PTC Instructional Planning & Delivery 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A teacher notices that several students are disengaged during whole-group instruction. Which adjustment would most directly increase student engagement?
- Increasing the pace of the lecture
- Incorporating think-pair-share opportunities (Correct answer)
- Assigning additional independent worksheets
- Reducing the complexity of the content
Correct answer: Incorporating think-pair-share opportunities
Think-pair-share gives all students structured time to process and discuss ideas, directly increasing active participation.
Question 2: What is the primary purpose of using an anticipatory set at the beginning of a lesson?
- To formally assess prerequisite skills
- To focus students' attention and connect prior knowledge to new content (Correct answer)
- To introduce all vocabulary for the unit
- To review homework from the previous night
Correct answer: To focus students' attention and connect prior knowledge to new content
An anticipatory set (or hook) captures student attention and activates prior knowledge to prepare them for new learning.
Question 3: A teacher plans instruction backward by starting with the desired end results and assessments. This approach is known as:
- Direct Instruction Model
- Understanding by Design (UbD) (Correct answer)
- Constructivist Learning Theory
- Mastery Learning Framework
Correct answer: Understanding by Design (UbD)
Understanding by Design (UbD), developed by Wiggins and McTighe, begins with desired learning outcomes and works backward to plan instruction and assessments.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of formative assessment during instruction?
- A standardized test given at the end of the school year
- An exit ticket completed at the end of a lesson (Correct answer)
- A midterm exam covering all units
- A portfolio submitted at the end of a semester
Correct answer: An exit ticket completed at the end of a lesson
Exit tickets are formative assessments that give teachers immediate feedback on student understanding to guide next steps.
Question 5: A student with an IEP requires extended time on assessments. When planning instruction, the teacher should:
- Provide shorter versions of all assignments to save time
- Ensure accommodations are integrated into lesson planning from the start (Correct answer)
- Allow extended time only on state-mandated tests
- Refer the student to a specialist for all modified work
Correct answer: Ensure accommodations are integrated into lesson planning from the start
IEP accommodations must be consistently provided across all instructional settings, and teachers should plan for them proactively.
Question 6: A teacher groups students based on similar skill levels for a small-group activity. This instructional approach is called:
- Cooperative learning
- Homogeneous grouping (Correct answer)
- Heterogeneous grouping
- Jigsaw grouping
Correct answer: Homogeneous grouping
Homogeneous grouping organizes students by similar ability or skill level, allowing targeted instruction at that level.
Question 7: Which element is most critical when designing a lesson plan to ensure instructional alignment?
- Using colorful visual aids and engaging materials
- Ensuring objectives, instruction, and assessment measure the same skill (Correct answer)
- Including at least three different instructional strategies
- Allocating equal time to all parts of the lesson
Correct answer: Ensuring objectives, instruction, and assessment measure the same skill
Instructional alignment means the learning objective, instructional activities, and assessments all target the same skill or knowledge.
PTC Instructional Planning & Delivery 3
A teacher notices that several students are disengaged during whole-group instruction.
Which adjustment would most directly increase student engagement?