How to Do edTPA the Easy Way, Not the Hard Way

The edTPA standards are brand new in many states.

And plenty of educators find these new standards cumbersome, intimidating, and just plain frustrating.

You might be wondering, is edTPA just designed to be hard? Thankfully the answer is no because we’re about to show you how to do edTPA the easy way.

Getting started

This program can be daunting, but you are far from the first supervisor or admin to tackle edTPA and help your student teachers earn great scores.

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Try talking to your colleagues. Find someone you trust who’s done edTPA before and might be willing to answer your questions. If they understand the objectives of your specific teacher education program, that’s even better!

Next, lean on your resources

Make sure you know what information is out there to make edTPA not just possible but simple. We’re looking for edTPA the easy way, and that usually starts with knowing your options:

• Your edTPA handbook. This is the place to learn your requirements and find any little quirks specific to your discipline. This book is your bible. Stick to it and you can’t go wrong.
• The official edTPA resource library. This webpage is stuffed to the breaking point with useful guides and answers to your questions.
• The ultimate guide on edTPA videos. The video portion of edTPA is usually the most stressful requirement to complete. This guide walks you through all the tips and resources you need plus the top ten ways to prepare your interns.

Dive in and check in frequently

Many student teachers need more help and encouragement than their supervisors realize. Even if you have a pretty hands-off approach, it’s still a great idea to follow up often so your teaching interns aren’t falling behind.

The easiest way to keep things easy is to check in along the way. Stay in contact with student teachers via email and take a moment during observations to see how they’re feeling. Keeping an open line of communication will identify problems early and address them long before the application is due.

These three steps will save you so many headaches in the long run. The real secret to doing edTPA the easy way is to figure out the requirements early, lean on your resources, and stay on track through the process.

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