TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC - 4 Exam Study Guides | TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC - 4 Exam Flashcards |
100 TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC - 4 Exam Practice Questions
1. Which behavior is not a major stage of childhood development?
A. Learning to manipulate signs and symbols
B. Staying close to home and family
C. Testing the limits
D. None of the above
2. Self-regulated learning:
A. Relies heavily on memorization
B. Helps students set goals
C. Is rarely successful
D. All of the above
3. Diversity promotes a fair and effective learning environment by:
A. Using diversity to teach universal concepts
B. Ignoring cultural differences
C. Encouraging prejudices
D. All of the above
4. Cultural influences impact students' ability and readiness to learn:
A. By emphasizing different choices
B. By rewarding different behavior
C. Because of communication differences
D. All of the above
5. Which approach is not a good way to handle behavioral problems?
A. Establish written expectations
B. Explain the rules clearly
C. Refuse to consider to the students' suggestions
D. All of the above
6. Components of effective discipline plan may include:
A. Rules and incentives
B. Strict punishment
C. Unreasonable expectations
D. None of the above
7. Which of the following does not affect classroom communication?
A. Expectations
B. Class size
C. Classroom atmosphere
D. All of the above
8. Which of the following elements are important in student assessment?
A. Content and performance
B. Dress code
C. Attention to detail
D. All of the above
9. Children's academic growth should be assessed because:
A. Problems can be diagnosed early
B. Grades are important
C. Children like to take tests
D. Schools can post high test scores
10. The main components of the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators are:
A. Professional ethical conduct, practices and performance
B. Ethical conduct toward professional colleagues
C. Ethical conduct toward students
D. All of the above
ANSWER KEY EXAM 100
1. Answer: B
When children start school (about age five), they begin moving away from the known world of home and family to the new world of academia. They learn to manipulate signs and symbols and how to make things and use tools. If feedback is constructive and instructive, they develop competence and increase self-esteem. However, if a child is consistently unsuccessful and doesn't learn to appreciate the learning process, he can feel inadequate and develop feelings of inferiority that can stay with him the rest of his life.
When children reach adolescence (about age eleven), they begin to explore new ideas, test established limits and try to cope with and understand all the physical, hormonal and emotional changes they are experiencing. Adolescents try on different roles, personas and behaviors as they figure out which identity to embrace. It is a confusing time but a necessary and critical step in developing a positive sense of self. Parents, family, friends, teachers, mentors and peers all have an influence, positive or negative, on his/her choices.
2. Answer: B
Self-regulated learning is based on the concept that students who are active participants in the learning process absorb more information, retain the data longer and use it more effectively inside and outside the classroom. Based on their age and abilities, these students set goals and devise strategies to reach those goals; analyze complex tasks and divide them into manageable parts; and monitor themselves on how well they understand the information presented to them. Self-regulated learning students work to achieve their goals in order to increase their knowledge and skills (mastery), earn higher grades and demonstrate their abilities (performance approach) or avoid feeling like a failure (performance avoidance). Factors that contribute to their success or failure include interactions with adults in school and at home, relationships with peers academically and socially, a motivation to learn and how much they believe in their ability to succeed.
3. Answer: A
When students are taught using the values and traditions of many ethnic groups, it enables them to function more effectively in a multicultural society. Students need to understand the historical experiences of every cultural group in order to appreciate how past actions affect present circumstances. An educational environment that embraces and respects diversity explores and uses differences to teach universal concepts. Integrating information about and studying the impact of all cultures greatly enhances students' ability to understand, appreciate and get along with different racial, ethnic and gender groups.
4. Answer: D
Study after study has shown that a student's culture has a direct impact on learning. Since most educational standards are based on white, middle class cultural identification, students who don't fall into that demographic face challenges every day. It's not that these students are incapable of learning; they just judge what's important and how they express that importance differently. Sometimes it is difficult for them to understand and relate to curriculum content, teaching methods and social skills required because their culture does things differently, emphasizes different choices and rewards different behavior. Children identify with their culture; they become what they know. If teachers ignore cultural differences, it causes communication issues, inhibits learning and increases the potential for behavioral problems. As long as a child has no physical or mental health issues, he/she is capable of learning. They just need the information presented and examples used to be relevant to their life experiences; that is the only way it makes sense to them.
