Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
CHAPTER ONE
DO I WANT TO BE A TEACHER?
What Is It Like To Be A Teacher?
* 1. According to professional surveys, which of the following are the two most important reasons people give
for choosing to teach?
a. Short working hours and long summer vacations
b. Long summer vacations and autonomy
c. Autonomy and professional status
d. Working with young people and contributing to society
** 2. your second year of teaching in a middle school. Of the following,
the best example of an intrinsic reward for you is likely to be:
a. a salary supplement for sponsoring the school yearbook.
b. a high school senior coming back to visit you.
c. a two-week winter holiday vacation.
d. tenure after your third year of teaching.
** 3.
is likely to be:
a. a high school senior coming back to visit you.
b. seeing students successfully predict the next number in the sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8 . . . .
c.
d. receiving a salary supplement for sponso
** 4. Y
a.
b. receiving a salary supplement for being the grade chairperson in your school for third grade.
c. seeing Melissa, one of your low achieving students, improve dramatically in her writing.
d. n the morning.
* 5. Regular salary increases would best be described as an:
a. intrinsic reward in teaching.
b. essential characteristic of professionalism.
c. extrinsic reward in teaching.
d. intellectual reward in teaching.
* 6. Which of the following best describes teacher status?
a. Teacher status is low, so it is a difficulty in teaching, and it is a reason many teachers leave the
profession.
b. Despite perceptions to the contrary, teacher status is high, so it is an emotional reward in teaching.
c. Teacher status is quite high, so it is an intellectual reward in teaching.
d. Despite perceptions to the contrary, teacher status is quite high, so it is an extrinsic reward in
teaching.
* 7. Which of the following best describes teaching schedules that include desirable vacations and time off in
the summer?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
* 8. Of the following, which statement most accurately describes the issue of teacher salaries?
a. Teacher salaries are frequently cited as a major reason people leave teaching, but salaries are
improving.
b. Teacher salaries are the most common reason pe g farther and
farther behind other professions.
c. Teacher salaries are rapidly improving and are now on a par with other professions like engineering.
d. Teacher salaries start lower than other professions but catch up after five years of experience.
* 9. Which of the following is closest to the average yearly teacher salary in the United States?
a. $25,000
b. $40,000
c. $55,000
d. $70,000
* 10. Which of the following is closest to the average beginning year teacher salary in the United States?
a. $25,000
b. $35,000
c. $45,000
d. $55,000
* 11. Teachers often work with 25 or 30 or more students. Which aspect of classroom complexity does this best
illustrate?
a. Multidimensional
b. Simultaneous
c. Public
d. Unpredictable
** 12. Jenna, a first-year teacher, is frazzled at the beginning of class, because she has to take roll, mark the
absentee sheet, deal with students who were absent yesterday, and prepare for her class. This best illustrates
which aspect of classroom complexity?
a. Public
b. Multidimensional
c. Unpredictable
d. Dynamic
Consider the complexities of teaching as you read the following vignette, and use this information to respond to
Items 13-16.
Juan Alvarez is a fifth grade teacher in an urban elementary school. He has 26 students, 4 of whom are absent,
and he is working with a reading group of 8 while the remaining 14 are working on a seatwork assignment.
As Karen reads aloud, Juan sees Bill tapping Luanne on the back of her head with a pencil. Karen finishes, and
Juan then asks Ariel to read as he continues to watch Bill and Luanne.
period.
Clarice gets up and heads out the door, Juan tells Ariel to continue, and he gets up, goes over to Bill and
Luanne, and warns Bill that another incident of misbehavior will result in a call to his mother.
Several of the students doing seatwork look up as Juan admonishes Bill and hears h
likely to be called.
Juan then returns to his reading group as he watches to be sure that Bill is working on his seatwork.
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
** 13. The combination of a reading group in progress, students working on a seatwork assignment, and an
intercom announcement best illustrate which of the following?
a. The multidimensional aspect of teaching
b. The public aspect of teaching
c. The unpredictable aspect of teaching
d. The artistic aspect of teaching
** 14. Juan feeling that it was necessary to leave his reading group to intervene in the incident between Bill and
Luanne best illustrates which of the following?
a. The multidimensional aspect of teaching
b. The immediate aspect of teaching
c. The public aspect of teaching
d. The artistic aspect of teaching
** 15. The progress of the reading group, the students doing seatwork, the incident between Bill and Luanne, and
the Intercom all occurred at virtually the same time. The fact that they did so best illustrates which of the
following?
a. The immediate aspect of teaching
b. The artistic aspect of teaching
c. The public aspect of teaching
d. The simultaneous aspect of teaching
** 16. The fact that several of the students looked up when Juan admonished Bill best illustrates which of the
following?
a. The immediate aspect of teaching
b. The multidimensional aspect of teaching
c. The public aspect of teaching
d. The simultaneous aspect of teaching
* 17. Of the following, which is the most important teacher role?
a. Working with parents and other caregivers
b. Collaborating with colleagues
c. Working with school administrators
d. Creating productive learning environments
Use the following information for items 18-21.
