"edTPA Support Guide: A Support Guide for edTPA Candidates"

I greatly enjoyed reading the edTPA Support Guide: A Support Guide for edTPA Candidates. This packet had a wealth of information about what the edTPA is all about. Prior to reading this packet, I kept on hearing the word: edTPA. However, I had very little clear understanding of what the edTPA was about. I kept hearing side comments from people who completed it, and they were negative, for the most part. People complained how it was difficult, painful, time consuming, etc. I actually was quite afraid of the edTPA. But this article helped me see the edTPA for what it really was all about. I really enjoyed the section where the article talked about video tips. I found it hopeful that the article mentioned specific things we could not do with the video, i.e., share it on Facebook, YouTube, Google, etc. I heard of stories where teachers would share their videos and they would face the penalties. I was glad that the article warned us—future teachers—not to share our edTPA video with anyone, but only for those whom it has been designated for.

Besides offering great tips for the edTPA, I also discovered that I enjoyed the section: “What should include in my lesson plans?”  I discovered that in my lessons I should address all lesson plan components described in my edTPA handbook: standards, lesson objectives, assessments, instructional strategies and learning tasks, and instructional resources and material. In addition, I also learned that I should take into consideration my class demographics. I need to design lesson plans that meet the needs of my classroom demographics. I knew this to an extent already. However, this article did a great job of making me understand just how vital this part of the edTPA is. All in all, I found this packet about the edTPA Support Guide: A Support Guide for edTPA Candidates useful and extremely insightful.