California's diverse student populations must therefore emphasize relationships among multiple
aspects of teaching and learning.
Teaching is more than methodology. A teacher’s understandings of student development, of
families and communities, of subject matter and curriculum, and of instructional methods,
strategies, and resources are ultimately linked to how the teacher plans and implements
instruction and assesses student learning. Ethical, philosophical, and theoretical understandings
of learning and teaching empower teachers to make thoughtful, informed decisions about
instructional strategies and ways to support students’ learning and development. The California
Standards for the Teaching Profession are broad and interconnected because the professional
practice of teaching must be understood comprehensively as a complex, dynamic process in
which practical and conceptual elements are woven together in a seamless fabric.
Teachers’ knowledge, skills, and practices develop throughout their professional careers and
across changing contexts. To engage and challenge a diverse student population in a rapidly
changing and increasingly technological world, effective teachers require continuous
professional growth. Teachers are never “finished” as professional learners, no matter how
extensive or excellent their formal education, preparation, and experience. If teachers’ expertise,
capabilities, and accomplishments are to be enriched over time, they must be reflective and
actively seek to strengthen and augment their professional knowledge, skills, and perspectives in
support of student learning.
A developmental view of teaching gives particular attention to the early years of each teacher’s
career. Beginning teachers move forward in their professional practice in a variety of ways,
developing at different rates in different areas of teaching, just as students develop at individual
rates in different curricular areas. Effective support, mentorship, assessment, and advanced study
during the early years of teaching (including teacher preparation) are essential to a beginning
teacher’s development and success in the profession.
Individual teachers enter and advance through the profession at different levels of experience and
expertise, in varied roles, and in varying contexts. The policies and practices of teacher
preparation programs, certification bodies, and school districts must be guided by clear and
realistic standards regarding professional performance. The CSTP describe a vibrant vision of
practice for the teaching profession. Teachers across the profession with varied levels of prior
preparation and experience -- and the mentors, colleagues, and supervisors who support them --
will find the standards useful to guide their developing practice. The California Standards for
the Teaching Profession reflect a developmental view of teaching, and are an integral part of
California’s efforts to foster excellence in teaching and learning.
Context of Teaching in California
Professional educators in California serve an increasingly diverse population of students. This
diversity among students greatly enriches and enlivens the educational experience for teachers
and students alike. Therefore, there is a critical need for teachers who are responsive to the
varied socio-cultural, racial, religious, ethnic, linguistic, and economic backgrounds of all
students and who consider how learning differences and abilities, gender and gender identity,
family structure, sexual orientation, and other aspects of humankind influence learning and
teaching.
California Standards for the Teaching Profession (2009) 2