Susan Wilson arrives at school an hou
her room, checks to be sure that she has her materials ready, so that the minute she wants to begin a lesson, she only
has to grab the stuff off her shelf. Today, she is going to do a lesson on place value in math with her 2nd graders,
and she has a number of craft sticks on her shelf, each of which has ten beans glued to them. She also has a number
Susan also checks to be sure that her student packe
sends packets of student work home to parents, which they must sign and return on Monday.
rriculum
says to herself out loud as she opens the bottom drawer of her desk. She keeps
a box of crackers in her desk for her children, because one or two of them come to school every day without having
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
** 18. Of the following, Susan making a point to have concrete materials to illustrate abstract ideas like place
value best illustrates:
a. the creator of productive learning environments dimension of teaching.
b. the working with caregivers dimension of teaching.
c. the collaborative colleague dimension of teaching.
d. the learner and reflective practitioner dimension of teaching.
** 19. Of the following, Susan lustrates:
a. the creator of productive learning environments role of teaching.
b. the working with caregivers role of teaching.
c. the collaborative colleague role of teaching.
d. the learner and reflective practitioner role of teaching.
** 20. Susan arrived early to school, and she checked to see if she had her materials ready for her lesson on place
value. This behavior best illustrates:
a. the creator of productive learning environments role of teaching.
b. the working with caregivers role of teaching.
c. the collaborative colleague role of teaching.
d. the learner and reflective practitioner role of teaching.
** 21. Susan routinely sent packets of student work home to parents, required that the parents sign the packets to
confirm that they inspected the work, and return the materials to school. Of the following this procedure
best illustrates:
a. the creator of productive learning environments role of teaching.
b. the working with caregivers role of teaching.
c. the collaborative colleague role of teaching.
d. the learner and reflective practitioner role of teaching.
Essay Items
** 22. Identify the two most commonly cited reasons people give for choosing teaching as a career. What is the
most likely explanation for these reasons?
** 23. Describe the two major kinds of rewards in teaching. Give a specific, concrete example of each.
** 24. Describe two different challenges in teaching. Give a specific example of each.
** 25. Identify four different dimensions of classroom life that make teaching complex and demanding. Include a
specific example to illustrate each.
** 26. Identify three different roles required of teachers. Cite a specific example that illustrates each of the roles.
** 27. Describe the long-term economic impact of good teaching, beginning with teachers in kindergarten.
The Teaching Profession
* 28. Which of the following are considered to be characteristics of a profession?
1. A specialized body of knowledge
2. Extended training for licensure
3. Autonomy on the job
4. Supervision by superiors
5. Ethical standards for conduct
a. 1, 2, 3, 4 b. 1, 2, 3, 5 c. 2, 3, 4, 5 d. 1, 2, 4, 5
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
* 29. Which of the following is developing aspect of teaching characterized
by a specialized body of knowledge, emphasis on decision making and reflection, autonomy, and ethical
a. Pedagogical content knowledge
b. General pedagogical knowledge
c. Reflection
d. Professionalism
* 30.
a. pedagogical content knowledge.
b. knowledge of content.
c. general pedagogical knowledge.
d. knowledge of learners and learning.
* 31. An understanding of instruction and management that transcends individual topics or subject matter areas is
best described as:
a. pedagogical content knowledge.
b. expert knowledge.
c. general pedagogical knowledge.
d. knowledge of learning and teaching.
* 32. Teaching skills, such as questioning, or the ability to organize and maintain orderly classrooms is best
described as:
a. knowledge of content.
b. pedagogical content knowledge.
c. general pedagogical knowledge.
d. knowledge of learners and learning.
* 33. Understanding the social, historical, philosophical, organizational, and legal aspects of teaching, together
with the ability and inclination to continue to learn, is best described as:
a. pedagogical content knowledge.
b. general pedagogical knowledge.
c. knowledge about teachers and learners.
d. knowledge of the profession.
** 34. Jana Juarez illustrates dominant and recessive genes by playing two radios simultaneously. The students
can hear one but not the other. As Jana questions the students, she reminds them that both radios are
playing, but the sound of one drowns out the other.
rates:
a. knowledge of content.
b. pedagogical content knowledge.
c. general pedagogical knowledge.
d. knowledge of learners and learning.
Use the following vignette for items 35 and 36.
just got my Elementary School Journal
helps me. This one has a good article on what we can do to get kids from disadvantaged backgrounds to be more
conscientious about their work. I work s
s have trouble, but we have to try as hard as possible to
help them.
