Welcome National Board Candidates Sign in, pick up your name tag, and one of each handout. Place your photo by your division label. Sit with your division.

Writing to Achieve Agenda Welcome/Introductions Professional Norms Breaking Down the Standards Writing About Teaching LUNCH Evidence of Accomplished Teaching Goals vs. Objectives Showing Evidence of Meeting the Standards Homework Assignments Assessing our Professional Norms / Burning ???

Candidate Whip-Around Name School Certificate Area

Establishing Professional Norms Photo credit: Thomas Hawk via Flickr CC BY NC 2.0

Drafting a Set of Professional Norms What procedures will govern meeting attendance? What procedures will govern our dialogue with each other? What do you expect from other team members/candidates? How do we want to enforce our professional norms?

2016-2017 NBC Cohort Professional Norms Be on time, be prepared, be present (mentally, physically, homework done). Stay on-task; share the spotlight; practice equity of voice and use active listening. Provide gentle reminders. Give constructive and professional feedback; be open to receiving feedback. Limit side-bar conversations and use of technology (phones). What happens here, stays here. Maintain confidentiality. Keep a positive attitude (try! Really try! But there will be s-word moments.) Norm police: wrist-tapping, write off-topics on a sticky note

Division Expectations for Candidates Attend all META support sessions. Complete all assignments. Support future candidates for at least 2 years after achieving National Board Certification.

Performance Level Description Exceeds Expectations Strong response; candidate has a clear understanding of NBC concept(s) represented by the assignment. Meets Expectations Adequate response; candidate seems to understand the basic NBC concept(s) represented by the assignment, although the performance may be uneven. Did Not Follow ALL Directions Candidate did not pay attention to directions. Omissions will be noted in the rGrade system. This is not a problem unless it becomes a consistent pattern. Concern/Approaching Expectations Weak response; candidate completed the assignment but does not seem to grasp the NBC concept(s) represented. Concerns will be noted in rGrade. Does Not Meet Expectations Inadequate response; candidate appears to have put little or no effort in completing the assignment. Did Not Turn In No assignment.

Breaking Down the Standards Move to your certificate area. “Elementary” certificates to far end of room “Middle” certificates in the middle “High School” certificates closer to the door Take out standards homework.

Breaking Down the Standards Spend 20 minutes looking at standards and discussing how you could provide evidence for each. Spend 10 minutes focusing on one specific standard. Option A: Look at the Knowledge of Students standard. Discuss how you will prove your knowledge of students. Option B: Identify the standard that your group members identified as “rarely or never” doing the main ideas. Brainstorm big picture solutions.

Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership BREAK Photo credit: Robert via Flickr CC by NC-ND 2.0 Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Day/Night Partners Photo credit: Lima Andruska via Flickr CC By SA 2.0 Photo credit: hharryus via Flickr CC BY NC-ND 2.0 →Find two people in a different certificate area that you don’t know. →Ask one to be your day partner and one to be your night partner.

3 Types of Writing for National Board Certification Using your sticky notes… Write down something you know for sure about descriptive, analytical and/or reflective writing. Stick your note on the appropriate poster and return to your seat.

Descriptive Analytical Reflective

What we know about writing… Descriptive What happened in your room? Setting the scene? Who are your students? Be clear and concise. Be Specific. Details(colorful) You can move beyond age and gender when describing. Those students at that moment in that lesson. Analytical Why? Why? Why? Break into parts. It is the “so what.” Because… Reflective “Next time I will because…” Change, I will, So what did I learn from this? Next time I teach this lesson I will… Looks back and to the future…

Writing Stems and Sleuth Activity Photo credit: Evan Long via Flickr CC BY NC 2.0

Sleuth Activity With a partner at your table, look at each statement. Decide if each is descriptive, analytical, or reflective. Remember it may have more than one answer. Discuss answers as a table.

Writing about Teaching Read silently the section entitled “Writing about Teaching.” This is your General Portfolio Instructions on page 15-29. Using sticky notes and/or highlighters, identify critical information you need to remember. Before you break, write one piece of advice about writing for NB that you want to remember. Add the note to our poster. Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Working Lunch Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership Photo credit: Melissa via Flickr CC By 2.0 Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Your Tips for Writing Always be prepared to answer the why behind the what Get lots of readers to critique Set early deadline in order to get timely feedback Put distance between ourselves and writing Start practicing writing about teaching now – use journal Major difference between analysis and reflection is the focus on student impact (analysis) vs. self-analysis (reflection) Clearly explain the how/why of each lesson Refer to this section and your notes each time you write and throughout the process INCORPORATE STANDARDS INTO WRITING Specify acronyms first time you use them

Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership How do I provide evidence of accomplished teaching? **Accomplished Teachers are the standards! Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Your writing shows evidence that you are the standards/an accomplished teacher. You design a lesson that demonstrates the standards. Your student work puts the standards into action. Your writing provides evidence to the assessors that you know you are the standards/ an accomplished teacher. **This why you must KNOW and USE the standards. This is why we asked you to personalize them.

Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership YOU Are the Standards! = Photo credit: Intenteffect CC BY SA 2.0 Photo credit: US Dept of Ed via Flickr CC BY 2.0 ** Just demonstrating the standards through student work and assignments isn’t enough. **You must use your writing to point out the evidence of the standards in practice. Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

DON’T BE FOOLED - QUOTING THE STANDARDS IS NOT ENOUGH! Accomplished teachers EMBODY and DEMONSTRATE the standards. This can only be “seen” by an assessor if the candidate provides EVIDENCE in his/her Written Commentary that the standards were demonstrated in Student Work Samples, Assignments, Rubrics

Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership Standard Quoting In my class I ensure that I adjust the curriculum to match the students in ways that promote learning within each student’s developmental range. (Page 8 EA-ELA Standards) Where is the evidence??? Scorers are trained to look for EVIDENCE! Use those Stem examples! Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Using the Language of the Standards with Evidence. . . Having a deep knowledge of my students individually and as a whole contributes to my ability to adjust curriculum to match each student in a way which will promote learning. For example, four of my students are learning disabled and can participate in class discussion about a novel but find it difficult to put their thoughts in writing. To meet their needs, I vary the curriculum and assess them orally while encouraging them to write their thoughts down expressively using a journal. This serves to strengthen their writing ability while also ensuring they are learning the material. **Do you see the description, analysis, and reflection?

Remember: Descriptive, Analytical, and Reflective writing must be interwoven in order to show evidence that you are an accomplished teacher (using the standards). “I did ______, because I know…, in the future I will…” **Don’t forget use the standards vocabulary as you write.

Building Walls of Evidence: What does accomplished teaching look like? Clear, consistent, convincing evidence 4 3 Clear evidence Limited evidence 2 Little or no evidence 1 @ 2000 NBPTS Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Strong vs. Weak Evidence: What’s the difference? Find a partner outside of your certificate area who you don’t already know and the “Student Work Analysis” sheet Analyze the difference between the accomplished responses and those that are not as strong. Record your thoughts in the space provided. Add two sticky notes to poster about insights your partnership has about evidence of accomplished teaching. Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Evidence of Accomplished Teaching Weak evidence lacks WHY and includes more description. Accomplished responses: includes the BECAUSE which clearly shows teacher thought behind lesson Clearer picture Clear linkages to knowledge of students as part of the WHY behind instruction Sets up talking points for reflection Highlights linkages in description, analysis, reflection across the entire written commentary for that Component Should NOT be repetitive. Demonstrate internalized standards (write your responses with your standards beside you) Show clear evidence with details (enough but not too much) Streamlined word choice to communicate clearly and effectively

Writing to Achieve What does your table think the differences are between goals and objectives? Jot down ideas.

Goals/Objectives Write down a goal that you have for your class this grading period. Then write objectives you would use for a particular assignment/project/lesson that you would use to help obtain your goal. Objectives can be content, skill, process, or affective-based.

Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Showing Evidence of the Standards In groups of no more than 3 in your certificate area, use the graphic organizer to identify 2 standards that you must demonstrate for Component 2. What would you see in a teacher's classroom that would convince you that the teacher has met each standard? What does this standard look like in practice? Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership BREAK? Photo credit: Patrik Nygren via Flickr CC BY SA 2.0 Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Looking ahead… Your next (required) meeting is Tuesday, October 25 from 4:30 to 7:45. Optional Component 3 session on Saturday, October 22 from 9:00 to 3:30. Must email Terry Dozier if you plan to attend.

Homework Logistics Please read and follow all instructions on the homework sheet carefully. As noted, submit assignments via school division NBC email: nbcchesterfield@gmail.com nbchanover@gmail.com nbchenrico@gmail.com nbcrichmond@gmail.com You will also bring copies of some assignments to the October workshop.

Homework Due October 25 Read and sign the Facilitator-Candidate Agreement form. (bring) Identify at least two critical friends who will read for you – one in education and one who is not an educator. Remember: You may want different people for different entries. (email) Join the NBC Support Listserv and post a brief message introducing yourself.

Homework Due October 25 Download and carefully read all directions for Component 2 for your certificate area. Complete the Analysis of Student Work sheet for a set of student work samples. (email and bring) Prepare a detailed calendar of what/when for collecting student work samples for Component 2. (email)

Assessing our Professional Norms How are we doing? Photo credit: Thomas Hawk via Flickr CC BY NC 2.0 Copyright VCU Center for Teacher Leadership

Contact Information www.ctl.vcu.edu Terry Dozier, tdozier@vcu.edu Ryan Conway, rmconway@henrico.k12.va.us Serra De Arment, dearmentst@vcu.edu Eleanor Joyce, eleanor.joyce@doe.virginia.gov

Burning Questions?