EdTPA Tips And Why They Are Important!

10 Tips for edTPA Success! 

1. Communicate with your cooperating teacher. 

It is important to communicate with your cooperating teacher because they have insights and background knowledge to what you need to do and where you need to place the majority of your focus. edTPA is such an important thing that if you have any questions, you need to reach out and ask...do not push them to the side. 

2. Find the right time in the school year to begin the process.

Timing is always crucial! You want to find time where you have the proper amount of time to focus on the several tasks at hand. The more time you put into your portfolio, the better it will be. 

3. Plan Plan Plan! 

The tasks in edTPA are so specific. The more planning you have done, the higher you will score. 

4. Get acquainted with the portfolio platform. 

Like anything else, the more you are acquainted with something, the easier it will be. 

5. Quantify and Qualify 

edTPA looks at the quantity of your lessons just as much as the quality of them! 

6. Read the commentary prompts and rubrics before video taping. 

Knowing exactly what to improve on and to focus on will make your videos so much better overall. 

7. Videotape every lesson you intend to include in your portfolio. 

Even if the lesson doesn't seem important now, the way the students responded or worked cooperatively could be perfect for your portfolio at the end...you don't want to not have a video because of your assumptions. 

8. Send out videotaping forms to families early. 

The families should be notified when and for how long you will be videotaping. If they do not want their student in the video, this should be taken seriously and worked around. 

9. Plan the seating arrangement and camera placement before taping. 

If the family of a student does not feel comfortable having them on video, their request should be honored even if that means rearranging the room for a few lessons. 

10. Focus on student interactions during video taping. 

There is nothing worse than looking at the camera when you are being filmed. The best idea is to forget it is even there and go about teaching the lesson like normal.