environment
Primary Sources of Evidence:
Video Clip(s)
Instruction Commentary Prompt 2
Note that for the Instruction Task, the commentary is intended to provide context for interpreting what is shown in the video. Candidates sometimes describe events that do not appear in the video or conflict with scenes from the video—such statements should not override evidence depicted in the video.
Scoring Decision Rules
► Multiple Criteria N/A
► AUTOMATIC 1 None
Unpacking Rubric Levels
Level 3
Evidence that demonstrates performance at Level 3: In the clip(s):
The candidate's interactions with students are respectful, demonstrate rapport (evidence of relationship between candidate and students and/or ease of interaction that goes back and forth based on relevance or engaged conversation), and students communicate easily with the candidate.
There is evidence that the candidate facilitates a positive learning environment wherein students are willing to answer questions and work together without the candidate or other students criticizing their responses.
There is evidence of mutual respect among students. Examples include attentive listening while other students speak, respectful attention to another student's idea (even if disagreeing), working together with a partner or group to accomplish tasks.
Below 3
Evidence that demonstrates performance below 3: The clip(s):
Do not exhibit evidence of positive relationships and interactions between candidate and students.
Reveal a focus on classroom management and maintaining student behavior and routines rather than engaging students in learning.
What distinguishes a Level 2 from a Level 3: At Level 2,
Although clip(s) reveal the candidate's respectful interactions with students, there is an emphasis on candidate's rigid control of student behaviors, discussions, and other activities in ways that limit and do not support learning. There is a general lack of rapport with students, as the candidate is interacting with students mainly to control behavior.
What distinguishes a Level 1 from a Level 2: At Level 1, there are two different ways that evidence is scored:
1. The clip(s) reveal evidence of candidate-student or student-student interactions that discourage student contributions, disparage the student(s), or take away from learning.
2. The classroom management is so weak that the candidate is not able to, or does not successfully, redirect students, or the students themselves find it difficult to engage in learning tasks because of disruptive behavior.
Note: Classroom management styles vary. Video clips that show classroom environments where students are productively engaged in the learning task should not be labeled as disruptive. Examples of this may include students engaging in discussion with peers, speaking without raising their hands, or being out of their seats.
Above 3
Evidence that demonstrates performance above 3: The clip(s)
Reveal a positive learning environment that includes tasks/discussions that challenge student thinking and encourage respectful student-student interaction.
What distinguishes a Level 4 from a Level 3: At Level 4,
The learning environment supports learning tasks that appropriately challenge students by promoting higher-order thinking or application to develop new learning. There must be evidence that the environment is challenging for students. Examples include: students cannot answer immediately, but need to think to respond; the candidate asks higher- order thinking questions; students are trying to apply their initial learning to another context.
The learning environment encourages and supports mutual respect among students, e.g., candidate reminds students to discuss ideas respectfully with each other.
What distinguishes a Level 5 from a Level 4: At Level 5,
The learning environment encourages students to express, debate, and evaluate differing perspectives about content with each other. Perspectives could be from curricular sources, students' ideas, and/or lived experiences.