A Commitment to Lifelong Learning and Improvement
Teachers are not only expected to be experts in student learning and development, but they must also be specialists in their respective content areas. Teachers specialize in core content areas, such as social studies, science, or math, through understanding and mastering key ideas and concepts in these fields. Through their own studies, teachers should be aware of tools, methodology, and resources specific to the content area and how to implement these successfully into the classroom. Furthermore, a deep knowledge of the content area allows teachers to simplify and explain material in an accessible manner.
For many teachers, content knowledge begins as an interest or passion and grows into a degree in that subject manner. For myself, I developed a love of history at a young age that led me to pursue history in higher education. I achieved both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in history and these pursuits endowed me with a deep 
understanding of the many intricacies of the field. While I am not an expert in all areas of the discipline, I am confident in my knowledge and my ability to share it with future students. For more information regarding my education, please see my undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
When applying for a teacher license, the Commonwealth of Virginia requires that the candidates pass the Praxis II Content Knowledge exam in their perspective subject area. For the Social Studies Content Knowledge exam, I scored in the top 15 percentile and received a Recognition of Excellence from ETS. I believe my performance in this exam reflects my knowledge proficiency and ability to teach Social Studies.
In addition, the state requires a proficient score in the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment for teaching licensure. This assessment assures teaching candidate possess skilled comprehension of the English language.
I think that a teacher’s commitment to expanding his or her content knowledge is lifelong exercise. As I noted, there is no way to be an expert in all areas of your subject, as the depth of knowledge is so vast. However, it is vital that a teacher continues to expand their content knowledge and their enthusiasm for learning about a subject. For me, my passion for history and social studies continues to grow inside and outside the classroom. I am a continual learner, along with my students. I think that this commitment allows teachers an ability to adapt and grow, while learning more about the necessary content.
For more detailed information on my ideas regarding content knowledge, please see my essay on Virginia Professional Practice Standard (PPS) #1: Professional Knowledge.