Standards

NORTH CAROLINA PROFESSIONAL TEACHING STANDARDS

5 Performance Standards – 25 Performance Elements

STANDARD I: TEACHERS DEMONSTRATE LEADERSHIP

1. Teachers lead in their classrooms.
2. Teachers demonstrate leadership in the school.
3. Teachers lead the teaching profession.
4. Teachers advocate for schools and students.
5. Teachers demonstrate high ethical standards.

STANDARD II: TEACHERS ESTABLISH A RESPECTFUL ENVIRONMENT FOR A DIVERSE POPULATION OF STUDENTS

1. Teachers provide an environment in which each child has a positive, nurturing relationship with caring adults.
2. Teachers embrace diversity in the school community and in the world.
3. Teachers treat students as individuals.
4. Teachers adapt their teaching for the benefit of students with special needs.
5. Teachers work collaboratively with the families and significant adults in the lives of their students.

STANDARD III: TEACHERS KNOW THE CONTENT THEY TEACH

1. Teachers align their instruction with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
2. Teachers know the content appropriate to their teaching specialty.
3. Teachers recognize the interconnectedness of content areas/disciplines.
4. Teachers make instruction relevant to students.

STANDARD IV: TEACHERS FACILITATE LEARNING FOR THEIR STUDENTS

1. Teachers know the ways in which learning takes place, and they know the appropriate levels of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional development of their students.
2. Teachers plan instruction appropriate for their students.
3. Teachers use a variety of instructional methods.
4. Teachers integrate and utilize technology in their instruction.
5. Teachers help students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
6. Teachers help students work in teams and develop leadership qualities.
7. Teachers communicate effectively.
8. Teachers use a variety of methods to assess what each student has learned.

STANDARD V: TEACHERS REFLECT ON THEIR PRACTICE

• Teachers analyze student learning.
• Teachers link professional growth to their professional goals.
• Teachers function effectively in a complex, dynamic environment.