by Stephanie Blackburn
Stephanie Blackburn is working toward National Board Certification
as a Middle Childhood Generalist.
August 8, 2003
This week, I begin tackling my to-do list. First, I print out
the standards and scoring guides. Then I to bone up on concepts
that might appear on the assessment test by looking over the
E.D. Hirsch books I've purchased: What Your 3rd... (4th,
5th and 6th) Grader Needs to Know.
That's when the reality of the whole process begins to sink
in, sending me to the Board Web site to look at the Assessment
Center information. What are their expectations for the assessment?
How do I study? How can I answer all the questions in 30 minutes?
Are they insane? Am I insane for thinking I can possibly pass
this test?
Right now, Steph, Nikki, Jen and Elizabeth are at a class
getting tips on how to tackle this process, so I'll have to
wait until later to talk to them. In the meantime, I decide
to visit some other educational sites. I renew my membership
to NCTM, which will help me with current practices for math
instruction. I sign up for National Council of Social Studies
to help me with the current standards and expectations for
the social studies portion of the test. And I collect all
the Educational Leadership magazines that accompany
my Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
membership, and began reading the articles.
Finally, I speak with the others! They are as apprehensive
as I am, but we've decided that we're all on the right track.
We can do it!
My list grows longer:
- Read the rest of the Educational Leadership magazines.
- Call Dan and get the science curriculum for middle school.
Contact our assistant superintendent for some "Big Ideas."
|
 Stephanie
Blackburn, one of Education World's 2002-2003 teacher
diarists, received her bachelor's degree in elementary
education from the University of Rhode Island in
May 1994. For the first two years of her teaching
career, Stephanie worked as an enrichment specialist
in the talent development program for the Westerly,
Rhode Island, school district. For the past seven
years, she has taught fourth grade at Bradford
Elementary School in Westerly. Stephanie was
awarded a 2002 National Educator Award by the Milken
Family Foundation, in a program that provides recognizes
elementary and secondary school teachers, principals,
and other education professionals who are furthering
excellence in education. |
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