Applicants for the program should be well-versed in their subject and committed to student success and educational effectiveness.
The program is carried out through face to face trainings and online teaching. The first part (20-21 weeks) includes three face to face trainings each lasting 2-3 days, while the second part (20 weeks) is the probation period during which participants test the knowledge and skills they obtain during the program and work with their mentors. During the probation period, the program participants carry out a research work, which forms an important component of their portfolio.
The development program aims to prepare self-reflective practitioners who will be active participants in the AB community of practice and will engage in lifelong professional development as a part of that community.
Attainment of the AB Professional Teacher Development Program standards is assessed through a portfolio of evidence with respect to each standard as well as self-reflection on each. Participants are expected to maintain a journal throughout the certificate program to develop as self-reflective practitioners, to contribute to on-line and face-to-face discussions and activities, and to submit an annotated portfolio (typically 150-200 pages in length), keyed to the standards, for final evaluation comprising the following components:
Each teacher’s performance is assessed against the Teachers’ Standards to a level that is consistent with what should be reasonably expected of that teacher, given his or her current role and experience.
The program also supports teachers by providing them a self-progress monitoring tool – The Standards Progress Tracker. This supports the development of the AB program participants’ progress towards and beyond the Teachers’ Standards during the AB teacher training and certification.
