So You Want To Be a Star
Raw footage of a new teacher discussing the solar system with her students isn’t likely to be a top request on Netflix anytime soon.
But videotaped teacher performances will be a key part of the Arizona Teacher Performance Assessment (ATPA) and help prepare new teachers for award-winning careers.
Allowing teachers to videotape their peak performance gives them more control than a traditional observation, says Arizona Education Association (AEA) Vice President Andrew Morrill. “We want teachers to feel very good and well-prepared about what they’re submitting,” he says.
Modeled after the National Board Certification program, the ATPA takes a portfolio approach and also includes essays and peer assessments. For years, AEA advocated the need for these new standards, which do double-duty as professional development for teachers in their first three years. Now, they can bid a fond farewell to “one-hit-wonder workshops,” Morrill says.
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