Key Takeaways
- Task 1 centers on central focus, aligned objectives, knowledge of students, supports, and assessment design
- Task 2 depends on video evidence that shows students doing intellectual work, not just listening or transitioning
- Academic language is broader than vocabulary alone and should connect to the disciplinary work of the lesson
- Strong submissions show one coherent learning segment rather than unrelated lessons collected for convenience
Last updated: March 2026
Task 1: Planning
Planning Task 1 is where the candidate makes the learning segment coherent and defensible. Strong planning usually includes:
- a clear central focus
- lesson objectives aligned to the segment
- knowledge of students and instructional context
- supports for access without lowering the core intellectual work
- academic language demands tied to the actual task
- assessment evidence that matches the learning target
Task 2: Instruction
Instruction Task 2 asks candidates to show teaching in action. The best clips usually show:
- students explaining, comparing, justifying, or revising ideas
- the candidate probing student thinking
- supports that help students participate in the content work
- connections back to the same central focus used in planning
Weak clips often overemphasize directions, routines, or management without enough evidence of student thinking.
A Core Principle
The strongest edTPA submissions are built around a manageable, coherent learning segment. When planning, instruction, and video evidence all point to the same intellectual goal, the commentary is much easier to support with evidence.
Test Your Knowledge
Which video moment is usually strongest for edTPA Task 2?
A
B
C
D