Roettger-Svoboda mentioned one teacher who felt stultified before the assessment but had a significant sense of refreshment afterward. When they get that stamp of 'Yes, you are a good teacher,' that just reenergizes them. Everyone who completes the process, according to Pauls, feels he or she is a better teacher because of it, even if they are not awarded a certificate on their first try. Roettger-Svoboda says teachers tend to describe it as the best professional development they have ever done. But that lack has not proven to be much of a disincentive to IRA members, several hundred of whom have earned National Board certificates so far.
Teachers are committed to students and their learning.
Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience. Teachers are members of learning communities. Perhaps the focus on the teacher is appealing in a period when the teacher's autonomy is being threatened.