Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 1

Developmental Standards Project

Anika Powelson

EDPS 250

Swanson
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 2

Introduction

I am aspiring to be a music educator. I will be working with students of all grade levels who are

taking general music classes, as well as students in higher grade levels who choose to specialize

in an instrument. The purpose of my Developmental Standards Project is to demonstrate my

understanding of child development as referenced in the All Grade Standards, InTASC Standard

#1, and the Ball State Conceptual Framework. InTASC 1 states:

The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning

and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional,

and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging

learning experiences.

Concepts in development:

1. 3.2 Play and School Readiness

2. 4.2 Cognitive Development in Social Context

3. 5.1 A Pathway to School Readiness: The Impact of Family on Early Childhood

Education

4. 7.2 Individualizing Instruction

5. 7.3 Grade Retention and Social Promotion

6. 9.1 “What Was He Thinking?” and Other Adolescent Male Mysteries

7. 10.1 Schools, Academic Motivation, and Environment Fit

Developmental Research #1

3.2 Play and School Readiness

School readiness is defined loosely as a child who is “ready to learn”. There are certain factors

that help determine whether or not a child is ready to learn that tie into school readiness. Some of
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 3

these factors are: a child’s social skills, language ability, ability to self-regulate, and their early

literacy skills (Paulson, 2019). Children who lack in these areas more commonly experience

difficulties when they are learning to read. These gaps in school readiness can become evident as

early as kindergarten, when students are expected to have a basic understanding of each element

of school readiness. Play is considered to be applicable in developing school readiness when the

play is sociodramatic. Sociodramatic play involves made up situations where roles are given, and

objects are used to enhance the play. Typically, the scenario is played out for 10 minutes or

longer, and includes interaction and engaging with other people – can be with peers, adults, or

both – which is what makes the play sociodramatic as opposed to just dramatic (Paulson, 2019).

The basis of sociodramatic play is derived from Vygotsky’s theory that play is one of the leading

behaviors of a child’s development (Berk & Meyers, 2016). Children learn to conform to the

rules of play, and as a result, can set limits on a child’s behavior because they are giving up their

own wants and instead focusing on the group. The teacher plays an important role in

implementing sociodramatic play into the classroom. By either interchanging the roles of the

observer, the stage manager, or co-player, the teacher can subtly make sure that the play is

productive under the guise that it is “free play”. When a child participates in complex

sociodramatic play, they self-regulate better during the clean-up time following the play,

according to Vygotsky’s theory. When solitary dramatic play is involved, the child has more

difficulty in self-regulation while cleaning up. This is because only mature, sociodramatic play

has been shown to be effective. This form of play helps children see perspectives of others, not

just their own, and can become more socially competent. Pretend play and language

development have an intertwined relationship as well. During play, children will adapt their

speech styles depending on what role they may be playing. A child will copy the more
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 4

sophisticated language of an adult if that is the role they are playing(Berk & Meyers, 2016***).

Adding a teacher’s perspective into this, it is more effective to be selective in word choice and to

use different kinds of words for similar topics than to use simple language in front of children

(Pearson, 2018). They will be more likely to reciprocate conversation if they are talked to instead

of being talked at. It is similar when talking about developing a child’s literacy skills. They are

more likely to read, write or draw during play when those tools are provided to them, which will

increase their literacy without the children knowing. It is critical to introduce props and tools into

play so that children can learn the difference between physical objects and the symbolic

representation of an object – such as using your hand as a phone instead of a real phone

(Paulson, 2019).

Instructional Decision #1

This reading provided me with an abundance of information on how a teacher should find a way

to implement play into the classroom. From a general music standpoint, the implementation of

play into the classrooms would make the students more willing to experiment and express

themselves through music than if they thought it was something they had to do. One way to

include play in a music setting would be to teach the students a song that also has an activity to

go with it. For example, if it was a song about the jungle, the class could go on a “safari” to see

all the animals they are singing about. Another good way to implement play in the classroom

would be through the use of stuffed animals or puppets. There are some children who are

nervous around, or even afraid of, authoritative figures, so having the puppet “talk” to them

through me eliminates that authority role. One way I could use this in a lesson is if I brought in a

puppet who loves to dance, and wants to dance with the class. By using the puppet’s arms and

legs, I could have them copy various body movements that the puppet is doing, and evaluate
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 5

their ability to mimic patterns in time to the beat of a song. Once they are comfortable with the

activity, I would then pass the puppet to other students and have them make the puppet dance

and have the other children copy its movements. This would give them an opportunity to think of

a “dance” on the spot and a hands-on activity for them to look forward to (A.G. 2.3). This would

also provide myself an opportunity to evaluate their rhythmic capabilities through the creation of

their dance patterns.

