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TEM 2.

0 Early Childhood Rubric Notes Addendum


Note: TEM observers are expected to use this addendum when considering ratings for any Early Childhood/ Pre-K classroom

As a general note to all Pre-K/ Early Childhood observers, students may be non-readers, especially in Pre-K- 1st grade classes. Early learners are at the beginning to emerging developmental stages of their auditory, motor, and cognitive skills. Use the following notes for guidance regarding what is developmentally appropriate for early learners.
T1 ObjectiveDriven Lessons 1. Early childhood students may not explain what they are learning or why what they are learning is important with the same terms that the teacher uses. An early childhood student might say that he or she is playing at the water table, while the teachers objective for the water center is related to the objective of using fine motor skills. This is a developmentally appropriate way for children to understand and explain their work. It is imperative that observers talk to students during the observation to gauge what they are learning. In some cases it is not appropriate for a teacher to communicate the objective; however, it is important to assess the teacher based on whether students are engaged in work that moves them toward mastery of the objective. Centers are objectives- driven and widely utilized in early childhood classes. Centers should encourage engagement, cross-curricular learning, use of materials that provoke interest, curiosity, and application of skills and concepts. Teachers interactions with students through work and play during center time should promote thinking and application of knowledge and skills to their play. Early childhood teachers might explain and/or demonstrate concepts to students. Explanation and demonstration of content will likely vary based on student groupings and center time. Early childhood teachers will seldom present content to the whole class. Observers should note that an early childhood teacher may be rated at level 4 or higher if students demonstrate higher order thinking through prompting and support from the teacher. Higher order thinking can be demonstrated through students demonstrations, explanations and/ or questions. Text references for early learners in grades Pre-K to 2nd grade may include printed text, as well as patterns and pictures. Same as TEM General Education Rubric

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T2 Explain Content

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T3 Challenging Work T4 Engagement Strategies

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At Performance Level 3, early childhood teachers may receive credit for descriptor (bullet) 3 if students explain content and/or concepts to each other with prompting and support from the teacher. Also note that students explanations or demonstrations of objectives may be connected to several unrelated objectives. Observers should note that an early childhood teacher may be rated at level 4 or higher if students express their understanding of content and the lesson objective(s) independently, in small groups, or centers via pictures, role play, and/ or acting (to list a few) through prompting and support from the teacher.

T5 Higher-Level Thinking Skills

1. Demonstrations of higher-level thinking in early childhood classes (during small group and center time) may include students:

leading portions of group meetings making connections to academic content using increasingly complex and detailed speech to extend their thinking engaging in differentiated or scaffolded learning activities appropriate to their developmental level

repeating the teacher who may be helping students extend their thinking or learn to use more complex vocabulary

applying their skills and knowledge though play, problem solving, and/or use of materials that allow students to practice various skills at developmentally appropriate levels 2. Early childhood teachers should receive credit for pushing students to higher-level thinking if some of the following is observed: probing for more information through conversations with students and questioning techniques if applicable (teachers may not ask higher order questions with objectives related to letter recognition)

TEM 2.0 Early Childhood Rubric Notes Addendum


Note: TEM observers are expected to use this addendum when considering ratings for any Early Childhood/ Pre-K classroom

T6 Check for Understandi ng T7 Instructional Time

asking students to demonstrate versus verbally respond to questions that show depth of learning is also appropriate in early childhood classes. 1. Same as TEM General Education Rubric

2.

Same as TEM General Education Rubric

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