Charlotte Danielsons

The Four Domains of

Teaching

Planning and Preparation

The Classroom Environment
Instruction
Professional Responsibilities

 Planning and Preparation

1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of Content
and Pedagogy
1b: Demonstrating Knowledge of Students
1c: Selecting Instructional Goals
1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of Resources
1e: Designing Coherent Instruction
1f: Assessing Student Learning

1a: Demonstrating Knowledge of

Content and Pedagogy
"A

person cannot teach what he or she does not

know." This statement captures the essence of why
content knowledge is important in teaching.
Regardless of a teacher's instructional techniques,
she must have sufficient command of a subject to
guide student learning.

1b: Demonstrating Knowledge of

Students
Teachers

do not teach their subjects in a vacuum;

they teach them to students. To maximize learning,
teachers must know not only their subject and its
accompanying pedagogy, but also their students.

1c: Selecting Instructional Goals

Teaching

is a purposeful activity in that it is goal

directed and designed to achieve certain welldefined purposes. These purposes should be clear.

1d: Demonstrating Knowledge of

Resources
There

are two primary types of resources: those to

assist in teaching and those to help students.
Although the balance between the two types varies
in different settings, both should be, to some
degree, evident in all contexts.

1e: Designing Coherent Instruction

A

teacher translates instructional goals into

learning experiences for students through the
design of instruction. Even in classrooms where
students assume considerable responsibility for
their learning, the teacher is in charge of
organizing the environment, managing the learning
process, and establishing the framework for
investigations.

1f: Assessing Student Learning

Only

through the assessment of student learning

can teachers know if students have met the
instructional goals of a unit or lesson. The more
diverse the types of instructional goals, the more
diverse the approaches to assessment must be.

 The Classroom Environment

2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and
Rapport
2b: Establishing a Culture for Learning
2c: Managing Classroom Procedures
2d: Managing Student Behavior
2e: Organizing Physical Space

2a: Creating an Environment of

Respect and Rapport
Teaching

is a matter of relationships among

individuals. These relationships should be
grounded in rapport and mutual respect, both
between a teacher and students and among
students.

2b: Establishing a Culture for

Learning
In

classrooms with a strong culture for learning,

everyone, including the teacher, is engaged in
pursuits of value. Rather than an atmosphere of
"getting by," or "punching the time clock," both
students and teachers take pride in their work and
give it their best energy. In such classrooms, it is
"cool" to be smart, and good ideas are valued.

2c: Managing Classroom Procedures

Teaching requires good management before good

instruction is possible. The best instructional techniques
are worthless in an environment of chaos. Therefore,
teachers find that they must develop procedures for the
smooth operation of the classroom and the efficient use of
time before they can address instructional techniques.
Students understand where they are to go and what they
are to do, with minimal confusion.

2d: Managing Student Behavior

Learning

cannot occur in an environment where

student behavior is out of control. If students are
running around, defying the teacher, or picking
fights, they cannot also engage deeply with
content. Of course, the reverse is also true: When
students are engaged deeply with content, they are
less likely to pick fights, defy a teacher, or run
around a classroom.

2e: Organizing Physical Space

Use

of physical space is important in a total

learning environment and varies depending on
context. Elementary teachers establish "reading
corners" and spaces for noisy and quiet activities,
and teachers at all levels create furniture
arrangements for discussion sessions or group
projects.

 Instruction
3a: Communicating Clearly and Accurately
3b: Using Questioning and Discussion
Techniques
3c: Engaging Students in Learning
3d: Providing Feedback to Students
3e: Demonstrating Flexibility and
Responsiveness

3a: Communicating Clearly and

Accurately
For

students to become engaged in learning, they

must be exposed to clear directions and
explanations. In addition, a teacher's use of vivid
and expressive language can enhance a learning
experience.

3b: Using Questioning and Discussion

Techniques
It

is important that questioning and discussion be

used as techniques to deepen student
understanding rather than serve as recitation, or a
verbal quiz. Good teachers use divergent as well
as convergent questions, framed in such a way that
they invite students to formulate hypotheses, make
connections, or challenge previously held views.

3c: Engaging Students in Learning

If

one component can claim to be the most

important, this is the one. Engaging students in
learning is the raison d'tre of education. All other
components are in the service of student
engagement, from planning and preparation, to
establishing a supportive environment, to
reflecting on classroom events.

3d: Providing Feedback to Students

Feedback

on learning is an essential element of a

rich instructional environment; without it, students
are constantly guessing at how they are doing and
at how their work can be improved. Valuable
feedback must be timely, constructive, and
substantive and must provide students the
guidance they need to improve their performance.

3e: Demonstrating Flexibility and

Responsiveness
Flexibility

and responsiveness refer to a

teachers skill in making adjustments in a lesson to
respond to changing conditions. When a lesson is
well planned, there may be no need for changes
during the course of the lesson itself.

 Professional Responsibilities
4a: Reflecting on Teaching
4b: Maintaining Accurate Records
4c: Communicating with Families
4d: Contributing to the School and District
4e: Growing and Developing Professionally
4f: Showing Professionalism

4a: Reflecting on Teaching

Many

educators, as well as researchers, believe

that the ability to reflect on teaching is the mark of
a true professional. Through reflection, real growth
and therefore excellence are possible. By trying to
understand the consequences of actions and by
contemplating alternative courses of action,
teachers expand their repertoire of practice.

4b: Maintaining Accurate Records

One

reflection of the complexity of teaching is the

need for teachers to keep accurate records.
Although not an inherent part of interaction with
students, such records inform those interactions
and enable teachers to respond to individual needs.

4c: Communicating with Families

As the African proverb reminds us, "It takes a village to

raise a child." Educators have long recognized that when
they can enlist the participation of students' families in the
educational process, student learning is enhanced. The
relationship between parents and teachers also depends on
the age of the children; most kindergarten teachers have
far greater contact with the families of their students than
do high school teachers.

4d: Contributing to the School and

District
Teachers

contribute to and support larger school

and district projects designed to improve
theprofessional community.

4e: Growing and Developing

Professionally
As

in other professions, the complexity of teaching

requires continued growth and development in
order for teachers to remain current. Continuing to
stay informed and increasing their skills allows
teachers to become ever more effective and to
exercise leadership among their colleagues.

4f: Showing Professionalism

Expert teachers demonstrate professionalism in service

both to students and to the profession. Teachers have a
strong moral compass and are guided by what is in the
best interest of each student. They display professionalism
in the ways they approach problem solving and decision
making. Teachers act with integrity and honesty, they put
students first in all considerations of their practice. They
also support their students best interests, even in the face
of traditional practice or beliefs.