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
** 35. Based on the evidence in the vignette, the teacher who displayed behavior most characteristic of a
professional was:
a. Manuel.
b. Juanita.
c. David.
d. Rey.
** 36. Based on the evidence in the vignette, the teacher who displayed behavior least characteristic of a
professional was:
a. Manuel.
b. Juanita.
c. David.
d. Rey.
** 37. Kevin is a very difficult student. In spite of using every technique you know, you have difficulty in
preventing him from disrupting your class. In response to describing your frustration with him, Jack, one
down. I had him last year, and embarrassing him was the only thing that worked. You may have to go that
a.
have the right to disrupt the learning for others.
b. His
c. His suggestion is con
education profession is vested by the public with a trust and responsibility requiring the highest
d. since teachers are
responsible for maintaining a safe and orderly classroom.
** 38.
concept of adjective ds that go just before nouns, and plus, they
exciting because it comes after a noun, and
running because it looks like a verb, and home looks l soon,
very, and incredibly
The following is the paragraph he wrote to use in his lesson:
John and Karen drove together in his old car to the football game. They soon met their very best friends,
Latoya and Michael, at the large gate near the entrance. The game was incredibly exciting, and because the
te:
a. general educational knowledge.
b. professional ethics.
c. knowledge of the profession.
d. decision making.
Use the following information for items 39-42.
Tim Thrift, a world history teacher, wants his students to understand the characteristics of New Stone Age
people, so he prepares the following vignette.
points that are still quite sharp, having been chipped precisely from hard stone. You also see several cattle and
sheep skulls and some threads that appear to be the remains of coarsely woven fabric.
Tim has his vignette printed in large type on an overhead which he has ready and waiting. As part of his classroom
routines he has taught his students to be in their seats and waiting quietly when the bell rings.
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
** 39. Which of the following best describes the knowledge Tim demonstrated in preparing his vignette?
a. He demonstrated thorough knowledge of content.
b. He demonstrated knowledge of content, pedagogical content knowledge, and general pedagogical
knowledge.
c. He demonstrated both a thorough knowledge of content and a thorough knowledge of learners and
learning.
d. He demonstrated knowledge of content and general pedagogical knowledge.
** 40. Tim prepared his vignette because he believed that the description of New Stone Age people as presented
t was primarily based?
a. His knowledge of content
b. His pedagogical content knowledge
c. His knowledge of learners and learning
d. His general pedagogical knowledge
** 41. Tim having his vignette ready on a overhead, and Tim having taught his students to be in their seats and
waiting quietly when the bell rings best demonstrates what kind of knowledge?
a. His knowledge of content
b. Both his knowledge of content and his pedagogical content knowledge
c. His general pedagogical knowledge
d. His knowledge of learners and learning
** 42.
a. The evidence indicates that Tim is an expert teacher because he demonstrated each of the four kinds
of knowledge knowledge of content, pedagogical content knowledge, general pedagogical
knowledge, and knowledge of learners and learning necessary to be an effective teacher.
b. The evidence indicates that Tim is an expert teacher because he demonstrated thorough knowledge
of content, which is the most important form of knowledge for expert teachers.
c. The evidence indicates that Tim is an expert teacher because his students were very orderly, and
d. The evidence indicates that Tim is a nov -on activity with
his students, and hands-on activities are most effective for promoting student learning.
* 43. Problem solving in ill-defined situations based on professional knowledge is best described as
demonstrating:
a. decision making.
b. ethical behavior.
c. pedagogical content knowledge.
d. knowledge of the profession.
* 44.
a. Professionalism
b. Rewards
c. Autonomy
d. Ethics
* 45. –
a. artistic.
b. reflective.
c. scientific.
d. practical.
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
** 46.
t think I went through enough examples
thinking?
a. She is demonstrating pedagogical content knowledge.
b. She is demonstrating general pedagogical knowledge.
c. She is demonstrating a high level of ethics.
d. She is demonstrating a reflective attitude.
* 47. e educator strives to help each student realize his or her potential as a
Of the following, which is the best description of the statement?
a. It is a statement describing the characteristics of teachers as professionals.
b. It is a statement describing the intrinsic rewards in teaching.
c. It is a statement describing a principle from a Code of Ethics.
d. It is a statement describing the autonomy of teachers as they practice their craft.
* 48. Some people argue that teaching is not a profession. Which of the following are statements people make in
defending this position?
1. Teachers lack rigorous training.
2.
3. Teachers lack a unique function.
4. ve the autonomy characteristic of professionals.
a. 1, 2, 3, 4 b. 1, 2, 3 c. 2, 3, 4 d. 1, 4
* 49. Teachers are supervised and evaluated by their principal. Which of the following criticisms of teaching as a
profession does this illustrate?
a. Teachers lack rigorous training.
b.
c. Teachers lack a unique function.
d. of professionals.
