160 TExES Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC - 12 Exam Practice Questions

1. The primary learning tasks of adolescents are:

A. Understanding abstract concepts
B. Acquiring problem-solving skills
C. Developing critical thought processes
D. All of the above

2. Common characteristics of successful teachers include:

A. Strict disciplinarians
B. Long teaching careers
C. Consistency
D. All of the above

3. Creating an environment that motivates students includes:

A. Present challenging lessons and activities
B. Promise rewards
C. Threaten consequences
D. All of the above

4. Making connections to other parts of the students' lives is important because connected data:

A. Helps understanding
B. Increases ability to integrate new information
C. Encourages application of lessons learned
D. All of the above

5. Cognitive collaboration can be used to:

A. Get better grades
B. Function individually
C. Create a new way of thinking
D. All of the above

6. Strategies that help students who have difficulty understanding new concepts include:

A. Field trips
B. Repeat lessons, if necessary
C. Require memorization
D. All of the above

7. Strategies that help students who have difficulty retaining and retrieving data include:

A. Divide instructions into short sections
B. Rephrase key concepts
C. Use mnemonics
D. All of the above

8. Strategies that help students who have difficulties following classroom protocol include:

A. Derogatory remarks about a student's behavior
B. Consistent enforcement of the rules
C. Ignoring the behavior
D. All of the above

9. Teachers can create a harmonious classroom by:

A. Admitting mistakes
B. Being judgmental
C. Delay addressing the problem
D. All of the above

10. A written discipline plan:

A. Will Prevent unacceptable behavior
B. Is fair and clearly defined
C. Can only be imposed by the teacher
D. All of the above

ANSWER KEY EXAM 160

1. Answer: D

Teachers are facilitators and coaches whose main function is to present the required educational material in an interesting, hands-on manner. The information given and examples used should reflect the students' present day reality and tell them how they will use the data in the future. Since a primary task of adolescence is learning to understand abstract concepts, acquiring and honing problem-solving skills and developing critical thought processes, it is the instructor's responsibility to prepare lesson plans that not only teach the facts but also focus on helping students practice these new abilities. Whether college-bound, planning to join the military or headed to the workforce, the student must be able to interact with other people in and out of groups, adapt to new technology and institutional change and logically think through new situations. It is imperative that teachers create an atmosphere that encourages students to develop and utilize these critical skills.

2. Answer: C

While each person's instructional style is unique, successful teachers share certain characteristics. The most important qualities are attitude and approach and the following contribute to and influence both:

• A sense of humor relieves tense situations and makes class more pleasant for everyone: Students might actually look forward to coming and pay attention when they get there.
• A positive attitude helps cope with most situations in and out of the classroom.
• Setting realistic expectations and making sure students believe they can reach them is a great motivator and helps them achieve a sense of competence.
• Being consistent creates a safe, predictable learning environment. Students don't like it when the rules are always changing.
• Being fair means treating all students the same in similar situations.
• Flexibility is critical. Things change and students expect the teacher to be in charge and in control at all times and in all situations.

3. Answer: A

Students don't learn if they are not engaged in the process. They won't engage in the process if they are not motivated. So just how does a teacher fulfill curriculum requirements and excite students at the same time? Teachers want students to learn, but know it is impossible to force someone to learn and equally impossible to motivate someone to learn. The best teachers can do is create an environment that encourages learning and present challenging lessons and hands-on activities that are interesting, meaningful and relevant to the students' experiences and everyday life. To prevent boredom and help students retain key concepts, teachers need to build on previously acquired knowledge and link new data with old information. Teachers can and should set clear expectations, teach to multiple learning styles, vary presentation approaches, assign projects that require critical thinking and praise when earned, encourage when needed and discipline when necessary.

4. Answer: D

One of education's primary functions is to prepare students to be productive members of society. To do that effectively, the knowledge gained in school needs be meaningful and make sense to the students. Therefore, it is imperative teachers consciously make connections between information learned and skills acquired in one class to their application in other disciplines. Connected data can be used to understand new facts, integrate new information and apply lessons learned in one area to problems posed in another. The ability to see the relationship between seemingly unrelated topics and events requires critical thinking and advanced reasoning skills. Planning activities that explore universal themes and address national and/or international issues makes lessons real and relevant. When teachers encourage exploration of the relationship between activities and attitudes in school, at home and in the neighborhood, students gradually begin to understand that individual actions have far-reaching consequences beyond the immediate environment.

