Using Danielson’s Framework for Teaching to Strengthen Practice and Improve Learning
The PEN system uses a reliable, research-based tool to assess how teachers develop in their individual practice while refining their methodology to meet learner needs. That tool is Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (FFT) — one of the most tried and tested evaluation frameworks in education today. It provides a clear structure for professional reflection and a common language for discussing teaching across grade levels and subject areas. It is one of the pillars of the PEN system.
Within the PEN system, the FFT becomes more than an instrument for appraisal; it is a guide for growth. Teachers conduct self-evaluations across all four FFT domains:
Domain 1 - Planning and Preparation
Domain 2 - The Classroom Environment
Domain 3 - Instruction
Domain 4 - Professional Responsibilities
These four areas cover everything from lesson design and classroom management to student engagement and professional ethics, offering a complete picture of effective teaching.
Self-evaluation across all four domains helps teachers see the connections between how they plan, how they teach, and how their decisions affect learning. From there, they design experimental lessons and action research projects focused on specific learner needs, turning reflection into classroom improvement.
Peer and supervisory evaluations add a second perspective. Classroom observations under the PEN system concentrate on Domains 2 and 3 — The Classroom Environment and Instruction — where teaching and learning are most visible. These domains examine how the classroom functions as a community of learning and how instruction engages students, uses questioning, and checks for understanding.
Supervisors may choose to conduct a full four-domain evaluation or focus on these two domains when the purpose is specifically classroom growth. This flexibility keeps evaluation meaningful, fair, and time-efficient.
Because the FFT is comprehensive and transparent, it helps schools sustain consistent expectations while supporting professional autonomy. Teachers and evaluators work from the same evidence base, keeping the process focused on improving student learning rather than completing forms.
Schools adopting the PEN system are able to access to the FFT both in its traditional format and through a secure online version provided by an external provider who works closely with the Danielson’s Group. (Contact us for more information.) This allows teams to document evidence, monitor progress, and track growth over time — an efficient way to support a culture of continuous professional learning.
The FFT remains one of the most reliable tools available to educators, and within the PEN system it anchors a balanced process of reflection, collaboration, and measurable improvement in teaching.
Part of the Transforming Teaching Through Shared Practice series by Professional Educators Network (PEN).
以教學框架強化教學實踐與學習成效
PEN 系統運用一個可靠且以研究為基礎的工具，評估教師在個人教學實踐中的成長，同時精進其教學方法以符合學生的學習需求。這個工具就是 夏洛特・丹尼爾森（Charlotte Danielson）的《教學框架》（Framework for Teaching，簡稱 FFT）——當今教育界最經得起時間考驗且最受信任的教師評鑑架構之一。它為專業省思提供清晰的結構，也建立了一種跨年級、跨學科的共同語言，用以探討教學。
在 PEN 系統中，FFT 不僅僅是一個評鑑工具，更是一個成長導引。教師會依據 FFT 的四個領域進行自我評估：
第一領域 — 教學計畫與準備
第二領域 — 課室環境
第三領域 — 教學實施
第四領域 — 專業責任
這四個範疇涵蓋了從課程設計與課堂管理，到學生參與與專業倫理的一切，提供了對有效教學的完整視角。
在四個領域的自我評估能幫助教師看清「如何計畫」、「如何教學」以及「這些決策如何影響學習」之間的關聯。接著，教師會設計實驗性課程與行動研究，針對特定的學習需求進行探究，將省思轉化為課堂上的具體改進。
同儕與主管的評估則提供第二個觀點。在 PEN 系統中，課堂觀察著重於 第二與第三領域——「課室環境」與「教學實施」，也就是教與學最具體呈現的地方。這些領域觀察課堂如何作為一個學習社群運作，以及教學如何吸引學生、運用提問並檢核理解。
主管可以選擇進行涵蓋四個領域的完整評估，或僅聚焦於這兩個課室相關領域，當評鑑目標特別針對課堂成長時。這樣的彈性讓評鑑更具意義、公平且節省時間。
由於 FFT 架構完整且透明，它能幫助學校維持一致的期望，同時支持教師的專業自主。教師與評鑑者以相同的依據進行對話，使整個過程專注於提升學生學習，而非僅僅填寫表格。
採用 PEN 系統的學校可同時使用 FFT 的傳統紙本形式，或透過與 **丹尼爾森集團（Danielson Group）**密切合作的外部提供者所提供的安全線上版本。這讓團隊能記錄證據、追蹤進展並觀察長期成長——是一種有效支持持續專業學習文化的方式。
FFT 仍是教育工作者最可靠的工具之一，而在 PEN 系統中，它穩固地奠定了省思、協作與可衡量的教學改進之間的平衡。
出自 專業教育者網絡（Professional Educators Network）《透過共享實踐轉化教學》（Transforming Teaching Through Shared Practice）系列。
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