We had a presentation about this after school today. Sounds like it could be really powerful professional development, but it takes a lot of time to complete. If you've gone through the certification process, I'd love to hear your impressions. What is the process like? Is it worth it? What did you gain from it?
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
Unless they've changed it, National Board Certification never once looks at student achievement. It's all about the *teacher* and his/her ability to jump through hoops and agree with fuzzy education principles.
I'm much more inclined to accept the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence "master teacher" program, but California doesn't accept it yet.
http://abcte.org/masterteacher
I taught with a National Board Certified teacher earlier this year. I was totally prepared to be wowed and blown away by his skills and techniques. Instead, he was such a poor teacher that I found myself with my little experience offering him helpful tips. Students literally left the school because they couldn't get out of his class. This is just one anecdote, but my impression so far is that the program doesn't do much in the way of actually looking at a person's teaching ability and that it's much more book work and writing.
Hmm.. that's too bad. What sounded good to me was that all teachers are required to periodically videotape their lessons. These tapes are brought to a meeting of other teachers in the same discipline, and each participant is asked to watch for one particular component/standard of teaching in the video. The video is shown, all teachers take notes, and then there is discussion. It seems to me that viewing your own actual practice under a microscope, and then going through the same process watching several other teachers, could really help bring some issues to the surface.
I haven't been impressed by any professional development I have been a part of so far, so I wouldn't be surprised if the hype is just that.
Any positive experiences out there?
Hi Dan. Your blog is great. Our charter school's founding principal, Charlie, was a 30-year teacher and did the National Board Certification. He was/is an incredible teacher. He enjoyed the process, which he said was a lot of work but essentially "coerced reflection" that was useful.
I think Charlie would agree with Darren that NBC does NOT mean a teacher is "excellent" -- i.e., does not weed people out -- but the process itself may help good teacher become even better.
The National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (Calder Center) recently did two studies on the effects of National Board Certification.
http://www.caldercenter.org/research/commentaries.cfm
Basically, National Board Certification reduces teacher effectiveness.
There are two studies on teachers from Florida and North Carolina.
"In North Carolina, Clottfelter, Ladd and Vigdor find that National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) are more effective than the average teacher in the elementary grades prior to going through the certification process, but their advantage over other teachers does not significantly change during and after the certification process. These results suggest that the NBPTS process identifies superior teachers in North Carolina, but the process itself does not enhance teacher quality. The analysis for North Carolina is limited to the elementary grades."
"Using the Stanford-9 exam as a measure of student performance, they find that NBCTs in Florida are more effective than the average teacher in middle and high school math prior to going through the certification process, but future NBCTs are statistically no more effective in teaching elementary math or reading at any level. For neither Florida exam is there consistent evidence that the certification process itself makes teachers more effective, and in many instances NBCTs appear to be less effective in raising test scores during and after going through the certification process compared to the period before they applied."
I went through the NBC for English and found it to be the best educational development I've ever had. In response to darren - it DOES evaluate student achievement. I had to prove that my students showed progress in their reading and writing skills. Unlike many workshops, the National Certification process focuses on the teacher's actual classroom. I think the biggest misconception is that it is just a bunch of hoops a teacher must jump through. Do not judge something you have not tried.
Dan,
I'm so sorry that Darren was the first one to post because I think he is confusing the NBCT process with something else. I am currently a NBCT candidate, and the process is entirely student-outcome based. Every entry MUST show impact on student learning, from parental/community involvement, individual student "case studies" (for lack of a better term), to whole class and small group instruction. It is the most amazing self-directed professional development opportunity around. I have been teaching for 17 years, and I have never been more attentive and on top of my students' learning and my own self- reflection in as many years. It is not about hoop-jumping; it is truly about how you are able to impact student learning in your classroom and the community. I will be a better teacher for this process whether I certify or not. If you have the ability to commit time and are up for the most incredible challenge, GO FOR IT!! Best of luck!
Kim M.
I also think it was a great process. Yes, it is a lot of work but isn't that true of any certification that comes with any sort of title. I felt that it was in tune with getting a Specialist's Degree. Not quite a Master's, but more than what you've got now. I think it is possible that a bad teacher could go through the program and still be a bad teacher, but I found it educational, reflective and worth the effort.
I was very disappointed in the National Board Certification process. There is no feedback. I spent a great deal of my own money and tried to succeed based on support from teachers from three states who were certified. It did not happen. I wonder where all my money went. Surely the cardboard box with the CD that I got for the initial $2500 was not so costly.
I am currently finishing this process (my due date is the 30th of March and I will make it). (sigh) I have been teaching 11 years.
It is a lot of paperwork. It is extremely long and drawn out. I have found some of the questions extremely repetitious. I am not such a rule conformer but that is what my coach helps me with (the things like "this many pages, use this font, put the papers in this order, etc) but to me that IS a bunch of hoop jumping.
I would personally rather them come to see me in action and THEN write about it but oh well.
Anyway, there are good things about it. While it is long, I didn't find it HARD. It was quite doable and fit easily into what I do in the classroom. I am already a consistent and constant reflectioner on my practice so that part was extremely easy. Doing this was very similar to my undergrad experience (I went to Maryville University in St. Louis)
I have questioned myself as to why I am doing it many times. And I am fairly positive that if I don't get it this first time around, I won't try again. I have already decided I AM a good teacher no matter what they say after reviewing my submission.
The most positive thing I see from it is that if I have to change states and teach, it will ease that burden.
Would I suggest it to others? Yes, if they are looking for a challenge. That's probably why I did it the most. To see if I could.
Post a Comment