5. Answer: C

Cognitive collaboration is bringing together and utilizing the multiple perspectives of the personal, cultural and factual knowledge of everyone in the group to solve a problem, complete a task or create a new way of thinking. They are expected to work together, bounce ideas off one another, question and challenge observations and suggestions and refine their understanding of the subject to reach a consensus. This type of collaborative group approach is highly prized and sought after in the business world. To be effective in a classroom environment, teachers must impress upon students the importance of functioning as a team. The teacher must treat students as members of a dynamic community and understand and respect the social interactions that encourage learning. The teacher must be involved and interact with each group, ask questions, pose problems and challenge students to think creatively.

6. Answer: B

In spite of compelling lectures, interesting and challenging activities and inspiring field trips, some students have difficulty understanding new ideas. Sometimes the information is complex and confusing and even the better students have difficulty grasping the key concepts. There are some steps teachers can take to minimize student (and teacher!) frustration and maximize learning, no matter what the topic. Plan adequate time to prepare, present, discuss and review the data. Allow time to repeat specific lessons if necessary. Introduce new vocabulary, explain historical references and implications and outline the main concepts using flow charts, diagrams and appropriate organizers at the beginning of the lesson. Present the information in a variety of ways (multiple intelligences) so students have an opportunity to learn using their particular style. Encourage cooperative learning, assign peer tutors and connect new data with previously acquired knowledge. Use appropriate assessment tools to evaluate student understanding and integration of the new material.

7. Answer: D

Some students have difficulty retaining and retrieving data. They pay attention during lectures, participate in class discussions and group activities and complete every written assignment, but have difficulty committing the data to memory and trouble retrieving it when they need to apply it. There are some strategies teachers can use to help these students improve their retention rate and retrieval skills. Break instructional units into short, manageable, easily understood sections and rephrase, review and repeat key concepts frequently during the presentation. Prepare outlines, study guides and vocabulary lists with important data highlighted and show the relationship between the new information and previously acquired knowledge with diagrams, matrices and maps. Teach students how to visualize important facts and use mnemonics as a memory tool. Use a variety of methods (visual, auditory, tactile) to explain the concepts and provide concrete examples to demonstrate the relevance of the information to the students' lives.

8. Answer: B

Unruly students do more than disrupt classroom routine and steal time and attention; they prevent fellow students from learning. Teachers have a responsibility to help students acquire self-control and self-monitoring skills. Classroom rules need to be developed, established, explained, posted and enforced fairly and consistently. If one student is expected to follow the rules, all the students are expected to follow the rules. If it is unacceptable today, it is unacceptable tomorrow. These two classroom conditions must be at the top of the list. Requiring every student to sign a copy of the rules and, with their signature agree to observe them, is a concrete way to help students set personal goals and learn what is acceptable behavior in a community. School is a microcosm of the larger social dynamic. Positive and negative consequences need to be discussed, understood and agreed to before there is an incident and corrective action is needed.

9. Answer: A

When the classroom environment is calm, teachers can teach and students can learn. There are many ways teachers can create a harmonious classroom: Respect all the cultures represented; be aware of, learn and understand adolescent slang; offer praise and encouragement. 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. A teacher should be willing to admit mistakes; it not only makes them more human, but also 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. Address problems and issues immediately, so they don't escalate or appear 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.

10. Answer: B

A discipline plan is a written description of acceptable behavior. It provides a framework in which to diagnose problems, assess situations, address issues and make changes when needed. It won't stop or prevent unacceptable or disruptive behavior but it does give the teacher a means to identify and deal with problems. The plan can be imposed by the teacher or developed with input from the students. Whatever method is used, it needs to be explained to and understood by students and parents. Critical elements include:

• Rules written as positive statements
• Fair, clearly defined, easy to understand incentive plan
• Positive consequences explained and may vary with each rule
• Limit setting acts are actions taken before invoking the next step
• Negative consequences are hierarchal steps; the mildest is a verbal warning, the worst is suspension or expulsion with several steps between