By Panagis Dionysios Malik Evangelatos
1. Attend class and listen to your professors
Your professors know the edTPA inside and out. Pay close attention to their advice and examples—they are often aligned directly with the scoring rubrics.
2. Take your courses in sequence
If your program has a recommended course sequence, follow it. I took classes out of order, which caused administrative issues and meant I hadn’t taken my Curriculum & Instruction (C&I) course before submitting my edTPA. Thankfully, my cohort helped by sharing materials on learning theories, but staying in sequence would have made the process much smoother.
3. Choose a learning theory you actually understand and can implement
Pick a learning theory that feels natural to you and fits your teaching style. This will make your lesson planning, instruction, and written commentary much clearer and more authentic.
4. Be concise and answer the prompt directly
The edTPA is not about writing beautifully—it’s about answering the question. Stick closely to the prompt, use clear language, and avoid unnecessary explanations.
5. Get feedback from professors and peers
Have others read your work before submitting. Fresh eyes can catch unclear explanations, missing connections, or rubric language you may have overlooked.
6. Plan ahead for video consent
Make sure students have video consent that covers the full year or multiple days. This allows you to record more than once. Watching yourself teach is incredibly valuable, and multiple recordings give you options to choose your strongest performance.
7. Record more than once—and revise if needed
Don’t settle for your first recording. I recorded myself multiple times, adjusted my lesson, and changed student work samples more than once until I felt confident in the final product.
8. Stay organized and professional
Ensure your lesson plans, assessments, student work samples, and video all align. Don’t be afraid to make changes, re-teach, or re-record. Submit your best work—even if it takes more time.
9. Submit with less stress
Remember: you don’t pass on the first try, there are rolling submission dates. You can resubmit without starting from scratch.
10. Use feedback as a tool, not a setback
If you don’t pass, you’ll receive specific feedback on the areas that need improvement. Typically, you only need to resubmit the sections you didn’t pass—not the entire edTPA.11. Stay positive
The edTPA is challenging, but it is manageable. Stay focused, trust the process, and remember that many successful teachers were once exactly where you are now.
Panagis Dionysios Malik Evangelatos 