7 edTPA Tips No Student Teacher Should Live Without

Getting ready to take on the edTPA? We’ve got the hottest edTPA tips right here . . .

Whether you’re a teaching supervisor or a student teacher yourself, knowing the ropes to edTPA will make your entire experience less painful. Maybe you’ve done edTPA before, or maybe this is your first year ever.

No matter what your experience level may be, here are seven edTPA tips every student teacher should know:

1. Read and re-read that handbook

There are many different disciplines and guidelines for edTPA. The best tip we could possibly give? Read your handbook all the way through right at the beginning. Once you have a handle on your requirements, you’ll be that much more prepared to plan for edTPA.

2. Take a glimpse at the FAQs

The edTPA website is filled with gems waiting to be discovered. You can find the FAQs specifically for edTPA candidates right here on the website. Take a look to find answers to your questions and maybe learn some edTPA tips you haven’t even thought to ask about yet.

3. Send out permission forms early

Gaining permission to film your students has to happen before any video recording can take place. This is not a step that can wait. Before you pull out that webcam, make sure you’ve got a signed permission slip from every single legal guardian. If a kid doesn’t have permission, they need to sit off camera.

4. Start filming early too

Teaching with a camera watching can be really intimidating if you aren’t used to it. But honestly the easiest way to overcome anxiety is practice. Get that smartphone out and filming as soon as possible. You’ll get the chance to watch yourself on camera and have plenty of video to choose from for your portfolio.

5. Get familiar with the portfolio platform

Different teacher education programs use different platforms to submit to edTPA. Figure out early what your platform is and how to use it. This will help you document your work along the way. You certainly don’t want to be learning your platform the night before your application is due. No thank you.

6. Collect more data than you need

Student teachers have a lot to juggle during their field experience. It’s all too easy to lose a critical video or realize during the submission process that you’re short one artifact item. Film and collect as much data as possible throughout the year so this doesn’t happen to you.

7. Stay on top of it

Pretty straightforward, I know, but it’s much easier to succeed at edTPA if you don’t procrastinate. Make sure you work out a schedule of what needs to get done and complete small pieces here and there. Doing it all in two weeks? That is a nightmare best avoided.

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