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The 2003-2005
Education World
Teacher Diary

View diaries from previous years:
2002-03 Reflections on Teaching and Learning Diaries
2001-02 First-Year Teacher & Mentor Diaries
2000-2001 First-Year Teacher Diaries

Our five teacher diarists for the 2003-05 school year are:


Stephanie Blackburn
Middle Childhood Generalist

Stephanie Capalbo
Early Childhood Generalist
Aug 1, 2003
Aug 18, 2003
Sept 8, 2003
Sept 22, 2003
Oct 6, 2003
Oct 20, 2003
Nov 3, 2003
Nov 17, 2003
Dec 1, 2003
Dec 15, 2003
Jan 12, 2004
Jan 26, 2004
Feb 9, 2004
Feb 23, 2004
Mar 15, 2004
Aug 8, 2003
Aug 25, 2003
Sept 15, 2003
Sept 29, 2003
Oct 13, 2003
Oct 27, 2003
Nov 10, 2003
Nov 24, 2003
Dec 8, 2003
Jan 5, 2004
Jan 19, 2004
Feb 2, 2004
Feb 16, 2004
Mar 1, 2004
May 17, 2004
January 24, 2005
Aug 1, 2003
Aug 18, 2003
Sept 8, 2003
Sept 22, 2003
Oct 6, 2003
Oct 20, 2003
Nov 3, 2003
Nov 17, 2003
Dec 1, 2003
Dec 15, 2003
Jan 12, 2004
Jan 26, 2004
Feb 9, 2004
Feb 23, 2004
Mar 22, 2004
Aug 8, 2003
Aug 25, 2003
Sept 15, 2003
Sept 29, 2003
Oct 13, 2003
Oct 27, 2003
Nov 10, 2003
Nov 24, 2003
Dec 8, 2003
Jan 5, 2004
Jan 19, 2004
Feb 2, 2004
Feb 16, 2004
Mar 1, 2004
May 24, 2004
January 03 , 2005

Nicole Chiarello
Exceptional Needs Specialist

Elizabeth Scheibl
Middle Childhood Generalist
Aug 1, 2003
Aug 18, 2003
Sept 8, 2003
Sept 22, 2003
Oct 6, 2003
Oct 20, 2003
Nov 3, 2003
Nov 17, 2003
Dec 1, 2003
Dec 15, 2003
Jan 12, 2004
Jan 26, 2004
Feb 9, 2004
Feb 23, 2004
Mar 29, 2004
Aug 8, 2003
Aug 25, 2003
Sept 15, 2003
Sept 29, 2003
Oct 13, 2003
Oct 27, 2003
Nov 10, 2003
Nov 24, 2003
Dec 8, 2003
Jan 5, 2004
Jan 19, 2004
Feb 2, 2004
Feb 16, 2004
Mar 1, 2004
May 10, 2004
January 31, 2005
Aug 1, 2003
Aug 18, 2003
Sept 8, 2003
Sept 22, 2003
Oct 6, 2003
Oct 20, 2003
Nov 3, 2003
Nov 17, 2003
Dec 1, 2003
Dec 15, 2003
Jan 12, 2004
Jan 26, 2004
Feb 9, 2004
Feb 23, 2004
Apr 5, 2004
Aug 8, 2003
Aug 25, 2003
Sept 15, 2003
Sept 29, 2003
Oct 13, 2003
Oct 27, 2003
Nov 10, 2003
Nov 24, 2003
Dec 8, 2003
Jan 5, 2004
Jan 19, 2004
Feb 2, 2004
Feb 16, 2004
Mar 1, 2004
Apr 26, 2004
January 17, 2005

Jennifer Sinotte
Exceptional Needs Specialist
  Aug 1, 2003
Aug 18, 2003
Sept 8, 2003
Sept 22, 2003
Oct 6, 2003
Oct 20, 2003
Nov 3, 2003
Nov 17, 2003
Dec 1, 2003
Dec 15, 2003
Jan 12, 2004
Jan 26, 2004
Feb 9, 2004
Feb 23, 2004
Apr 12, 2004
Aug 8, 2003
Aug 25, 2003
Sept 15, 2003
Sept 29, 2003
Oct 13, 2003
Oct 27, 2003
Nov 10, 2003
Nov 24, 2003
Dec 8, 2003
Jan 5, 2004
Jan 19, 2004
Feb 2, 2004
Feb 16, 2004
Mar 1, 2004
May 3, 2004
Jan 10, 2005

ABOUT NATIONAL TEACHER CERTIFICATION

In this era of accountability, the issue of teacher quality looms large. What exactly is a quality teacher? What knowledge and skills do quality teachers possess? How does one objectively measure teacher quality? How can educators improve the quality of their own teaching?

Many schools, districts, and states have turned to criteria developed by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards for an answer to those questions. For 10 years, the NBPTS, "an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization governed by a 63-member board of directors, the majority of whom are classroom teachers," has been offering teachers the opportunity to assess, improve, and demonstrate their quality by completing the requirements for NBPT Certification.

Dear Diarist,

Are you considering working towards national certification? Do you have questions or comments for our teacher diarists? E-mail Quality Teachers at reflectiveteacher
@educationworld.com to share your thoughts.

In order to attain National Board Certification, teachers must complete a rigorous process in which their content knowledge and teaching skills are measured against the highest standards as determined by the NBPTS. The process consists of two major parts, creating portfolios and completing assessment center exercises. In the portfolio portion of the process, teachers demonstrate how they translate knowledge and theory into practice by assembling videotapes of their teaching, by collecting student learning products and other teaching artifacts, and by providing detailed analyses of their teaching practice. In the assessment portion, teachers answer questions on content specific to their fields.

This year, five teachers in Westerly, Rhode Island, have undertaken the challenge of striving for National Board Certification -- and as they do, they have volunteered to share their experiences with you. Through weekly journal entries, these five teachers will provide a glimpse into the National Board Certification process. They will share their triumphs and trials, their questions and advice, their enthusiasm and exhaustion. Hopefully, by the time the journals -- and the struggles - of this year's Education World teacher diarists are complete, you will have a better idea of what the National Board Certification process involves and of what it could mean to you.

More on National Board Certification

Learn more about National Board Certification in the following Education World articles:
* NBPTS: Building Better Teachers, an interview with NBPTS president Joseph A. Aguerrebere Jr.
* In Search Of National Board Certification: One Teacher's Perspective
* National Board Certification: Tips From Teachers Who Have Done It
* National Board Certification: Is It for You?

Previous Teacher Diaries

Be sure to also see Education World's previous teacher diary features, Reflections on Teaching and Learning, A First-Year Teacher and Her Mentor, and The First 180 Days: First-Year Teacher Diaries.