Developmental Research #2

4.2 Cognitive Development in Social Context

Children gain knowledge about the world through the guided direction of their peers and

superiors in their social circles. Their brains are immature at birth, which leaves immense room

for development as children grow and mature their brain through unique experiences. Most

cognitive development occurs through social interactions and social experiences that are unique

to a person’s everyday life. This is because children will learn the most through the specialized

circumstances they face in the stages of growth (Paulson, 2019). When children create and

sustain social relationships, they provide themselves with repeated opportunities to learn

complex cognitive skills. In addition, they will surround themselves with people at different

developmental stages and learn from the differences in their peers and create a diverse

environment for their individual cognitive development. Children can observe individuals

performing challenging cognitive activities, be guided through the activity with assistance, or

given the opportunity to get instruction from the more experienced peers they interact with. As

children push back the boundaries of their cognitive capabilities through more enhanced social

experiences, they learn how to solve problems with gradually less and less assistance, until they

are capable of functioning on their own. This process is known as scaffolding, which is how
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 6

knowledge is transferred from a more experienced person to a less experienced person (Paulson,

2019). The difficulty with scaffolding is balancing learning with a child’s attention span so that

they can maximize efficiency. Voluntary attention is what a child exercises when they are

learning, and they develop this skill through social processes both in the home and in the

classroom. When in the classroom, it is important that a teacher monitors attention and

engagement throughout an activity to see how effectively they are keeping their students

engaged. There will be students in classrooms who have attention-related difficulties such as

ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). These students tend to lack cognitive self-

regulation skills, which will require more attention and effort on the teacher’s part to keep them

on track and motivated. Some ways to help students who lack in self-regulation skills include

continuously checking in on their progress towards a goal, redirecting attention when they lose

focus, and checking the outcomes of their goals (Berk & Meyers, 2016). Theoretically, if

educational practices in early learning programs aligned with Vygotsky’s sociocultural approach,

every child would be developing at a similar rate. This does not take into account the different

socioeconomic statuses, cultural backgrounds, language skills, and parental involvement that

heavily impacts a child’s development both cognitively and socially. If children do not possess

specific skills to grasp the social experiences they need to learn in the classroom (i.e. if a child’s

first language is not English, they will process information slower than someone who primarily

speaks English), then they are at risk for failure. If the child goes home to an involved parent,

then they are more likely to be supported and motivated to improve their cognitive skills in the

classroom. The opposite can be said for a child living with an uninvolved parent, because they

will have less factors of resiliency and therefore be more at risk for failure (Berk & Meyers,

2016).
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 7

Instructional Decision #2

The reading gave me several ideas that I can implement into my future music classrooms in

subtle, but effective ways. In the context of teaching an instrument, I would use a scaffolding

strategy, where I first show the students how to properly put together and hold an instrument,

then teach them how to properly play. At the start of the year, I would definitely remind them of

the basic playing abilities that they were taught, and ask them to remind me how to do certain

things. Gradually, I would remove my reminders from the everyday classroom routine and

expect them to remember what they were taught. As they progressively improve with those basic

steps, I would slowly feed them more information for them to remember, such as air stream or

articulation, and repeat the process of weaning them off of my reminders until they can

successfully perform on their own (A.G. 2.7). I really liked the idea of providing the students

with training wheels before expecting them to know how to ride the bike, because it is better to

set students up for success as much as possible instead of telling them everything they need to

know at once and hoping they won’t fail. My goal is to establish an environment that gives them

enough routine learning opportunities that I can push my students to learn more complex things

in a way they are used to instead of changing how the classroom is run all the time. I plan on

doing that by setting up a routine schedule for each class so that they will be prepared for the

lesson, and so I can set my expectations bar appropriately high once I know the atmosphere and

learning style of my individual classes (A.G. 5.2).

