National Board Teacher Certification: Curriculum
Candidates enrolled in the national board teacher certification program will participate in coursework that provides you with an opportunity to assess your accomplished teaching.
Course requirements mirror the standards, skills, professional dispositions and knowledge required by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). Candidates will:
- Study and apply the NBPTS's standards in their certification area
- Gather and assess samples of student work based upon NBPTS's standards
- Investigate child development theories as they design optimal learning opportunities for students in their classrooms
- Evaluate their teaching artifacts based upon the NBPTS standards
- Videotape and analyze their classroom instruction based upon NBPTS's standards
- Engage in descriptive, analytical and reflective writing
- Reflect upon and document professional accomplishments that focus on work within the profession and outreach to families and community
- Engage in designing and implementing an individualized professional development plan to support their journey to accomplished teaching
- Engage in research related to their content and certification area
- Analyze challenging teaching issues across the age range and topics of their certificate field
This program emphasizes a constructivist teaching philosophy that takes into consideration the prior knowledge and background of individual learners. The program is based on best practices, is performance-based and engages learners in research-based practices that will prepare those who are seeking national board certification.
Get a description of each of Cal U's national board teacher certification courses from our Course Catalog.
Below is a recommended framework of courses for completing the degree.
Master of Education: National Board Teacher Certification: 33 credits
| Semester | Course Name | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PSY 712: Advanced Psychology of Learning | 3 |
| 1 | EDE 701: Develop. and Organ. of the Curriculum | 3 |
| 2 | ESP 501: Introduction to Exceptionality | 3 |
| 2 | RES 800: Methods of Research | 3 |
| 3 | EDE 760: Introduction to National Board Certification | 3 |
| 3 | EDE 761: Family and Community Relations | 3 |
| 4 | EDE 762: Interdisciplinary Inquiry-Based Learning | 3 |
| 4 | EDE 763: Constructivism in Practice | 3 |
| 4 | EDE 764: Teacher Reflection | 3 |
| 5 | EDE 765: Teachers as Leaders | 3 |
| 5 | RES 849: Thesis OR | 3 |
