Contextual Factors Chart

For this task, you must submit the following evidence:

1. Written Commentary of a maximum of 21,000 characters (approximately seven typed pages) that

• responds to all parts of the guiding prompts;
• references your artifacts to support your written evidence; and
• describes, analyzes, and reflects on the evidence.

2. Artifacts The required artifacts for this task:

How to Submit Your Evidence (Refer to the Submission System User Guide for details.)

• Upload your artifacts into your Library of Artifacts.
• Refer to the artifacts in your Written Commentary.
• Link the artifacts to your Written commentary within the appropriate textbox.

Activity 1:

Completing the Contextual Factors Chart 

Complete the second column of the Contextual Factors Chart by providing the requested information listed in each section of the first column. From the Contextual Factors Chart, choose one community and one school/district factor that you believe will have the most impact on student learning and then respond to the guiding prompts below.

Task 1: Contextual Factors Chart

This chart is designed to help you understand the many factors that affect teaching and learning. Such factors include your students’ lived experiences and unique learning needs, the community, classroom norms and agreements, and the physical environment in which teaching and learning take place. Understanding these factors as they relate to your teaching will help you determine the instructional strategies and approaches that will support your students’ learning.

In this chart, address the factors listed as they pertain to your teaching assignment. The subcategories listed with each factor are just suggestions; there may be other subcategories that you would like to address, or there may be a subcategory listed that does not apply to your situation.

You must link this document as an artifact in your response to Textbox 1.1.1. https://www.ets.org/pdfs/ppat/ppat-task-1-contextual-factors-chart.doc

Guiding Prompts

1. Identify your chosen community factor. Based on your chosen community factor, identify and describe one possible instructional strategy and one learning activity that you could use in your classroom to further student learning. Provide a rationale that explains how the identified strategy and activity connect to the chosen factor.
2. Identify your chosen school/district factor. Based on your chosen school/district factor, identify and describe one possible instructional strategy and one learning activity that you could use in your classroom to further student learning. Provide a rationale that explains how the identified strategy and activity connect to the chosen factor.

Enter your response in the textbox below. The required artifact for this textbox:

• the Contextual Factors Chart (maximum of three pages)

Activity 2:

Responding to the Identified Resources 

Many resources that are already available to teachers can be leveraged to support learning and promote positive relationships. Using the identified resources from the Instructional and Support Resources Chart, respond to the guiding prompts below.

Task 1: Instructional and Support Resources Chart

A wide range of services and resources are available within a school system to support instruction. This chart allows you to become familiar with what is available to you within your teaching context. Complete the chart by listing available instructional materials and resources.

You must link this document as an artifact in your response to Textbox 1.1.2. https://www.ets.org/pdfs/ppat/ppat-task-1-support-resources-chart.doc

Guiding Prompts

1. Select two resources from the completed Instructional and Support Resources Chart, and explain how you would use each in your classroom to support student learning.
2. Select a particular characteristic that you listed under Knowledge of Individual Students in the Contextual Factors Chart. Based on this selected characteristic, explain how a resource from the Instructional and Support Resources Chart, different from the two discussed in the previous prompt (Guiding Prompt a), could enhance student learning.

Enter your response in the textbox below. The required artifact for this textbox:

• the Instructional and Support Resources Chart (maximum of three pages)

Activity 3:

Understanding Classroom Norms, Protocols, and Agreements 

Every classroom operates according to sets of norms, protocols, and agreements; some of these norms, protocols, and agreements are established by the teacher or the school, whereas others are created by students and teachers working together. Access and review the norms, protocols, and/or agreements for the classroom to which you are assigned and then respond to the guiding prompts below.

Guiding Prompts

1. Describe one example of a classroom norm, protocol, or agreement. Explain how the norm, protocol, or agreement facilitates instruction, enhances student learning, and/or impacts the learning environment.
2. Describe one example of a technology norm, protocol, or agreement. Explain how the norm, protocol, or agreement facilitates instruction, enhances student learning, and/or impacts the learning environment.
3. Identify and describe one norm, protocol, or agreement that you and your students could create together. Explain how the norm, protocol, or agreement would facilitate instruction, enhance student learning, and/or impact the learning environment.

Step 2-Activity 1: Getting to Know Your Students 

Create or choose a meaningful, whole class activity that honors and values your students as unique individuals (e.g., student interest activities or projects, journaling, short biography). Give each student in your class the opportunity to participate in the activity so that you can gather information relevant to your students’ interests, and then respond to the guiding prompts below.

Guiding Prompts

1. Based on the compilation of information from the results of the Getting to Know Your Students activity, analyze one example of how this information would influence a whole-class instructional decision you would make. Provide a rationale for your decision.
2. Using one student’s completed Getting to Know Your Students activity, analyze how this
3. information would influence an instructional decision you would make for this student. Provide a rationale for your decision.

Enter your response in the textbox below. The required artifact for this textbox:

• a completed student sample from the Getting to Know Your Students activity (maximum of two pages)

Activity 2:

Understanding Your Students 

A core feature of exemplary teaching is getting to know and understand your students as unique individuals. This means not only valuing and appreciating their backgrounds and personal histories but also recognizing the various ways in which they demonstrate competence (i.e., have mastered an area of learning). Identify two Focus Students who reflect different backgrounds and personal histories. Then respond to the following prompts

Guiding Prompts

1. Describe each identified Focus Student’s cultural and linguistic assets, lived experiences, and academic strengths and learning needs. Explain how each of these two students contributes to the learning environment of your classroom.
2. Based on your knowledge of Focus Student #1, identify and describe one possible instructional strategy and one learning activity that you and this student could create together to use in your classroom to support this student. Explain how the identified strategy and activity reflect your understanding and appreciation of this student’s cultural and linguistic assets, lived experiences, academic strengths, and learning needs.
3. Based on your knowledge of Focus Student #2, identify and describe one possible instructional strategy and one learning activity that you and this student could create together to use in your classroom to support this student. Explain how the identified strategy and activity reflect your understanding and appreciation of this student’s cultural and linguistic assets, lived experiences, academic strengths, and learning needs.

Activity 3:

Communicating with Your Students’ Families 

Equally as important as developing relationships with your students is cultivating partnerships with your students’ families. There are multiple ways to foster these partnerships (e.g., face-to-face parent/teacher/student discussion circles, interactive family nights). Based on your knowledge of your students, create one communication method that you will use to learn about and connect with your students’ families/caregivers. After creating and using the communication, respond to the guiding prompts below.

Guiding Prompts

1. Explain how your method of communication conveys the importance of cultivating positive relationships with students and their families. Use examples from your communication to support your explanation.
2. Explain how your method of communication fostered interaction among you, your students, and your students’ families. Use examples to support your explanation.
3. Describe the overall response you received from your communication. How will this response impact an instructional decision you will make in your classroom? Use examples from the responses you received to support your analysis.

Enter your response in the textbox below. The required artifact for this textbox:

• your communication with students’ families (maximum of one page)

Last Updated on September 5, 2023