Essay Items
** 50. Describe the characteristics of a profession. Provide an example that illustrates each of the characteristics.
** 51. Describe each of the four types of knowledge that teachers must possess to be effective. Give a specific
example of each.
** 52. Take one of the following positions: 1) Teaching is a profession, or 2) Teaching is not a profession. Cite
specific evidence in support of the position you take.
Diversity: The Changing Face of American Classrooms
* 53. Which of the following are characteristics of socioeconomic status?
1.
2. The number of different places parents have lived
3.
4. The jobs parents have
a. 1, 2, 3, 4 b. 1, 2, 3 c. 1, 3, 4 d. 2, 3, 4 e. 3, 4
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
* 54. Nationally, beginning in 2014, which of the following is the most accurate description of the proportion of
ools?
a. About twice as many white st
b.
c. Slightly more members of cultural minorities than white students were in our nat
d. More than twice as many members of cultural minorities compared to white students were in our
* 55. members of cultural
minorities?
a. About a fourth
b. More than a third
c. More than half
d. About two thirds
* 56. Which of the following best describes the diversity across our country?
a. Diversity is rapidly increasing in some states, such as California, Texas, Arizona, and Florida, but it
is decreasing in rural states, such as Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
b. Diversity is increasing in southern states, but it is decreasing in northern states.
c. Diversity is remaining about the same as it was in the past two decades.
d. Diversity is increasing in every state in the nation.
* 57.
attend rural schools?
a. Below 15%
b. Approximately 25%
c. Approximately 33%
d. Approximately 50%
* 58. Which of the following is the most accurate approximation of the percentage of students in urban schools
who are members of cultural minorities?
a. Approximately 33%
b. Approximately 45%
c. Approximately 65%
d. Approximately 80%
Essay Item
** 59. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of teaching in rural, suburban, and urban schools.
Reform In Education
* 60.
described as:
a. codes of ethics.
b. increasing professionalism.
c. standards-based education.
d. reforms.
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
* 61. The modern reform movement in our country is most commonly traced to which of the following events in
American history?
a. The Vietnam War
b. The Civil Rights movement
c. The publication of A Nation at Risk
d. The election of George W. Bush as president
* 62. reform efforts will
impact you when you begin teaching. Which of the following are some of these reform efforts?
1. Establishing standards that describe what students should know or be able to do at the end of a
period of study.
2. Reorganizing schools so that the developmental needs of students who are members of cultural
minorities are more nearly taken into account.
3. Using test-based accountability, the process of using standardized tests to determine whether or not
students have met standards.
4. Offering parents alternatives to regular public schools by creating alternative schools and providing
parents with financial vouchers that allow them to send their children to schools of their choosing.
a. 1, 2, 3, 4 b. 1, 2, 3 c. 2, 3, 4 d. 1, 3, 4
* 63. f using standardized tests to determine whether or not students have mastered essential
a. accountability.
b. standards-based education.
c. educational reforms.
d. codes of ethics.
* 64. A number of reforms in teacher education are being implemented in many states across the nation. These
reforms include which of the following?
1. Raising standards for admission into teacher training programs
2. Requiring teachers to take more rigorous courses
3. Expanding teacher preparation programs from 4 to 5 years
4. Requiring experienced teachers to take more rigorous professional-development courses
5. Requiring higher standards for licensure, including teacher competency tests
a. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 b. 1, 3, 4, 5 c. 1, 2, 4, 5 d. 1, 2, 3, 5
* 65. The PRAXIS series is best described as:
a. support given first year teachers to help them make the transition into the classroom.
b. experiences provided for teachers that allow them to practice classroom skills.
c. a test given to teachers designed to measure their readiness for teaching.
d. nding of their professional codes
of ethics.
* 66. Of the following, the most accurate meaning of the term PRAXIS is:
a. putting theory into practice.
b. practicing skills in schools.
c. providing support for first-year teachers.
d. exit criteria for teachers.
Essay Items
** 67. Describe three prominent reform efforts in education, and explain how they will influence your life as a
teacher.
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
** 68. Increased emphasis on professionalism, combined with criticism suggesting that too many under-qualified
teachers enter the field, have resulted in a number of reforms in teacher education. Describe four of the
most prominent, and describe the common feature that they have.
** 69. Teacher testing is part of current reform efforts in education, but the process is controversial. Describe
three arguments that support teacher testing as a way to improve the teaching profession, and describe three
arguments opposed to teacher testing.
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
CHAPTER ONE ANSWERS
What Is It Like To Be A Teacher?
The Teaching Profession
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?
Diversity: The Changing Face of American Classrooms
Reform in Education
Chapter 1: Do I Want to Be a Teacher?