Last April, I visited the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in Michigan. This is a national organisation which establishes high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. The National Board Certification, developed by teachers, with teachers and for teachers, is a symbol of professional teaching excellence. Offered on a voluntary basis, it complements the state licensing systems which set entry level standards for beginning teachers. I shall elaborate on these propositions to tease out the qualities expected of an accomplished teacher, which are consistent with our vision of education in Hong Kong.
Accomplished teachers believe that all students can learn, and act on that belief.
They are attentive to individual differences and their influence on learning. They use their understanding of the students, and knowledge of learning theory and child development, to guide their decisions about how to teach. They strive to provide multiple contexts in which to promote and evaluate student aptitudes and intelligences. They treat students equitably and are concerned with the development of character, aspiration and civic virtues. Accomplished teachers appreciate how knowledge in their subjects is created, organised and linked to other disciplines.