Developmental Research #3

5.1 A Pathway to School Readiness: The Impact of Family on Early Childhood Education

Early childhood education programs are used as a way to help jumpstart the path to school

readiness. Parents play a role in early childhood education outside of the programs that young
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 8

children are placed in. They transfer basic skills and knowledge to their child, and foster socio-

emotional development through nurturing (Paulson, 2019). When parents participate in activities

and sociodramatic play, it positively impacts the socio-emotional development of their child, and

also assists in literacy development. There is some research that suggests that language and

literacy development are more likely to be developed in the home instead of in a school setting.

When a parent reads to their child, they are more likely to score well on reading tests than

children who don’t get read to (Berk & Meyers, 2016). Typically, children with parents who

received lower levels of education scored lower on tests on average. More commonly, parents

with lower levels of education are low-income families who cannot afford to get a better

education. This shows the importance of providing education opportunities to parents, because

much of a child’s literacy development occurs at home, and is affected by the parent’s education

level (Paulson, 2019). A high quality environment for a child to learn in is essential to maximize

preparation for school readiness. There is potential to prevent the achievement gaps in low-

income children at a young age if teachers and parents can work together to create positive

academic outcomes.

Instructional Decision #3

As a teacher, I will need to understand that the way children act are a result of their experiences

outside of school, that I cannot control. Not every child lives in a home where they get all the

attention and care that they need, so I will create a safe environment for my students that can

temporarily suspend them in a positive environment. If a student is incredibly shy, for example, I

will not call on them to answer a difficult question in the middle of class, because that could

cause extreme anxiety for that child, and I do not want to be the cause of that. Instead, I would be

more likely to ask them a simple question that they most definitely know the answer to, so that I
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 9

am setting that child up for success instead of failure (A.G. 2.10). By doing this, I am also

creating a safe and positive environment for the students to enjoy being in. To the best of my

ability, I would try to make sure that everyone is participating in the musical activity of the day,

and give everyone the opportunity to showcase what they have learned (A.G. 5.1). I cannot force

anyone to have fun or participate, but I would encourage them all to do so by acting as a reprieve

from things they have experienced outside of the school environment.

Developmental Research #4

7.2 Individualizing Instruction

Every classroom has students with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and cognitive skills that

they can use to contribute to a class’s learning environment. The difficulty that a teacher faces in

the 21st century’s standard-based classroom setting is how to help each student meet or exceed

the standards they are meant to master. Recently, there have been schools and districts that

recognize the need for a flexible institutional practice model instead of a “one-size-fits-all”

model of teaching, because not every student learns in the same manner. One potential model

that might help change the current teaching practices is differentiated instruction. Differentiated

instruction is based upon the fact that students have different learning needs and learning

capacities, and that students should be taught to understand the material they are learning in class

– not just given the material and moving on to the next topic (Paulson, 2019). Differentiated

instruction essentially combines different instructional strategies in order to try and cater to each

and every student no matter their abilities, interests, or needs. It challenges each student based on

their academic skillset and is meant to increase individual student success rates in the classroom.

Differentiated instruction is a form of whole-part-whole teaching in a macro sense. Looking

deeper into it, the teacher starts by discussing the main topic with the whole class, followed by
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 10

individual or group “exploration” of the topic. When broken down into the smaller groups, the

groups can explore the topic with their own interests in mind, which keeps them entertained.

After this, the whole class comes back together to talk about what they found in their small

group/individual exploration of the topic, and how everything is related to the main topic

(Paulson, 2019). In order for teachers to incorporate differentiated instruction, they must be

willing to adapt and use a variety of teaching models such as the one mentioned above. It will

also require a commitment at the district-level, so that the effective teaching in one classroom

will not go to waste if they are moved on to a classroom that does not enforce differentiated

instruction. This approach will no doubt take more effort and be more time consuming, but it will

also reap greater rewards in the long run. If the instruction matches the ability levels of more

students, they are more likely to be enthusiastic and motivated to learn.

Instructional Decision #4

This reading heavily emphasized the importance of identifying and adapting to individual

students’ needs through differentiated instruction. One way that I can do that in a future music

classroom is through an instrumental lesson. In an activity where my class would be working on

creating short melodies on percussion instruments, I can cater to the needs of each student.

