I never knew about this and I'm not sure why. Over the course of 24 years, I raised six children through the public school system but I had never heard of The Five Core Propositions created by the NBPTS (National Board for Professional Teaching Standards) in 1987. Since my primary focus is on literacy in education, I was particularly drawn to:
Proposition 2: Teachers Know the Subjects They Teach and How to Teach Those Subjects to Students.
• NBCTs have mastery over the subject(s) they teach. They have a deep understanding of the history, structure and real-world applications of the subject.
• They have skill and experience in teaching it, and they are very familiar with the skills gaps and preconceptions students may bring to the subject.
• They are able to use diverse instructional strategies to teach for understanding.
I do realize that there is an ongoing effort to keep most teachers educated and informed through in-service and professional development meetings. However, my thought goes back to the term ‘mastery.’ The definition of mastery is a full command of a subject or study.
So, concerning literacy – doesn’t it follow that mastery of teaching reading should be the goal of every teacher? That’s why we are adamant and passionate about our workshops, webinars, and methodology. If every teacher had a full command, or understanding, of how to teach reading in a way that even the most reluctant reader could grow and progress, nearly every student would soar. What a difference we could make... together. That's why we offer a free 30-day workshop so that educators can master the ability to teach every student to read.
Take advantage of this offer and let me know what you think.