Subject Matter Expertise

It is important that a teacher uses highly advanced oral and written communication skills and ethical decision-making skills in their interactions with others. This includes students, colleagues, families and community members. This makes a teacher well-respected as an educator and shows that he/she is competent. I am confident that I fulfill this principle; I feel that I have shown that I value inquiry, critical thinking, connected knowledge, creativity, independent thinking, and interdisciplinary conversation. Some examples are shown below:

Examples of Subject Matter Expertise

1. One of the ways a teacher may demonstrate subject matter expertise is through the use of literature to teach a topic or theme. I taught a unit on Antarctica and set up a snow-covered book table in the classroom featuring books about the continents that students could use to learn more. Each book had a corresponding activity to help guide students in their reading and develop a deeper understanding of the content.

2. I also have demonstrated subject matter expertise by engaging children in learning activities with each other through the use of manipulatives, science equipment, and a wide variety of resources. For example, I engaged students in a lesson about magnetic forces through a hands-on approach.

3. I have demonstrated that I value creativity and connected knowledge by assigning students a group project where each group researched a different topic and collaborated to make a presentation. Here is a group of 3rd grade students sharing what they learned about problems like global warming to families following the completion of a unit. :