Through the use of Orff instruments, I can add or remove as many keys on a xylophone as I need

to limit that child’s choices that they would need to make. For example, I could ask students who

are struggling with certain pitches to only create a melody on do, mi, and sol, and I could

encourage a student who is excelling to use more pitches such as do, re, mi, sol, and la (A.G.

5.3). Based on the skill level of the class, I can require that they start or end on a specific pitch to

give specific guidelines for them to follow. By giving them guidelines, the lesson would be more

effective, while still allowing them the creative freedom to create their own melody within the
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 11

parameters of the lesson. At the same time, I am not outwardly expressing that any student is

more or less capable than the other, because they are still playing on the same instruments and

learning the same things. One way that this would not be effective is if I gave the students who

were excelling difficult instruments and rhythmic melodies, while only giving the struggling

student a drum to hit with a simple melody. It is not fair to a child to ‘single them out’ in a

manner that shows them and the rest of their peers that they are not as developmentally prepared

as everyone else, and can lead to discouragement and a lack of motivation to try to catch up to

the rest of the class.

Developmental Research #5

7.3 Grade Retention and Social Promotion

Currently in school systems, there are two options given to children who struggle academically

and need to continue their schooling – social promotion and grade retention. Social promotion is

where students are passed on to the next grade level even though they are below grade level.

Grade retention is when a student who is below grade level must repeat the grade that they were

not academically successful in.

Developmental Research #6

9.1 “What Was He Thinking?” and Other Adolescent Male Mysteries

Adolescent males tend to take actions without thinking of the repercussions of their actions, and

often do not have a reason for taking action other than to prove that they are better than other

boys their age. Boys are constantly challenging their peers and their masculinity, or manhood,

which leads to physical challenges to prove their worth. This creates a problem for boys who do

not have great athletic or physical capacities that their peers do. Peer pressure to participate in a

physical challenge that some adolescents know they cannot win can be exciting for some, but
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 12

overwhelming for many, and may result in self-isolation from the groups of boys. In general,

most boys end up taking action, because being “one of the bros” is more important to them than

thinking about the potentially negative effects of their actions (Paulson, 2019). This brings to

light the concept of nature. Nature possibly contributes to why boys tend to make questionable

decisions. The prefrontal cortex the part of the brain that is in charge of problem solving,

decision making, and higher-order thinking. A boy’s prefrontal cortex typically takes longer to

develop in the brain than a girl’s does (Berk & Meyers, 2016). As a result, this could explain

why boys do not process potential negative ramifications of their actions before doing them. This

is one way to try and understand why boys do the things they do. On the opposite end of things,

nurture is where an adolescent male may feel that he has to act differently than they normally

would in order to fit in with everyone else. The social construct that boys should not show

weakness, “act like a girl”, take physical action in situations where they are angry, or

emotionally default to anger in stressful conditions is known as “the boy code”, and is introduced

to them at an early age by anyone ranging from siblings and parents to teachers and coaches

(Paulson, 2019). The innate fear that they will be made fun of by their peers if this unwritten

code is broken, which leads to them placing themselves in dangerous situations in place of being

rejected by other boys in the same age group. Boys are constantly suppressing their emotions

because of their desire to fit in, which does not help teach them how to express and control their

emotions when they grow older. It is important to try to help boys develop their own emotional

vocabulary that expresses more than anger, so that they are equally as prepared to verbalize

emotions as girls are.

Instructional Decision #6
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 13

This reading has helped me develop an understanding of why boys act the way they do in social

settings. As a future music educator, I will be working with both boys and girls alike, so it is very

important to be able to teach both genders without a barrier of understanding between myself and

my male students. If a student is making poor choices at the hands of his peers, I need to be

aware that he may be making those choices to try and fit in with the rest of his class. I must also

be aware of how I may be subconsciously reinforcing this idea of “the boy code” as a teacher,

and try to counteract this social construct. One way that I can counteract “the boy code” is to

create class lessons that can emphasize emotions and how it is okay to express them. For

example, I learned about an activity where students sing a short melody with the teacher, and

then following the melody the teacher says “Oh no! Aunt Dina’s gone!” with different vocal

inflections each time that the students would have to mimic. So one time, the teacher could

sound very excited, and the next very sad or distraught, and dramatize the different inflections

each time to show the students that there is more than one way to express how someone is

feeling at any given time (A.G. 1.4). I know that this will not guarantee a change in anyone’s

personality or ability to react appropriately to different situations, but I would be emphasizing

that my classroom is an environment where everyone is free to express how they feel without

fear of judgement.

