TPE Introduction

I believe the most important TPE is TPE 2 - Monitoring Student Learning During Instruction.  I believe that if you are tracking a student's progress, then many of the other TPE's would come into play such as teaching practices and student learning.  If a student is not progressing, then I would wonder if there is engagement going on or if a unit is designed to provide developmentally appropriate educational experiences.  If a student is progressing, then I would think it was appropriately addressing the TPE and being practiced in the classroom.

I think all the TPEs are relevant, but there was one that intrigued me which was TPE 12.  I may have chosen this because I am familiar with some of the legalities in working with students and if this does deal with that, I am curious to find out how relevant it is.  More times than none, I have found certain legal paperwork to be limiting in building those meaningful relationships with students that educators are encouraged to do in order to show the students we are.  I definitely know they are absolutely important, but when you look into professional, legal and ethical obligations, it can create a lot of bureaucracy, fears and yellow tape around a simple project like walking down the street to the park, or if a student doesn't have a stable adult at home who can sign off on permission slips.  I know there are many stories out there that make this topic important and I do believe we should all know our obligations and take them seriously as well. 

I would want more clarification on TPE 1 because it is nearly impossible to teach all the state standards in a given course.  How do you know which standards to pick and which are most important?  I would also like to learn how to plan and demonstrate the ability to teach to the standards without feeling like I am compromising my "teaching to the tests."