Discussing the Ohio Standards for Teaching

A typical definition for teacher is one who passes on knowledge, but the job of teacher entails so much more than simply imparting knowledge to students. Or, rather, the job is not so simple. In order to pass on the information and understanding necessary for a student to become proficient enough to become a contributing member of society, there are many things at which a teacher must be competent. The Ohio Department of Education has created a list of standards for teachers as a guideline to achieve or improve in the competencies they need in order to be considered highly qualified at their profession.

The Ohio Standards for the Teaching Profession are meant as a tool for teachers to develop their skills throughout their careers. The seven standards are categorized into three groups: The Focus of Teaching and Learning, The Conditions for Teaching and Learning, and Teaching as a Profession. The first set focuses on the teachers’ understanding of students and how to best teach and assess students. The second category helps teachers provide a positive learning environment. The final group of standards guides educators in ways to improve their own knowledge and collaboration skills. The standards, while listed and described separately, are interrelated; competency in one standard will improve efficiency in each of the others.

Standard I- Teachers understand student learning and development and respect the diversity of the students they teach.

Before a teacher can impart knowledge to a student, the teacher must first understand how this can be done. The teacher should know the various ways people learn, and she specifically must seek to understand her own students’ intellectual strengths. Using Howard Gardner’s Th...

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