Goals

Expertise

It is important that professionals understand these things, because it is easier to adapt

your teaching style to your students with an understanding of learning and instructional

strategies. If you understand the inner workings of educational practices, over the years it will be

easier to fluidly interchange between different teaching styles that best fit each student. If a
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 14

teacher is just going through the motions of teaching without applying instructional strategies in

the classroom, then it creates instability for both student and teacher. As an educator, it is

important to provide a solid foundation for the students to learn the most effectively. This kind of

knowledge structure is something that can only be created through teaching experience over the

years.

A professional needs to consider external factors that could influence learning so that

they can match their teaching styles to individual students. If they can adapt how they teach to

each student on an individual level (which comes with time), they will all then be able to learn

more in each class. There will be a greater percentage of effective learning from student to

student, and a less likely chance that students will fall behind in content knowledge. Every

student is different, and each face challenges unique to them every day. It is important for a

professional to recognize this and adapt to it in order to succeed in their practice (A.G. 2).

A professional should understand the varying degree of readiness in each student so that

they can cater to each student’s individual needs. A teacher who just assumes everyone is on the

average spectrum of the learning scale is ignoring both the struggling students, and the

exceptional students. A more advanced student can get bored if they are not exercising their

brains, and can be more likely to cause trouble. Struggling students can quickly become

discouraged and fall very far behind the rest of the class, which leads to negativity and

apprehension when it comes to learning. A professional is able to identify which students are

behind, average, or above average, and provide those students with the appropriate tools to

continue the learning process.

One weakness that I face in this area is my lack of experience when it comes to

application of these ideas. I have not yet been given many opportunities to apply what I have
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 15

learned in a live teaching setting. I do not yet know how to identify when a student is excelling in

a certain subject, or how to keep them active in a classroom setting without ignoring the rest of

the students. A goal that I have for myself to be able to improve in this area is to get

opportunities to experience practical teaching, so that I can observe how students learn and react

when they are above or below the expectations for the class. I want to be able to say that I am

identifying specific problems and adapt to them in a way that effectively teaches my students on

an individual level within the next 10 years following my graduation from BSU. One way that I

can see myself achieving this is by teaching in my own classroom, as well as observing

experienced professionals in my area of teaching to see how they identify and address specific

problems in the classroom.

Engagement

Personally, I think that engagement means that people are actively involved in something

and learning from what they are participating in. It is very important to design instruction that

meets the needs of everyone involved because if they are not engaged, then they aren’t learning.

The point of teaching is to maximize a student’s learning capacity, so why not help the process

along by being an engaging teacher? It is very important to link new ideas to the ideas that

students have already learned, so that they can realize that everything they are learning is

connected. If the students know that there is a reason why they are learning what a professional

is teaching, then they are much more likely to engage and motivate themselves to participate in

class.

Another factor that is important for students is that they take responsibility for their own

learning. I cannot force them to remember or enjoy what I am teaching. Hopefully, I will be an

effective enough teacher that my students will want to learn what I am teaching, but I am not
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 16

able to control what they do or do not remember. All I can do is make my classroom as safe and

positive of an environment as I can, so that the students feel welcome and willing to learn about

new concepts and ideas (A.G. 5).

It is very important to take into consideration how students in my class learn, so that I can

cater my lessons and activities specifically to certain classes. If I were to just teach the same way

in every class, not everyone would learn as much as they could. It is my responsibility as a

teacher to modify certain lessons for certain class periods, because every class environment can

be different depending on the group of students I have. It is also important to ask the children

questions and start a conversation about what we are learning so that I can evaluate whether or

not the lesson was effective in teaching what they needed to learn. Asking questions during a

lesson or activity also helps remind the students that they will actually need to remember what I

am teaching them, and that it is not something they should forget as soon as they leave my room.

One of my weaknesses concerning expertise is that I am a very shy person in my day-to-

day life, and I struggle engaging in conversations with people unless it is necessary. Of course, to

become a teacher, I will need to combat that personality trait I have had since my childhood.

