Chapter 8: National Board Certification as Staff Development: A Teacher’s Perspective

This chapter represents a National Board certified teacher’s perspective on how the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification process changes teachers in ways that traditional staff development does not. The process of developing a portfolio, documenting thought processes, analyzing student work samples, videotaping instruction methods, and completing written tests helps to develop teachers who are more reflective and accomplished in their teaching. The National Board certification process requires teachers to show that they are committed to students and their learning, know the subjects that they teach and how to teach those subjects, are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning, think systematically about their practice and learn from experience, and are members of learning communities. National Board standards, developed by panels of experts in the various content specialties, are used to identify reflective and accomplished teachers. The process of seeking that identification, whether or not it results in National Board certification, provides professional development of a scope and complexity that traditional staff development cannot match.