Customer Reviews

Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching

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Charlotte Danielson has done a fine job putting together a concise framework from which beginning teachers can rely. Though presented in a formal, less conversational manner, Danielson had tidily structured the essential components necessary for an effective teacher. I especially applaud Danielson on Domain 2: "The Classroom Environment", often neglected in current effective teaching research, and Domain 4: "Professional Responsibilities", never properly treated in teacher induction programs (TIPS).

I strongly recommend this text as both a resource for teacher trainers and for those just entering the field of education. Go beyond the ever present research acknowledgments and you'll find the heart of effective teaching.

If you're a teaching professional, get this book. The best part, in my opinion, is the section on teacher evaluations. My district uses Danielson's Evaluation Model for all teacher evaluations. It isn't easy, but gone are the days when evaluations were made solely on the basis of whether the principal likes you or not. Schools of Teacher Education train their students with this model, or something similar. My advice is to buy this book.

Charlotte Danielson has done a thorough job of connecting practice, to reflection, and skill development. Written in a very much "common sense style," Charlotte puts into words the great variety and complexities of teacher skill development. As a high school principal (Litchfield, MN) I have used this as a text for new teachers in my building mentor program "book club." The book should however not be viewed as a book for beginners, but for staff developers and anyone simply interested in becoming a more well rounded teacher. The essential components necessary for an effective teacher are broken down into four domains. Professional responsibilities category, probably gets a bigger "work out" than in other similar texts or frameworks--such as the INTASC standards. I had developed a rubric for my teacher observations based on the INTASC standards and this book supplemented that work and addressed some areas I had not touched on. Can be used as both a reference book or as an on-the-job skill developer. Well worth the money.

This is an excellent set of rubrics upon which to base teacher evaluation. It is also useful to individual teachers who are looking to improve various components of their own personal instructional system in their own personal classroom environment.