North Carolina Professional Teaching Standards - NCPTS

In order to become an effective and meaningful teacher in the 21st century, teachers are given a list of 6 professional teaching standards to follow. These standards are in place in order to become a proficient or accomplished teacher in the classroom and best teach the students placed in our classroom. Under these 6 standards are subcategories of what is expected during each level of proficiency. These standards are as follows:

Teachers demonstrate leadership
Teachers establish a respectful environment for a diverse population of students
Teachers know the content they teach
Teachers facilitate learning for their students
Teachers reflect on their practice
Teachers contribute to the academic success of their students

These standards are set in place to hold teachers accountable and challenge them. There is a level for each standard. The lowest level is emergent. Starting out student teaching, each teacher should be at this level. Upon practice in the classrooms and growth as a teacher, moving up in the levels is the next step. This step is called the developing candidate. One important item to stress when moving up in levels is that a developing teacher has covered all of developing candidate stipulations AND the emergent candidates requirements. This shows that this knowledge and growth is built upon each other and prior knowledge is still there. From here, the proficient candidate is the next goal. Once this is reached once a professional educator is successful in all areas of emergent candidate skills, developing, AND proficient skills. Rather than each of these fields being something entirely different, they are embellished and slightly more complicated to reach. This is the level student teachers must be at in order to receive licensure from the university. The top level is the accomplished teacher. This is where "big things happen" and one has finally landed a skip, hop, and a jump away from beginning student teaching.

After going through these standards more in depth, I am able to understand what is expected from me as a teacher and my fellow coworkers. It is intimidating to see them all lined up in this manner, but also incredibly helpful to have a set of guidelines and models to follow after.

Every time we are in class and our future is brought up, we tend to get uneasy and question what is actually expected of us. To answer these questions, I now know to direct others and myself to the NCPTS. This link provides the reader with the NCPTS and deeper explanations of each standard. Also this link is a breakdown of what tests we are required to take as well as what licensure entails. With these two resources I am better equipped to take my future into my own hands and be a responsible, growing student as I one day plan to be a responsible, effective teacher.

Much love,
Brittany Kertesz