Self-Assessment of NBPTS

Directions: For each element, rate yourself in one of the following three categories. Then provide examples of your experiences in the
area of the NBPTS. Finally, identify areas within each domain where you are interested in growing. On the last page, summarize your
strengths and areas of possible growth. Boxes will expand as needed.
 Exploring/Emerging (E/E) - a level of practice in which the teacher relies on ongoing assistance from more experienced colleagues for
support, guidance, and survival. The teacher is moving toward becoming more self-directed and independent in her/his practice.
 Applying (A) - a level of practice in which the teacher is able to provide independent instruction and easily applies what s/he has
learned about educational practice.
 Integrating/Innovating (I/I) - a level of development in which the teacher is fully skilled and confident. The Integrating/Innovating
teacher is contributing to the broader educational community through staff development, research, or publication in professional
journals.

Proposition 1: Teachers are committed to students and their learning. E/E A I/I
1. Teachers Recognize Individual Differences in Their Students and Adjust Their Practice Accordingly
2. Teachers Understand How Students Develop and Learn
3. Teachers Treat Students Equitably
4. Teachers Know Their Mission Transcends the Cognitive Development of Their Students
Three Examples of Proposition 1 Experiences Areas of Interest in Growth
 My lessons include different strategies for different
types of learners: visual models, hands-on
activities, videos, games, etc.
 I provide students with IEPs personalized
instructions adjusted according to their There are certain students who are shy and harder to
accommodations. “reach.” I would like to cultivate an ability to access the
students who are less talkative and participate very rarely in
 To ensure that all students have the same
order for me to carry out my commitment to their learning
opportunity and knowledge foundation during and cognitive growth.
distance learning, I conduct weekly office hours
during which I offer tutorials on how to access and
utilize the different online and technological tools
that our school asks students/families to use.

Proposition 2: Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to
E/E A I/I
students.
5. Teachers Appreciate How Knowledge in Their Subjects is Created, Organized, and Linked to Other
Disciplines
6. Teachers Command Specialized Knowledge of How to Convey a Subject to Students
7. Teachers Generate Multiple Paths to Knowledge
Three Examples of Proposition 2 Experiences Areas of Interest in Growth
 I always make it a point to connect knowledge in
Math to other life disciplines. In the beginning of
each year, and throughout, I emphasize to my
students that math is not invented, but discovered,
and that about every potential future career of
theirs will incorporate mathematical concepts one I am interested in discovering and incorporating even more
way or another. diverse teaching paths involving digital and online tools, and
 I teach three different levels of math– 6th, 7th, and different types of new technology that I may not be familiar
8th grade– and for each grade, my strategy in with yet.
conveying the subjects is different and age-
appropriate. Although it’s only a couple years of
difference, 6th graders respond very differently
from 8th graders to certain teaching methods, so I
am responsible for figuring out the conveyance

Self-Assessment of NBPTS (adapted from NBPTS (http://accomplishedteacher.org/preface/). 1

 method that works best for each group of
students.
 One notion I make it a point to emphasize repeatedly
to my students is that in Math, there never is only
one way of finding the right answer. I often model a
few different methods of reaching the same answer
with my class, and have students vote for their
favorite way and explain the reasoning behind their
preference.

Proposition 3: Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. E/E A I/I
1. Teachers Call on Multiple Methods to Meet Their Instructional Goals
2. Teachers Support Student Learning in Varied Settings and Groups
3. Teachers Value Student Engagement
4. Teachers Regularly Assess Student Progress
5. Teachers Engage Students in the Learning Process
Three Examples of Proposition 3 Experiences Areas of Interest in Growth
 Distance learning has forced many educators and
students to adapt to a new setting. Most students
have not attended school from inside their homes
before, and surely not for this length of time.
Adjusting to teaching from home has provided me
with many new skills when it comes to teaching in
varied settings. For both in-person and distance
learning settings, however, I incorporate small
group activities into my lessons.
 I assess my students’ knowledge and progress on a
regular basis. I often give my students Exit Tickets
before they leave class to see where they each I would like to learn additional methods of engaging the
stand after the lesson. I also incorporate Zoom’s students who do not seem to connect with the lessons. A
polling tool a couple of times during my lessons for variety of methods would help me reach the students for
students to anonymously and confidently whom my methods have not worked thus far.
communicate their level of comprehension of the
lesson so far. I also conduct a mid-unit quiz and a
summative assessment at the end of the unit.
 Student engagement is a crucial part of lesson
comprehension. One way to increase student
involvement in Math that I have found to work is to
lay a strong connection between each lesson and
real-world situations/usages. Students are more
engaged when they understand the way in which
what they are learning is tied to their lives or the
world in general.

Proposition 4: Teachers think systematically about their practices and learn from experience. E/E A I/I
1. Teachers Make Difficult Choices That Test Their Professional Judgment
2. Teachers Use Feedback and Research to Improve Their Practice and Positively Impact Student Learning
Three Examples of Proposition 4 Experiences Areas of Interest in Growth

Self-Assessment of NBPTS (adapted from NBPTS (http://accomplishedteacher.org/preface/). 2

  Letting go of methods that do not work for a
specific situation or group of students and adapting
to new ones is a crucial skill, even if that method
had worked with past classes. A teacher should be
welcoming change, flexibility, and open-
mindedness to being exposed to new teaching I would like to find more time to conduct independent
approaches research (and apply/incorporate it) into improving my
 Direct feedback: my class is often observed by my teaching practices in ways that would benefit as many
colleagues and the school’s administration, after students as possible.
which I receive direct feedback.
 Indirect feedback: I receive indirect feedback from
students when I see whether the methods I use
worked in achieving my teaching goal.


Proposition 5: Teachers are Members of Professional Communities E/E A I/I

1. Teachers Collaborate with Other Professionals to Improve School Effectiveness
2. Teachers Work Collaboratively with Families
3. Teachers Work Collaboratively with the Community
Three Examples of Proposition 5 Experiences Areas of Interest in Growth
 I collaborate with my colleague who is our school’s
STEM Lab teacher, where students use a self-paced
math program called ALEKS. Her and I constantly
discuss our students' progress and using their
results to help them succeed and advance in my
math classes.
 I constantly communication with the two Special Although our school, and my classes in particular, have
Education teachers in our school. They are present participated in a few community-based field trips and
for all of my classes, and together we design activities in the past years, I would still like to reach a deeper
individualized education plans for each student in level of involvement with the school’s local community.
need.
 The school I work for is a small charter school, and
values family involvement very much. We hold
weekly parent meetings every Tuesday where we
keep families informed about school news,
schedules, assignments, and more.

Summary of Strengths and Areas of Possible Growth

Self-Assessment of NBPTS (adapted from NBPTS (http://accomplishedteacher.org/preface/). 3

 Some of my strengths lie in individualized student learning needs for which I am able to learn, adapt, and deliver a diverse
array of approaches per lesson/subject that I am teaching. I also feel strongly about my assessment skills, as I place high
value in frequent but meaningful assessments in order to check in with students and myself to see if what we are doing is
working.

Areas of growth that would benefit me as an educator is making deeper connections and commitments to my professional
community, as well as the school’s local community. I would also like to create more of a consistency with researching the
latest digital advancements that would potentially improve my lesson deliveries.

Self-Assessment of NBPTS (adapted from NBPTS (http://accomplishedteacher.org/preface/). 4