What I will begin doing is placing myself in situations where I have to interact with people and

make connections with them. When I am placed in a school, I will not be that teacher that

isolates themselves from everyone else in the school. It can be as simple as saying good morning

to the receptionist at the front desk, and as difficult as getting to know the other teachers in the

school. If I do not present myself as approachable to my colleagues, how will I be able to present

myself to my students as a dependable teacher? One other way that I will be able to push myself

out of my comfort zone is through involvement in professional organizations. I am currently a

member of NBA, the National Band Association, and NAfME, the National Association for
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 17

Music Educators. By going to events hosted by these organizations in the past year, and even

currently, I am pushing myself to meet new people and learn new things about teaching, which

will help me in my future classrooms.

Context

For myself, context is understanding that everyone experiences situations unique to

themselves, and that may affect how they learn or interact with people. As teachers, we don’t

know everything that goes on in students’ lives outside of the classroom, and we have to be

willing to adapt and be sensitive to those potential situations. Every classroom can be incredibly

diverse, and every student is extremely talented in their own way. A teacher who is willing to

commit to helping students grow in the learning environment ultimately enhances their

competence and self-confidence that students have in the subject material (A.G. 1). It is also

important to give students opportunities to exercise their individual strengths in the classroom.

For example, I could introduce a project they must complete with loose guidelines to follow, and

let them interpret the project in their own ways, using their strengths.

One of my weaknesses in this area is that I am a white, middle class female. I do not

understand what life is like otherwise, because I grew up in a relatively safe and academically

successful area. I would like to remove myself from this bubble, in as many ways as possible.

One of my goals is to volunteer in areas where there is a different atmosphere than the one I

grew up in, so I can see and experiences the differences myself. One way I can make this happen

is by volunteering my time in a local food pantry or after school program such as the YMCA.
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 18

References

Berk, L., & Meyers, A. (2016). Infants, children, and adolescents. (8th ed., p. 10, 25, 26, 72, 74,

165, 270, 438), Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education Inc.

Paulson, S. (2019). Child development readings for elementary education. (1st ed., p.76, 77, 81,

83, 107, 109, 141, 184, 186, 262, 264)

Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 19

All Grade Standards and Sub-standards References

Standard 1: Student Development and Diversity

Teachers of grades P-12 have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student

development and diversity and demonstrate the ability to provide instruction that is

responsive to student differences and that promotes development and learning for all

students.

1.3 Typical developmental challenges for students from early childhood through grade 12

(e.g., in relation to independence, self-esteem, peer interactions, physical development,

self-direction, decision making, goal setting, involvement in risky behaviors, and identity

formation) and the ability to help students address these challenges.

1.4 Knowledge of types of student diversity (e.g., cultural, economic, and linguistic

background; gender; religion; family structure), and the ability to use this knowledge to

promote learning and development for students with diverse backgrounds, characteristics,

and needs.

Standard 2: Learning Processes

Teachers of grades P-12 have a broad and comprehensive understanding of learning

processes and demonstrate the ability to facilitate student achievement.

2.3 Knowledge of the important roles of play, social interaction, and hands-on

experiences in young children's learning, and the ability to use these processes to help

children construct knowledge and develop problem-solving and other skills

2.7 Strategies for promoting students' independent thinking and learning, reflection, and

higher-order thinking, and the ability to use these strategies to promote students' growth

as learners
Anika Powelson Development Standards Project Page 20

2.10 Knowledge of how various individual factors (e.g., prior learning and experiences,

interests, talents) and factors in the home, school, and community influence learning

processes, and the ability to use this knowledge to improve teaching effectiveness and

learning outcomes

Standard 5: Learning Environment

Teachers of grades P-12 have a broad and comprehensive understanding of student

learning environments and demonstrate the ability to establish positive, productive, well-

managed, and safe learning environments for all students.

5.1 The ability to create safe, healthy, supportive, and inclusive learning environments,

including indoor and outdoor environments, that encourage all students' engagement,

collaboration, and sense of belonging

5.2 The ability to apply skills and strategies for establishing a culture of learning that

emphasizes high expectations for all students, promotes self-motivation, and encourages

students' sense of responsibility for their own learning

5.3 The ability to plan and adapt developmentally appropriate learning environments that

reflect cultural competency; are responsive to the characteristics, strengths, experiences,

and needs of each student; and promote all students' development and learning.