Professional Practices

1. A Relationship with a mentor is most likely to have a significant positive effect on a new teacher's professional development under which of the following conditions?

• A. The new teacher and the mentor have common subject-area strengths and interests.

• B. The new teacher recognizes the benefits of and remains open to advice from the mentor.

• C. The mentor shows flexibility regarding the nature and purpose of the relationship.

• D. The new teacher has avoided fully committing to any one philosophy of education

2. A teacher receives a phone call from a parent who is concerned about the difficulty level of a book currently being read in class. The parent states that his child is struggling with comprehending the book and has failed several assignments related to the reading material. Based on the parent's concern, which of the following teacher actions will best address the student's needs?

• A. Clarifying the expectations of the assignments and explaining the grading rubrics used

• B. Reviewing the student's work and providing additional assistance when necessary

• C. Providing the students with details of the author's Web site, which provides a review of the main ideas

• D. Communicating the importance of the statewide objectives for the related assignments

3. A new classroom teacher is about to begin participating as a member of an Admission, Review, and CARD) committee for a student in the teacher's clan who has special needs. The primary role of on the ARD committee should be to

• A. coordinate and distribute for review information and recommendations offered by special education staff and other specialists on the student's committee

• B. serve as a liaison between the student's parent/guardians and the other committee member ensure adequate and appropriate school home communication

• C. evaluate and revise draft versions or the student's Individualized Education Program (EP) creation of a document that will address the student's classroom needs

• D. provide the other members of the committee with information and insight regarding the student learning and behavior in the classroom

4. Ms. Brezovay, a new teacher, has read many resources regarding mathematics instruction to aid her in her planning. However, she is still unsure of best practice and the sequence for teaching mathematics. The best resource for providing Ms. Brezovay the support she needs is

• A. the campus principal.

• B. a teacher Website.

• C. a district curriculum specialist.

• D. an education service center workshop.

5. Which of the following describes the most beneficial aspect of having a general education classroom teacher and a special education teacher co-teach a class?

• A. The students will not need to receive as many special education services,

• B. The students will benefit from the experience, methods, and skills of both teachers.

• C. The teachers will be able to divide the class and each be responsible for only half as many students.

• D. The teachers will decide which special education students to move from general education to resource programs.

6. During a parent-teacher conference, the parents of a child with disruptive behavior request that the teacher administer corporal punishment if the behavior continues. The most appropriate response to the parents' request is to

• A. tell the parents that Chapter 37 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) prohibits corporal punishment as it is deemed cruel and unusual punishment.

• B. inform the parents that before a student receives corporal punishment, due process must be carried out to ensure that the student's rights have not been violated.

• C. refer to the school district's policy regarding corporal punishment before determining any further course of action.

• D. ask for clarification on what types of corporal punishment they would like administered and develop a behavior intervention plan with the parents.

7. A teacher is meeting with the parents of Dina, who has attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), to discuss her inappropriate behavior of hitting. Which of the following teacher comments is the most ethical way for the teacher to introduce what has been occurring with Dina?

• A. "Dina and Joseph, a fellow student, often have trouble getting along because they both have ADHD and tend to hit other students."

• B. "Three students reported that Dina hit them yesterday during the field trip."

• C. "Dina has been sent to the principal for hitting others, and her ADHD medication dosage needs to be evaluated.”

• D. "Several teachers reported that students like Dina should not participate in field trips."

8. After a professional development workshop, a group of elementary school teachers implement a new instructional method, which is successful in their classrooms. Which of the following is the best way for the teachers to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method for other teachers in the school?

• A. Assembling portfolios that reflect student work and discussing the results with the other teachers

• B. Writing journal entries that describe student responses during the method’s implementation and sharing them with the other teachers

• C. Designating different components of the method for each of the other teachers to implement with their classes

• D. Distributing copies of the handout from the workshop to the other teachers and discussing the method with them