All around the United States, public education “reforms” are taking place. One of the reforms that has been taking place in Illinois for the past few years is centered around teacher performance, or teacher evaluation. Charlotte Danielson, an educator, an educational consultant, and a researcher, is among the top (if not the top) experts in the area of teacher evaluation, development, and growth. This is the first year in DPS109 that teachers and administrators are using the Framework for Teaching as part of the STEP (Successor Teacher Evaluation Program) process. We are devoting time for teacher evaluator training, teacher orientation training, and evaluation process and procedures. With this blog post, I’m aiming to shed some light on the Frameworks from the author herself, and share with the “blogsphere” what in fact “teaching” is defined as per Danielson.

Charlotte Danielson is the author if the Framework for Teaching.

From her website:

“The Framework may be used for many purposes, but its full value is realized as the foundation for professional conversations among practitioners as they seek to enhance their skill in the complex task of teaching. The Framework may be used as the foundation of a school or district’s mentoring, coaching, professional development, and teacher evaluation processes, thus linking all those activities together and helping teachers become more thoughtful practitioners.”

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation 1a Demonstrating Knowledge of Content and Pedagogy 1b Demonstrating Knowledge of Students 1c Setting Instructional Outcomes 1d Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources 1e Designing Coherent Instruction 1f Designing Student Assessments	Domain 2: Classroom Environment 2a Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport 2b Establishing a Culture for Learning 2c Managing Classroom Procedures 2d Managing Student Behavior 2e Organizing Physical Space
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities 4a Reflecting on Teaching 4b Maintaining Accurate Records 4c Communicating with Families 4d Participating in a Professional Community 4e Growing and Developing Professionally 4f Showing Professionalism	Domain 3: Instruction 3a Communicating With Students 3b Using Questioning and Discussion Techniques 3c Engaging Students in Learning 3d Using Assessment in Instruction 3e Demonstrating Flexibility and Responsiveness