During their first two years of teaching, teachers should use the
Interim KSAs to guide their teaching, reflect on their practice, and
direct their professional development in collaboration with their
supervisors and evaluators.

As situations warrant, teachers who hold an Interim Professional
Certificate are expected to demonstrate consistently that they understand:

a) contextual variables affect teaching and learning. They know how to
analyse many variables at one time, and how to respond by making
reasoned decisions about their teaching practice and students’
learning;

b) the structure of the Alberta education system. They know the
different roles in the system, and how responsibilities and
accountabilities are determined, communicated and enforced, including
the expectations held of them under the Certification of Teachers
Regulation, A.R. 261/90 as amended and their school authority’s
teacher’s evaluation policy;

c) the purposes of the Guide to Education and programs of study
germane to the specialization or subject disciplines they are prepared
to teach. They know how to use these documents to inform and direct
their planning, instruction and assessment of student progress;

d) the subject disciplines they teach. They have completed a
structured program of studies through which they acquired the knowledge,
concepts, methodologies and assumptions in one or more areas of
specialization or subject disciplines taught in Alberta schools;

e) all students can learn, albeit at different rates and in different
ways. They know how (including when and how to engage others) to
identify students’ different learning styles and ways students learn.
They understand the need to respond to differences by creating multiple
paths to learning for individuals and groups of students, including
students with special learning needs;

f) the purposes of short, medium and long term range planning. They
know how to translate curriculum and desired outcomes into reasoned,
meaningful and incrementally progressive learning opportunities for
students. They also understand the need to vary their plans to
accommodate individuals and groups of students;

g) students’ needs for physical, social, cultural and psychological
security. They know how to engage students in creating effective
classroom routines. They know how and when to apply a variety of
management strategies that are in keeping with the situation, and that
provide for minimal disruptions to students’ learning;

h) the importance of respecting students’ human dignity. They know
how to establish, with different students, professional relationships
that are characterized by mutual respect, trust and harmony;

i) there are many approaches to teaching and learning. They know a
broad range of instructional strategies appropriate to their area of
specialization and the subject discipline they teach, and know which
strategies are appropriate to help different students achieve different
outcomes

j) the functions of traditional and electronic teaching/learning
technologies. They know how to use and how to engage students in using
these technologies to present and deliver content, communicate
effectively with others, find and secure information, research, word
process, manage information, and keep records

k) the purposes of student assessment. They know how to assess the
range of learning objectives by selecting and developing a variety of
classroom and large scale assessment techniques and instruments. They
know how to analyse the results of classroom and large scale assessment
instruments including provincial assessment instruments, and how to use
the results for the ultimate benefit of students;

l) the importance of engaging parents, purposefully and meaningfully,
in all aspects of teaching and learning. They know how to develop and
implement strategies that create and enhance partnerships among
teachers, parents and students;

m) student learning is enhanced through the use of home and community
resources. They know how to identify resources relevant to teaching and
learning objectives, and how to incorporate these resources into their
teaching and students’ learning;

n) the importance of contributing, independently and collegially, to
the quality of their school. They know the strategies whereby they can,
independently and collegially, enhance and maintain the quality of their
schools to the benefit of students, parents, community and colleagues;

o) the importance of career-long learning. They know how to assess
their own teaching and how to work with others responsible for
supervising and evaluating teachers. They know how to use the findings
of assessments, supervision and evaluations to select, develop and
implement their own professional development activities;

p) the importance of guiding their actions with a personal, overall
vision of the purpose of teaching. They are able to communicate their
vision, including how it has changed as a result of new knowledge,
understanding and experience;

and...

q) they are expected to achieve the Teaching Quality Standard.