Competency 007: The teacher understands and applies principles and strategies for communicating

effectively in varied teaching and learning contexts.

Sample: To me, Competency 007 means that a teacher should apply effective communication
skills in their teaching philosophy, and make the teaching audience-centered. The teacher should
accommodate to the varied listening and communication styles of the students. For example, one
student may be more of an active listener than another, so you must accommodate both students. Also,
communication comes in different varieties, such as verbal and nonverbal. You must develop great
nonverbal communication skills to illustrate your confidence to your students. Another example would
be if a student asks a question that you may not know, you must tell the student your best possible
rationale without causing confusion.
Competency 008: The teacher provides appropriate instruction that actively engages students in the
learning process.
Sample: For a student to engage in the learning process, he/she must be guided through the
process by the instruction of a teacher. Proper instruction allows the flow of classroom engagement to
be steady. The teacher should use different methods of instruction to engage all students with little
difficulty. Discipline and consistency should be of the highest value when it comes to proper instruction
in the classroom.
Competency 011: The teacher understands the importance of family involvement in childrens
education and knows how to interact and communicate effectively with parents.
Sample: A teacher should always keep the parents up-to-date on the progress of their childs
education. This includes discipline, grades, in-class involvement, and attitude. If the parents are inept to
effectively communicate with the teacher, the teacher should find different methods to reaching
communication. The importance of family involvement weighs down on the childs education by
allowing the family to know the childs strengths and weaknesses of their path to being educated.
Competency 012: The teacher enhances professional knowledge and skills by effectively interacting with
other members of the professional community and participating in various types of professional
activities.
Sample: By interacting with other professionals, a teacher may find themselves developing or
adding on to their particular set of skills. This allows educators to become more thoughtful and
competent in their understanding of their particular field. There may also be a development of
competency outside their field of study, which adds to the teachers skill set.
Competency 013: The teacher understands and adheres to legal and ethical requirements for educators
and is knowledgeable of the structure of education in Texas.
Sample: A teacher must know the ethical and legal responsibilities of their profession in order to
effectively perform their job. This competency will keep the educator out of hard-to-handle situations.

By knowing the structure of education in Texas, the educator will be able to provide the proper and
adequate education to their students.