What is it? Why is it important? While content is not everything, teachers must have an excellent knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They should know how the material has changed over time, how it applies to the students' lives today, and even how it is used all over the world. In addition, teachers need to understand which parts of their subject should come first and which should come after a basic level of knowledge has already been established. However, along with a superior understanding of the material, teachers must be aware of the pedagogy that works best in their subject area and grade level so that students' learning will be efficient and effective. What are the key elements involved? Knowledge of content and the structure of the discipline: It is important for teachers to examine their subject and determine it's central focusses and its smaller ones. Then, they must be sure to cover the large, central focusses of the material as well as the smaller components in an appropriate manner. Knowledge of prerequisite relationships:Teachers must be sure that their teaching follows an order that makes sense relative to the content being learned. In other words, lessons should connect to and build off of one another. Knowledge of content-related pedagogy: Because school has existed for many years and a number of brilliant teachers have taught in the classroom, teachers today should be sure to learn from teachers of the past, implementing tools and resources that others have found to be useful in teaching a specific subject and avoiding those that have proven ineffective. How will I implement this component into my classroom?
I will keep strong relationships with great teachers that I have had, asking what pedagogy they found helpful
I will create an order of teaching that is gradual and coherent so that lessons relate to one another and students can develop a deeper understanding of the subject
I will remember to be flexible in the pedagogy used and the order of the lessons, understanding that each student as well as each class as a whole are different and will move at different paces