CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
Element Emerging Exploring Applying
Has a foundational Examines concepts in Understands and explains
knowledge of subject subject matter and the relationship between
matter, related academic academic language to essential subject matter
3.1 Demonstrating language, and academic identify connections concepts, academic
knowledge of subject content standards. between academic language, and academic
matter academic content standards and content standards.
content standards instruction.
I have spent ample time
ensuring that I am well
versed on the content I
am teaching. I have spent
time making sure I am
supporting my learners
by adding in additional
details/fact (in history)
and helpful tips and
connections to previously
concepts learned (in
math.) 9/23/20
This year I have
continued to dedicate my
time to building
curriculum that connects
standards and is cross-
curricular. I feel that next
year I will be moving into
the next level, however, I
still have many changes
that need to still be made.
4/4/2021
Integrating Innovating
Uses broad knowledge of Uses extensive
inter-relationships of knowledge of subject
concepts, academic matter concepts, current
content standards, and issues, academic
academic language in language, and research to
ways that ensure clear make relevant
connections and connections to standards
relevance to students. during instruction and
extend student learning.
This year when while we
are learning about Islamic
civilizations, I am able to
use what I have learned
last year to enrich the
learning environment for
my student by digging
deepening and making
more connections with
past and future topics.
For example, for Islam we
learn about the Mongols
who are Turks from
central Asia. They convert
to Islam, and this year I
was able to connect them
to our future unit of China
and build the bridge now
that the Mongols are also
going to be discussed in
our next unit when we
learn about Genghis
Khan. 10/30/21
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning

Element Emerging Exploring Applying Integrating Innovating

Has basic knowledge of Expands knowledge of
student stages of student development and
development while implements learning
becoming aware of activities in single lessons
differences in students’ or sequence of lessons
understanding of subject that addresses students’
matter. proficiencies and support
understanding of subject
Teaches subject-specific matter including related
3.2 Applying vocabulary following academic language.
knowledge of curriculum guidelines.
student development Provides explicit teaching
and proficiencies to of essential content
ensure student vocabulary and
understanding of associated academic
subject matter language in single lessons
or sequence of lessons.
Explains academic
language, formats, and
vocabulary to support
student access to subject
matter when confusions
are identified.
Adapts instruction in
response to knowledge of
student development and
proficiencies to meet
students’ diverse learning
needs. Ensures
understanding of subject
matter including related
academic language.
Provides explicit teaching
of essential vocabulary,
idioms, key words with
multiple meanings, and
academic language in
ways that engage
students in accessing
subject matter text or
learning activities.
Integrates knowledge of Utilizes comprehensive
range of students knowledge of students to
development into guide all students to
instructional decisions to develop proficiencies,
ensure student understand subject
understanding of the matter including related
subject matter including academic language.
related academic
language. Engages student at all
levels of vocabulary,
Provides explicit teaching academic language, and
of specific academic proficiencies in self-
language, text structures, directed goal setting,
grammatical, and stylistic monitoring, and
language features to improvement. Guides all
ensure equitable access students in using analysis
to subject matter strategies that provides
understanding for the equitable access and deep
range of student language understanding of subject
levels and abilities. matter.

Hopefully as we move As I integrated

through the school year
and my knowledge on
student performance,
strengths, academic
needs and prior
knowledge will
strengthen. This will
allow me to better
support them on the spot
as well as plan to
differentiate in future
lessons. 9/23/20
vocabulary into my
weekly assignment for
history and used their in-
class questions to gauge
their level of
understanding, I was able
to plan and test their
knowledge much better
than I was at the start of
the school year. For
example, when reading
Crispin, I was able to font
load and then follow up
with quizzes that test
content and vocabulary.
4/4/2021
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning

Element Emerging Exploring Applying Integrating Innovating

This year I have been

much better at
supporting my students
with special needs. I can
prepare them with the
notes in a fill in the blank
format which has
significantly helped two
of my students. Another
detail that has helped is
since now I have all the
study guides created, I
can share them with my
students who need more
support early, and they
have that support in
advanced. 10/30/21
Follows organization of Examines organization of Uses knowledge of Integrates knowledge of Uses extensive
curriculum as provided curriculum and considers curriculum and student curriculum and resources knowledge of curriculum
by site and district to adjustments in single readiness to organize and to organize and adjust and related resources to
support student lessons or sequence of adjust the curriculum to instruction within and flexibly and effectively
3.3 Organizing understanding of the lessons to support ensure student across subject matter to organize and adjust
curriculum to subject matter. understanding of subject understanding. extend student instruction.
facilitate student matter. understanding.
understanding of the Ensures student
subject matter comprehension and
facilitates student
articulation about what
they do and do not
understand.
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
Element Emerging Exploring Applying
I regularly plan for the
current unit as well as
reflect on the future units
over the course of the
year. Making sure
students have a complete
understanding of each
step in the development
of the curriculum is
critical for student
success. Posing questions
throughout the lesson as
well as create
opportunities for
students to write down
their thoughts is an
important piece of my
daily lesson planning.
9/23/20
Uses instructional Gathers and uses Selects and adapts a
strategies that are additional instructional variety of instructional
provided in the strategies in single strategies to ensure
3.4 Utilizing curriculum. lessons or sequence of student understanding of
instructional lessons to increase academic language
strategies that are student understanding of appropriate to subject
appropriate to the academic language matter and that
subject matter appropriate to subject addresses students’
matter. diverse learning needs.
Integrating Innovating
When teaching I
incorporated essay,
verbal debate, speech in
presentations, art in
several projects,
technology in projects
and assignments, science
when discussing Yersinia
Pestis, math with our
Islamic geometric project
and more. 4/4/2021
Using our online
application OneNote, I
have students assess the
students' learning and
demonstrate their
learning informally in the
students' personal
section. This section can
also be seen from the
teacher. Then as a
teacher, easy review of
the students work can be
done as well as timely
feedback given to each
student. 10/30/21
Integrates instructional Uses an extensive
strategies appropriate to repertoire of
subject matter to meet instructional strategies to
students’ diverse develop enthusiasm,
learning, to ensure meta-cognitive abilities,
student understanding of and support and
academic language, and challenge the full range of
guide student in student towards a deep
understanding knowledge of subject
connections within and matter.
across subject matter.
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning

Element Emerging Exploring Applying Integrating Innovating

In this category, I would I am applying this in
say I am more in the history by exploring
exploring phase for math, many different teaching
because I don’t regularly strategies in each lesson.
apply as many strategies For example, my students
when teaching the will work in small groups,
content as I would like to whole group taking notes,
in the future. As for completing rotations,
history, I am in the projects, annotating and
exploring but moving to many more. In math, I
the applying category. would say I am still
9/23/20 exploring. I have talked to
my principal about this,
however the school is
resisting bring in other
resources in the midst of
a challenging year.
4/4/2021

3.5 Using and Uses available Explores additional Selects, adapts, and Integrates a wide range of Engages students in
adapting resources, instructional materials, instructional materials, utilizes appropriate adapted resources, identifying and adapting
technologies, and resources, and resources, and instructional materials, technologies, and resources, technologies,
standards-aligned technologies for specific technologies to make resources, and instructional materials to and standards-aligned
instructional lessons to make subject subject matter accessible technologies for concept meet identified student instructional materials to
materials including matter accessible to to students. and skill development in needs and make subject extend student
adopted materials, to students. subject matter. Resources matter accessible to understanding and
make subject matter Explores how to make reflect the diversity of the students. critical thinking about
accessible to all Identifies technological technological resources classroom and support subject matter.
students resource needs. available to all students. differentiated learning of Assists student with
subject matter. equitable access to Ensures that student are
materials, resources, and able to obtain equitable
Guides students to use technologies. Seeks access to a wide range of
available print, electronic, outside resources and technologies through
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
Element Emerging
Being online and then as
of Tuesday moving to a
hybrid classroom, it has
been challenging to gauge
whether or not the
content taught has truly
been accessible to all
students. Once I have an
assessment to gather
more data on each of my
students, I will feel more
confident in this category.
9/23/20
Exploring Applying Integrating Innovating
and online subject matter support. ongoing links to outside
resources based on resources and support.
individual needs.
I have significantly Our math department
updated my use and meet halfway through
functionality for student this school year to
and their parent when address a problem we
interacting with have seen in the math
classroom content. This classroom. Our learners
online application is who were already lower
called OneNote. In just scoring have significantly
one year I have learned struggled more this year
so many tips, tricks and than previous years. We
best practices to fully suspect COVID-19 has
take advantage of this played a roll, however we
resource. I am hoping to turned to a technology to
continue this into help us identify and
developing my teaching bridge gaps that we are
strategies and support for seeing in our students.
when student is This program had already
completing classwork been piloted by our
outside of school. elementary department
10/30/21 and they have seen great
success with it. It is called
IMP and it is a program
designed to meet children
where they are at with a
pre-quiz. Then from there
they are taken step by
step through a series of
math tasks. These tasks
will then find additional
holes in their
understanding. The
program will then pause
assessment and teach the
gaps that are missed.
What is helpful for
teachers it that it runs
reports so teachers can
monitor student gaps and
if there is a gap in the
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
Element Emerging
Is aware of students’
primary language and
English language
proficiencies based on
available assessment data.
3.6 Addressing the
needs of English
learners and student
with special needs to Provides adapted materials
provide equitable to help English learners
access to the content access content.
Being online and then as
of Tuesday moving to a
hybrid classroom, it has
been challenging to gauge
whether or not the
content taught has truly
been accessible to all
students. Once I have an
assessment to gather
more data on each of my
students, I will feel more
confident in this category.
I have three students in
China learning online.
Two of them are watching
the recorded lessons
when it is school hours in
their time zone. It has
been close to impossible
to support these learners
so far. I have not met
Exploring Applying Integrating Innovating
majority larger chunks of
time can be set aside to
address it. 4/2/22
Seeks additional information Identifies language Integrates knowledge of Engages English learners in
describing elements of proficiencies and English English language assessment of their progress
culture and language learner strengths in the development, English in English language
proficiencies in listening, study of language and learners’ strengths and development and in meeting
speaking, reading, and content. Differentiates assessed needs into English content standards. Supports
writing. Uses multiple instruction using one or language and content students to establish and
measures for assessing more components of English instruction. monitor language and
English learners’ language development to content goals.
performance to identify gaps support English learners.
in English language
development. Creates and implements Develops and adapts Is resourceful and flexible in
scaffolds to support instruction to provide a wide the design, adjustment, and
Attempts to scaffold content standards-based instruction range of scaffolded support elimination of scaffolds
using visuals, models, and using literacy strategies, for language and content for based on English learners’
graphic organizers. SDAIE, and content level the range of English proficiencies, knowledge,
English language learners. and skills in the content.
development in order for
students to improve
language proficiencies and
understand content.
Scaffolding this group of
learners has been
something I have focused
on this year. The key to
this was getting to know
each learner and then
supporting each with
their specific needs. For
example, one of my
learners with special
needs, she has a very
sensitive personality.
Knowing this now, when I
want to support her, I
have to mindful of how I
approach her, ask her
questions or lend my
support. I also can read
when she is having a good
or bad day and from
there adjust my strategy
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning

Element Emerging Exploring Applying Integrating Innovating

them virtual due to the to support her in the
time difference as well. I classroom. 4/4/2021
do have one student in
China who is willing to
stay up from 11pm – 3am
in order to attend class
live online with us. He
does miss the last two
classes of the day and
watches those recordings.
Since we have a tumbling
block schedule, he is not
missing the same class
each day. 9/23/20
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
Element Emerging
Has an awareness of the full
range of students identified
with special needs through
data provided by the school.
Attends required meeting
3.6 Addressing the with resource personnel and
needs of English families.
learners and student
with special needs to
provide equitable
access to the content
Learns about referral
processes for students with
special needs.
From my students in
china to my English
language learners in the
classroom and meeting
live with me each day
online, I have lots of work
to do in this category.
9/23/20
Exploring Applying Integrating Innovating
Seeks additional information Utilizes information on the Integrates accommodations, Guides and support the full
on the full range of students full range of students adaptations, and extensions range of student with special
identified with special needs identified with special needs to instruction for the full needs to actively engage in
to address challenges or to assess strengths and range of students with the assessment and monitor
supports in single lessons or competencies to provide special needs to ensure their own strengths,
sequence of lessons. appropriate challenge and adequate support and learning needs, and
accommodations in challenge. achievement in accessing
instruction. content.
Cooperates with resource Communicates and
personnel, para-educators, Communicates regularly collaborates with colleagues, Communicates and
and families during with resource personnel, support staff, and families to collaborates with resource
meetings and activities in para-educators, and families ensure consistent personnel, para-educators,
support of learning plans to ensure that student instruction. Supports families, leadership, and
and goals. services are provided and families in positive students in creating a
progress is made in engagement with school. coordinated program to
accessing appropriate optimize success of the full
content. Initiates and monitors range of students with
referral processes and special needs.
Seeks additional information Refers students as needed in follow-up meeting to ensure
on struggling learners and a timely and appropriate that students receive Takes leadership at the
advanced learners to manner supported with support and/or extended site/district and collaborates
determine appropriateness documented data over time, learning that is integrated with resource personnel to
for referral. including interventions tried into the core curriculum. ensure the smooth and
previous to referral. effective implementations of
referral processes.
As the year progressed, I
developed strong
relationships with our
resource teacher and our
ELL teacher. Between
these two teachers I
communicated weekly
with them on each
students’ needs and
growths. I would also
provide them with the
weeks’ resources.
Together we would
communicate on new
strategies to try or tools
that were working.
4/4/2021
For my students with
special needs, I have been
CSTP 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning

Element Emerging Exploring Applying Integrating Innovating

able to support them with
fill in the blank notes.
This has shown as a
significant help because
students are able to
concentrate on the
information given,
instead of just trying
record the notes in a
timely fashion. Students
in this day and age are
typically proficient at
typing and are able to
take notes and still have
time to digest the content.
My English language
learners and students
with special needs do not
always have these same
developments yet and
this format of note taking
helps support them
where they are at.
10/30/21