Running head: TELLING MY STORY 1

Telling My Story

Amanda Boyer

National University
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Abstract

This assignment describes the California Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs)

and evaluates the progress of achieving competence in TPE domain A. My strengths and

needs are identified and discussed along with a rationale for selecting and completing

areas of professional needs and goals for the TPE domain A. I also explain potential TPE

competencies to be used on the PDQP in order to demonstrate progress towards success

based on TPE 1.
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California Teaching Performance Expectations

The California Teaching Performance Expectations define the knowledge and skills a

teacher is expected to demonstrate and are aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching

Profession. The TPEs correlate with student standards because “what teachers know and are able

to do is the most important influence on what students learn” (Costantino & De Lorenzo, p. 11).

The six Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs) are:

A. Making Subject Matter Comprehensible to Students

B. Assessing Student Learning

C. Engaging and Supporting Students in Learning

D. Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for Students

E. Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning

F. Developing as a Professional Educator

I will be evaluating my progress in achieving competencies in Domain A: Making

Subject Matter Comprehensible to Students.

Teaching Experience

As a second year visual arts teacher, I have​ learned about the importance of fostering a

classroom environment that is a positive climate for learning for all students, and

especially those who require adaptations. Spending time self-reflecting and analyzing the

ways that I build rapport with students or encourage them to take responsibility for their

own learning has caused me to analyze my philosophy of teaching and the consistency of

my actions. I have become much more aware of the routines, procedures and expectations

that I have created either intentionally or unintentionally in my classroom. While I have

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succeeded in areas of classroom culture and management, I have found that I am still

emerging in my skills to make the visual art subject matter comprehensible to all of my

students.

I have carefully selected artifacts for TPE Domain A to demonstrate my teaching

effectiveness and student learning. ​My first artifact i​s an analytical summary and synthesis

of the importance of Art Education as discussed in Jon Murray's article, ​Art, Creativity, and

the Quality of Education​. My second artifact is this evaluation and reflection of my progress

in achieving competencies in Domain A. My third artifact includes examples of student

work where students learned about creating a monochromatic color scheme and then

using the scale to paint a landscape with atmospheric perspective. Finally, my fourth

artifact is a lesson plan that I designed for students to learn about using the grid method in

order to draw a charcoal portrait with accurate proportions of someone they were inspired

by.

Strengths and Needs within TPE Domain A:

A. MAKING SUBJECT MATTER COMPREHENSIBLE TO STUDENTS

TPE 1: Specific Pedagogical Skills for Subject Matter Instruction

TPE 1B: Subject-Specific Pedagogical Skills for Single Subject Teaching Assignments

Domain Strengths Area for Growth

A. Teaching Art in a Single
Subject Assignment
Designing projects for PBL Integrating cross-curricular
that students can relate to elements into art lessons.
and are motivated to work
on. Increasing student participation in
critiques by creating new systems
Fostering a safe for critique.
environment for students
to work in and take risks Create more intentional
collaborative groups for art
projects or processes where they
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Providing positive can work together or learn from

feedback to encourage one another.
student development and
growth.
Potential Competencies to be Used for the PDQP

The potential competencies to be used for my PDQP are my classroom management plan

and relatable lesson planning. In TPE domain A, teachers are expected to “establish and monitor

procedures for the safe care, use, and storage of art equipment and materials,” which is

something that I have done well in my classroom and have been recognized for during

observations conducted by my Induction Mentor and University Supervisors (Commission on

Teacher Credentialing, p. 7). While I am still a beginner when it comes to lesson planning, it is a

potential competency because I am able to create projects that “teach students about the

historical contributions and cultural dimensions of art, providing insights into the role and

development of the visual arts in past and present cultures throughout the world (Commission on

Teacher Credentialing, p. 7). Students are motivated by projects when they can relate to the

subject matter, whether it be their own or a new culture, or have a choice in what they are doing,

so I often use that as a guide to my lesson planning.

Rationale for Selecting TPE Domain A

TPE Domain A was selected because in order for students to be successful in a visual arts

classroom, they must comprehend the subject material. In an art classroom students begin at very

different level of experience, but all must receive a strong foundation in basics and comprehend

the elements of art and principles of design. This domain is key for a teacher to be strong in to

ensure that all students are meeting or exceeding the visual arts content standards. 
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References

Costantino, Patricia M., De Lorenzo Marie N., & Tirrell-Corbin,Christy. (2009).

​Developing a Professional Teaching Portfolio: A Guide for Success​. Upper Saddle

​ Bacon/Pearson.
River, NJ: Allyn​ &

Commission on Teacher Credentialing. (2016). California teaching performance

expectations [PDF file]. Retrieved from ​https://www.ctc.ca​.