Continuum of Teaching Practice: Element 3E
This Element-specific continuum describes how practice develops from Emerging through Innovating. Compare the teacher-practice descriptions with the related evidence in students’ experience, then identify a current strength and a purposeful next step.
How to understand and use this continuum for professional growth
- Begin at Emerging and read across. Practices described at earlier levels carry forward even when they are not repeated.
- Use evidence gathered over time to identify the description that most closely reflects current practice.
- A teacher may be at different levels in different Elements, regardless of years in the profession.
- Changes in students, content, grade level, school, or responsibilities may appropriately shift practice in either direction.
- Use the continuum for reflection and goal setting, not as a stand-alone observation or evaluation instrument.
Select a level to expand it. Select it again to return to the full comparison.
Teacher practice
The teacher demonstrates a basic understanding of using standards-aligned instructional materials and evidence-based resources accessible to some students.
Evidence in student experience
Teacher practice
The teacher uses instructional resources that consider the range of learners to enhance accessibility.
Evidence in student experience
Students use instructional materials and begin to make connections between instructional resources and learning outcomes.
Teacher practice
The teacher consistently chooses, utilizes, and modifies standards-aligned instructional resources responsive to students’ cultural and linguistic backgrounds and social-emotional needs.
Evidence in student experience
Students make connections between instructional resources, their social-emotional learning, and goals to meet learning outcomes.
Teacher practice
The teacher combines a range of standards-aligned instructional resources to promote a cohesive and inclusive learning environment responsive to each student’s cultural, linguistic, and social-emotional learning needs.
Evidence in student experience
Students make connections to their backgrounds, achieve the learning outcomes, and utilize the instructional resources to address their content, linguistic, and social-emotional learning needs.
Teacher practice
The teacher advances the learning experience by integrating culturally and linguistically sustaining practices and resources that foster self-directed learners who can effectively utilize diverse resources to meet their content, linguistic, and social-emotional learning needs.
Evidence in student experience
Students are self-directed learners who utilize instructional resources to meet their content, linguistic, and social-emotional learning needs.
Source and attribution: Continuum language reproduced from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, Continuum of Teaching Practice (2025), aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (2024). This publication by the Commission on Teacher Credentialing is not copyright. It may be reproduced in the public interest, but proper attribution is requested.