Pathways to Teaching Series: Teaching Methods

Teaching is extraordinarily important, complex, and demanding work, and a teacher’s workday consists of making hundreds of decisions that promote high-level student learning. The work is and should be daunting. Grounded and concise, this first edition text provides readers with theory-based practices that will illuminate the art and craft of teaching.

Through specific examples and sound theories that help teachers build successful classrooms, Teaching Methods presents instruction as a complex profession requiring high-level cogitative work from each teacher. The book successfully synthesizes theories, observations, and research into practical guidelines for instructional planning focused on the emerging needs of the 21st Century.

Part 1 describes the foundations of educational practice: what we know about important learning, and how that learning is assessed, how students learn, and how they are motivated to work hard and engage in high-level learning. The theoretical grounding of high-level teaching, from developmental psychology, cognition, and curriculum and assessment planning, are presented in simple, but not simplistic, language.

Part 2 translates the principles of Part 1 into specific guidelines for instructional planning. It outlines how the big ideas of student learning and cognition may be converted into setting instructional outcomes, developing assessments, and designing learning experiences to promote high-level learning for students.

Part 3 addresses teaching responsibilities beyond the classroom, from grading student performance to communicating with families and participating in a professional community.

Charlotte Danielson has taught at all levels, from kindergarten through college, and has worked as an administrator, a curriculum director, and a staff developer. In her consulting work, Danielson specializes in teacher quality and evaluation, curriculum planning, performance assessment, and professional development. She is the author of Enhancing Professional Practice (2007), Teaching for Understanding (1996), Teacher Evaluation to Enhance Professional Practice (2000), Enhancing Student Achievement (2002), and Strengthening the Profession Through Teacher Leadership (2006), all published by ASCD.  In addition, she has written several Collections of Performance Tasks and Rubrics, published by Eye on Education.