Based on today's experience, I highly recommend signing up for a KickStart session. My cost was $150 but it was well worth the price because of the structured guidance, the collegial camaraderie, and the intense focus on specific components.
Note: The information I am sharing is not comprehensive; I am sharing insights that opened my mind to better understanding the NB process.
Insights from Day 1: Foundations & Component 2
1. "What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do" presents the 5 Core Propositions of Accomplished Teachers.
Core Proposition 1: Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
Core Proposition 2: Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.
Core Proposition 3: Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.
Core Proposition 4: Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.
Core Proposition 5: Teachers are members of learning communities.
These core propositions are comprehensive and very precise yet focused and changeable depending on the learning situation. This document is the guide to help teachers reflect on their own current and future instructional practices.2. The National Board Standards are NOT the Common Core Standards!
NB has their own standards to compare one's exemplary teaching.
NB standards focus on the teacher and the ability to teach a specific content area, not the student and the proficiency gained in learning new skills and concepts.
NB standards focus on the teacher's skill (wrong word?) in positively impacting student learning.
3. Key Concept of the NB process:
EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS.
How?
BY FOCUSING ON THE STUDENT:
STUDENT WORK, STUDENT IMPACT, STUDENT LEARNING
4. NB terminology and their reference/meaning
"Portfolio" = written commentary
"Standards" = NB standards, not CC or State standards
"Accomplished Teaching" = evidence of student learning, not proficiency/highly distinguished, etc.
5. "Ideal and Real"
After a jigsaw review of the 5 Core Propositions, we completed a reflection exercise of our Ideal and Real teacher selves. We noted "where I want to be" as a teacher (Ideal) and "that's me and that's where I am" as a teacher (Real). This is my reflection:
Ideal: Teach to their potential. I want to better know my students as individuals in order to better adapt my teaching practices to better meet my individual students' needs.
Real: I am good at reflecting on my practice (on effective and ineffective teaching practices) and making adjustments for the next teaching experience. I am a life long learner.
6. Diversity Standard
Art Standard III focuses on Equity and Diversity, essential qualities of accomplished teaching
It was recommended we do "close readings" of this standard:
i. Read whole standard that addresses "Diversity"
ii. Highlight/underline key verbs or ideas of "what teachers do"
iii. Draw line from big idea to margin-- connect to your practice; identify gaps with a question mark
iv. Record notes on "Condensed Standard Graphic Organizer"
Own your standards.
This will guide you to articulate how your practice meets NB standards required in each component.
Apply the standards to your practice.
Reflect on your impact on student learning/thinking.
7. Architecture of Accomplished Teaching [graphic of a double helix image 6 steps]
1st: Know your students--Who are they? What are their needs? Which needs are most important at this time?
2nd: Have goals--What are the goals for this lesson? How are they high, worthwhile, and appropriate at this time?
3rd: Instruction--What instructional strategies do you use to meet your goals? What materials, people, and places do you use to enhance student learning?
4th: Evaluate/Assess for Learning--How well did the students meet the goals? How well did the instruction match the goals? What feedback do students need to better reach the goals? Note: Assess for learning, not of learning. Focus on how students learned, what will be the next steps in their learning, not what was learned.
5th: Reflect--What are your next steps after teaching this lesson? Of you were to teach this lesson again, what would you do differently? How effective was your planning/instruction in terms of supporting student learning? Note: Reflect does not mean looking at proficiency, but how you reflect.
6th: New Goals--What new goals would now be appropriate to set for students? Repeat cycle . . . What do your students need now?
Embedded in the 6 steps are the 5 Core Propositions
LUNCH
1. Component 2: Differentiation in Instruction
Content-specific standards
Core Proposition 3 is important: Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning because accomplished teachers will differentiate in order to meet the needs of all their students to positively impact learning.
2. Linking Component 2, the 5 Core Propositions, and Your Practice: the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching applied
Suggestion from colleague: You need to have learning targets/I Can Statements that are structured to reach the big overarching goal. Use these learning targets in structuring the lesson in the helix! Each new spiral would be the next I Can Statement.
Goals vs. Activities
Goals reflect student needs and district/state requirements.
Activities are the means to take students towards the goals.
Goals or Objectives
Goals are overarching unit targets.
Objectives are short-term learning targets.
When writing, own the distinction: be clear and consistent in your use of these terms.
