I. General professional teaching standards

Summary

Definition

Checklist - anchor

Application/Examples -anchor

 

Note.  Printed with permission from National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, (Early Childhood/Generalist Standards, 1998),www.nbpts.org. All rights reserved.

 

Checklist

 

___ A. Commitment to students and their learning

___ B. Knowledge of the subject(s) taught and of best
            methods/principles to teach

___ C. Responsibility for managing and monitoring student
            learning

___ D. Systematic thinking about practice and learning from
            experience

___ E. Engagement into learning community

 

Applications/Examples

___A. Commitment to students and their learning 

  • Teachers are dedicated to making knowledge accessible to all students, with the understanding that all students can learn. They treat students equitably, recognizing individual differences. Professional practice is adjusted, as appropriate, based on observation and knowledge of the students' interests, abilities, skills, knowledge, family circumstances, and peer relationships. Teachers understand how students develop and learn.

  • They incorporate the prevailing theories of cognition and intelligence in their practice. They are aware of the influence of context and culture on behavior. They help students develop their cognitive capacity and their respect for learning.

  • They also foster students' self-esteem, motivation, character, civic responsibility, and their respect for individual, cultural, religious, and racial differences.

___B. Knowledge of the subject(s) taught and of best
           methods/principles to teach

  • Teachers have a rich understanding of their subject(s) and are aware of how knowledge in their field is created, organized, and linked to other disciplines and applied to real-world settings. Teachers know how to convey and reveal subject matter to their students. They know where difficulties are likely to arise and they modify their practice accordingly. Their instructional repertoire allows them to create multiple paths to the subjects they teach.

___C. Responsibility for managing and monitoring student
           learning 

  • Teachers create, enrich, maintain, and alter instructional settings to capture and sustain the interest of their students and to make the most effective use of time. Teachers command a range of generic instructional techniques, know when each of them is appropriate, and can implement them as needed.

  • They know how to engage groups of students to ensure a disciplined learning environment and how to organize instruction to meet the school's goals. They are adept at setting norms for social interaction among students and between students and teachers. They know how to motivate students to learn. They can assess individual as well as whole-class progress.

___D. Systematic thinking about practice and learning from
           experience 

  • Teachers are educated persons displaying virtues, such as curiosity, tolerance, honesty, fairness, respect for diversity, and appreciation of cultural differences. They are able to reason and take multiple perspectives, to be creative and take risks, and to adopt an experimental and problem-solving orientation.

  • Their decisions are grounded not only in research literature but also in their professional experience. They critically examine their practice, seek to expand their repertoire, deepen their knowledge, sharpen their judgment, and adapt their teaching to new findings, ideas, and theories.

___E. Engagement into learning community

  • Teachers contribute to the effectiveness of the school by working collaboratively with other professionals on instruction policy, curriculum, and/or staff development. They can evaluate school progress and are knowledgeable about specialized school and community resources that can be engaged for their students' benefit. They find ways to work collaboratively and creatively with parents, engaging them productively in the work of the school.