Teaching Quality Standard: Required Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes

Quality teaching occurs when the teacher’s ongoing analysis of the context and the teacher’s decisions about which pedagogical knowledge and abilities to apply result in optimum learning by students.

All teachers are expected to meet the Teaching Quality Standard throughout their careers. However, teaching practices will vary because each teaching situation is different and in constant change. Reasoned judgment must be used to determine whether the Teaching Quality Standard is being met in a given context.

The following descriptors cover the range of expertise that teachers in Alberta are expected to be able to access in effectively teaching students.

• Teachers’ application of pedagogical knowledge, skills, and attributes is based in their ongoing analysis of contextual variables, such as student, regulatory, school, parent, and societal variables.
• Teachers understand the legislated, moral, and ethical frameworks within which they work.
• Teachers understand the subject disciplines they teach.
• Teachers know there are many approaches to teaching and learning.
• Teachers engage in a range of planning activities.
• Teachers create and maintain environments that are conducive to student learning.
• Teachers translate curriculum content and objectives into meaningful learning activities.
• Teachers apply a variety of technologies to meet student learning needs.
• Teachers gather and use information about student learning needs and progress.
• Teachers establish and maintain partnerships among school, home, and community, and within their own schools.
• Teachers are career-long learners.

Source: Alberta Education, 1997.

Essential Conditions to Support Implementation

“Ultimately, we want to know that we’re supporting teachers’ professional growth, and initial district use has focused on reflecting on current practice and areas they may wish to address given their desire for continuous improvement and the framework shared in the guide.”

— Val Olekshy