5. Answer: C
Behavior management is an essential key in creating a positive learning environment. If students are misbehaving, they are not paying attention and they can't learn. It is important to establish written expectations, review them as needed and enforce them when necessary. Explain the rules clearly, consider the circumstances before taking action and apply the rules fairly and consistently. Look at situations from the students' perspective and try to be objective rather than judgmental. Address problems and issues immediately so they don't escalate or reappear. A teacher should be willing to admit mistakes; this tells students it is okay to make a mistake as long as one admits it, learns from it and tries not to make it again. Collaborate with the students, ask for their opinions and offer choices. When students are active participants and believe they are heard, behavior issues are minimized. Teachers need to be consistent, patient with themselves and the students, keep situations in perspective, have a sense of humor and know when to ask for help.
6. Answer: A
Teachers have a responsibility to set parameters and enforce rules because young people crave guidelines and really do understand, appreciate and respect reasonable limits. A discipline plan provides a framework in which to assess situations, address issues and make changes. It won't stop or prevent unacceptable behavior but it does provide a means to identify and deal with it. A discipline plan must meet the needs of the teacher and consider the age of the students. The plan can be imposed by the teacher or developed with input from the students. Whatever method is used, the plan must be explained to and understood by students and parents. Critical elements include:
- Rules written as positive statements
- Incentive Plan that is clearly defined, easy to understand, fair to everyone
- Positive Consequences explained; may vary with each rule
- Limit Setting Acts (taken before the next step is invoked) are established
- Negative Consequences are hierarchal steps taken to address unacceptable behavior
7. Answer: b
Teachers need to remember not all students are comfortable speaking in front of a group. Therefore, it is important to recognize the goal is to foster an environment that encourages participation and no one is inhibited or prevented from participating because of teaching methods. Participation is predicated on teacher and student expectations, instructional strategies and classroom atmosphere. It is important to develop class rules for discussions, provide frequent feedback and ask for student input to ensure teaching practices are in line with student perceptions of reasonable opportunities to actively engage.
8. Answer: A
Content Standards define specific areas of knowledge students need to learn in English, math, science, social studies, music, art and drama; some include general concepts and interdisciplinary studies. Some reflect grade level and content; others combine grade levels and content is integrated across disciplines.
Performance Standards defined by The Goals 2000: Educate America Act are "concrete examples and explicit definitions of what students have to know and be able to do to demonstrate proficiency in the skills and knowledge framed by content standards." They must be appropriate for the age, feasible to administer and useful for evaluating progress.
Other important areas of assessment are: Technical Quality as suggested by The National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing includes: cognitive complexity; quality content; meaningful tasks; appropriate language; transfer and generalization capabilities; fair performance measurements and scoring; reliable data; consequences reflecting desired effect on students, teachers, educational system.
9. Answer: A
There are many reasons academic growth should be assessed. Parents and teachers want and need to know how children are progressing in learning age-appropriate tasks and acquiring age-appropriate skills. If problems are diagnosed early, they can be addressed, and many times corrected before they become serious roadblocks in development. Determining children's progress helps placement and promotion decisions, aids in the design of curriculum and other programs and can lead to improvements in instructional methods and classroom management. Young children develop at different rates, so their performance is uneven, inconsistent and variable. They should be assessed on general age-appropriate knowledge gained and skills attained, how much progress they made learning to control their behavior and their overall improvement in social interactions. Adding observations made during informal work and play situations helps minimize possible errors inherent in evaluating young children. Assessments should include a balance between standardized evaluations and specific progress made by individual students.
10. Answer: D
Historically, helping form the moral character of society's children was considered the duty of the older generation. Passing on moral values is more effective if those values are lived, not just spoken. Educators who take that sacred trust seriously provide excellent instruction, communicate regularly with parents and cooperate with colleagues and administrators. They also exhibit pride, professionalism and commitment to education. They are part of the solution; not the problem.
Title 19, Part 7, Chapter 247, Rule 247.2 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC) is the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators. It is a comprehensive explanation of the "standard practices and ethical conduct" required by all teachers certified to teach in the state. It is composed of three parts: Professional ethical conduct, practices and performance; ethical conduct toward professional colleagues; and ethical conduct toward students. The State Board for Educator Certification is charged with ensuring teachers "maintain the dignity of the profession, respect and obey the law, demonstrate personal integrity, and exemplify honesty."
Last Updated: 02/21/2013