The 2003-2005 Education World Teacher Diary |
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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: |
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.
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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.
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